The Sun.
London, England, 1818-04-22 00:00:00

" You perceive, Sir,. that the Government of
the United Sates, is not pre.pared either to re-
nonnte any of the claims which it has been so
long; tirgi'm; upon the justice of Spain, or to ae-
,quiesce in any of those arguments ‘vhiell'appear.
to you's() ImntinnUS And irresistible. Detc-!rmined
to pursue the *estabrislonent of their rights, as
long as. by'any possibility they' can
~be ,persued
through the paths of peae, they. have acquiesced,
as the ilieittge of the !'resident at thecommence-
ment of the present Session of Congress has in-
formed y'on, • that .policy 'of Spain which
has hitherto procrastinated the amicable
jusfif,ert of- these interests ; not front an in-
sensibility to their importance to this- Union,
nor from any indifference to the object of
being nnon terms , of cordial harmony with
Spain ; but, becaose peace is—among the dearest
and most earnest objects of their policy ; and be-
cause they htiee considered, and still consider it,
more congenial to the principles of humanity, and
to the permanent welfare of both nations, to wait
for the favourable operation of time upon the
prejudices and passions opposed to them, than to
resort to. the unnecessary agency of force. After
a -lapse of 13 years of patient forbearance, in wait-
ing for the moment when Spain should find it exT
pedient to meet their constantdeaire of bringing to
a happy and harmonious termination all the conflict-
ing interests between them, it will need little addi-
tional effort to wait stiinewhat longer with the same
expectation. The President deems this course
even more advisable Oran that of referring the
questions depending between the two nations to
the arbittanwnt or mediation of. ()tie or more
friendly European:Powers-, as youhave been au-
thorized.io propose. .Tlie siatement in your Note
of the MI! of February, in reference to thisauh-
ject, is not altogether correct. It is not the
British Government, which, on this occasion, has.
offered ; hut your Government, which, without first
consulting, or asking the concurrence of the United
States, hasrequested the med:ation of Great Britat•o.
The British Government, ae mitF.t he well known to
you, have declined the offer of their mediation,
unless it should be requested by both parties, and
have communicated to the Government of the
United States this overture on the pit of Spain.
The President thought proper, from motives
which' he has no doubt. Will he deemed satisfactory,
loth to Great Britain and Spain, to 'decline unit-
ing in this request. Ile is, indeed, fully persuaded
that, notwithstanding any prepossessions which
the British Government may heretofore have en-
tertained with regard to any of the points in con-
troversy, they would have been entirely discarded in
assuming the office of a mediator. Brit it has hi-
therto been the policy, both of Europe and of
the Uni'ed States, to keep aloof from • the
general federative system of each other. The
EuropeanAstates are combine d together, and con,
sleeted with one another, by a multitude of im-
portant interests and relations, with which the
United States have no concern, with which they
}rate m tni fest ed the determination not to
interfere, and of which no communication being
made to theta by the GovernMent; of Europe,
they have not information competent to enable
them to estimate their extent and hearings. The
United States, in justice to themselves, in justice
. to that harmony tvhic,h they.earnestly desire to
cultivate with all the Powers of Europe, in justice
to that ftnnlament al system of policy which for-•
bids them from entering the labyrinth of Euro-
pean politics, must decline soliciting or acceding
to the interference of any other Government of
• turope, for • the 'settlement of their differences
with Spain.
" But however discouraging the tenor and eharacthr, of
your recent Note has been to the hopes which the promises
and professions of your Goverinnent had excited, that hit
time for the adjustment of:these different:es with Spain here:,
self bad at length arrived, the United States will no-
Abandon the expectation that more correct views of the sub-
ject Will ultimately be suggjsted to your Government, and
they will always be disposed to meet them in the spirit of
justice altd amity. With regard to those parts-of the Pro-
vince crt Louisiana which hare been incorporated within .
the State of that name, it is time that the discussion should
cease-L-fltining part of the territory of a sovereign and in-
dependent - State of this Union, to dispose of, them is
nut within the conipetenev of the executive goVet potent of
the United States ; nor will the discussion .he hereafter con-
tinned. But if you have proposals to make, to which' it is
possible for the Government of the. United Suites to listen
with a prospect of bringing them to any practicable condor
sion, I am antlioriZed to receive them, and to conclude with
you a treaty for the 'adjustment of all the differences between
the two tiations, upon terms which may be satisfactory to
both.
" With regard to the motives for the occupation of Amelia
Island, the Message front the President of the United States
to Congress. and my letter to you of the 16th January, have
gi-en the•explanations Which, it is presumed, will be satisfac-
tory to your Government. The exposed and feeble situation
of this island, ifs well as of the remainder of East Floiida,with
their local position in the neighbourhood of the United States,
bare always been among the primary inducements of the
United States for urging; to Spain the expediency to the inte-
rests of both nations, that Spain should cede them, for a just
and suitable equivalent, to the United States.
" In the letter of the 2sth of January, 1805. front Messrs.
Pinkney and Monroe, to Mr. Cevallos, the following passage
stands proruinent among the arguments used by them to that
effect :—' Should Spain,' say they, not place a strong force
in Florida, it will not escape your ExOellency's attention that
it will be much exposed to the danger of being taken by some
other Power, wind might wish to hold it with very different
views towards _Spain than those which animate the Gotern-
went of the United States. Without a strong force being
there, it might. eren become an asylum fur adventurers and
freebooters, to the great annoyance of both nations.'
" You know, Sir, ho-w
far the events thus anticipated, and
pointed out so early a i in January, 1805, to the prudent fore-.
cast of Spain, have been realized. Pensacola has been occu-
pied by another Powey for the purpose of carrying on war front
• tt rgainst the Unittl'States; and Amelia Island has been oc-
cupied by adventurerS, to the great annoyance of both na-
tions, and of all others engaged in lawful counperce upon the
• Gulf of Mexico. BefOre'tbese events occurred, the Congress of
the United States, aware of the great and growing danger of
them, which had been 'so being before distinctly foreseen', had
made it the duty of the. Executive Government,. in the case
of such a contingency, to take the temporary
.possession of
the country which iniiiht be necessary to avert the injuries
that must result from it. Amelia Island was taken, not from
the possession of Spain, but of those from: whom -she' had
been equally incapable of keeping or of- recovering its pos- .
session, and who were Using it for purpose's ineontpatible with
the laws of nations and of the United States. No purpose,
either of taking. or of retaining it, as a conquest front Spain,
has ever been entertained, and unless ceded by §pain to the
'United. States, it will be restofed, whenever Hie danger of
its being again thus oceupied and ntiStsi'd shall lta'i'e ceased.
" It is needless-to-add, that the proposal that the United
States shuuld take any further measures than those already pro-
vided by law for preventing armaments hOstile to Spam, with- •
in the territories of the United States, is inadmissible.• The
measnresalrtady taken, and the laws already existing, against -
all Sttustile
armaments within ourjut isdiction,incompatible with