The Sun.
London, England, 1811-12-26 00:00:00

dig ERIC,!.

DOCUMENTS

ACCOMPANYING THB PRESILiENT'S MESSACIi:

MR. MONROR TO MR. POSTER.
• Department of State, July 8, au'.

Ste,
I hese had the honour to. reteive the note which
you have presenicd, by urtkr of his Royal Iliginpiss
the. Prince Itegent„ iu o 1 the 1104.
gemey of Spaut,'.against the possessiOn lately taken
'by the United States of certain parts of WeAt
Florida.,

Although- the President cannot tvitnit the right of
Great Britain to intetkr2 iu arty tluestian relating to
that prOvince; .he is willing to explain, in ti friendly
t he consideratiCns *•hkh indicted the United..
Stales to take the.step agttitrst which you have been
ordeted to protest.

It is to be inferred from your iiiew of the Subje‘ft,
that the British Government has been taught to be.
lieve that the United Stints seized a' moment of mi.'
donal embarrassment to wrest hoin Spain a province,
to which they had: e) right, Aiici °oat they were
prompted to it by their interest alone, and a know.
ledge that Spain could not derend it.. Nothing,
however, is more rtmote from. the feta than aid
presumption on Whip!! your Government appeara tot
have acted. Examples of so ti n mil thy a conduct are
unfortunately too li-rquent in the history or nations,
but the..United.Statestme not foltovved' them. TI
President had persuaded himself that the Unequivocal
proofs . which the united States have 'given in all
their transaetiOns with foreign powers, and ,partico.
lady with S.pain, of an upright and liberal polieyi,
have shielded them "from such tin unineritdd
suspicion. .He is satistiedibat nothing is wAntirtg
but
,a correa knowledge ul 13CAS completely to d 64
sipate, it.
s

1 might bring to year view a long Catalogue of
injuries which the United Stater reeeiee(t
Spain since the conolusion of their revOldtionary
war, any one of which would most probably have
been considered cause of war, and resented as such
by other powers. I will mention two of these only:
the spoliations that were committed on'their com-
merce to a„ great amount in the last war, and the
'suppression of their deposit at New Orleana just be-
fore the commencement of the present war, in vie+
!anon of a solemn treaty ; for neither of which in-
juries has any reparation or 'atonement been made.
For injuries like those of the first class,' it is known
to you that Great Britain and France made indemA
' The United States, however, do not rely on
injuresthese for a justification of their condtiet kt
this transa6tion, although their Claims to reparation
for them arc by no means relinquished, mid it is ro
be presumed will not always be neglected:
When 1 inforM you that the province of Writ
Florida to the Perdido was a part of Louisiana, while
the whole province' formerly belonged to France;'
that although it was afterwards separated from the
other part; yet that both patts were again reuotied
in the hands' of Spain, and by her reconveyed to
France, in which state the entire province of Looi.
siana was ceded to the United States, in 1803; that
in accepting the cession, and paying for the territety
ceded, the United States uuderstood and. believed
that they paid for the country as tar as the Perdide,
part of Louisiana ; and that on conyietion of their
right, ihey included in their laws provisions adofeed
to the cession in that extent--it cannot fail to be
cause of sorprive to, the Prince Regent, that they
did. not proceed to take possession of tile territory in
rinesiion'aS scion as the treaty was ratified'. There
was 'nothing. in the circumstances of Spain' at that
time that could have forbidden the measure: in de.
vying the.right of the United States to this territory,
her • Govermnent invited negociation on ithat and
every,other point in contention between the parties.
The United' States accepted the invitation, m the
hope that it would secure an adjustment and repara-
tion for every injury which had been received, and
lead to the restoration of perfect harmony between
the two c‘ounties, but in that hope they mere `dis,'
appointed.

Since the year 1805, the period of the last nego-
elation with Spain, tha proVitice of West Florida has
temained in a situation altogether, incompatible with
the welfare of these States. *The Govetnment of
Spiin has careely been. felt there I in consequence
of which, the affairs, of that province had fallen into
disorder. Of 'that Circumstance, however,' the
United States 'took no advatitoge, It was not until
the last 'yell-, When the inhabitants, perceiving that
all authority over them had ceased, rose in:a body
With intention to take the country, into their own
hands, that' the American Government interposed.
It was impossible for the United States to behold
with indifference a movement in which they were
so deeply interested. The President would have ins
correct the censure of the nation, if he had sutfered
that province to be wrested frOm the United States.,
under a pretext of wresting it from Spain. In tick.
iog Possession of it, in their name, and under that
authority, except in the pelt which was occupied by
the Spanish troops, 'who hare not been disturbed,
they defended the rights':; and secured the peace of
the rimier), and even constilted the honour; otSpain
herself. By this event the
,United, States .have act
qnired no new title to West flotich. They wain.
ed none. In adjesting- hereafter li the. ot her point:4
which remain to be adjusted with Spain, and which
it is proposed to make the subject of amicable negot,
ciation as soon as the GOVernment of Spain shall be
settled, her claim to this territory May again be
:brought into view, and receive all theat ten tion which
is due-to is.

Aware that this transaction might be miteonoeived
and misrepresented, the President deemed ,t e pro,
Ur subject of instruction to the Ministers of the
nited States at Foreign Courts, to.place it_ in a true
light beture them. Such an instruction 'was -rm.,
warded to Mr. Pinkney, their late Minister Pleni.
petentiary at London, who wonld have executed it,
had not the termination of-hint mission prevented
The pr.,,,dette• -cannot doubt that the liatik.and can•
did explanation 'which I have now giVen, by his
order, of the considerations Which inducted the
United States to take possession of this countrv,
will be porlealy satisfaCtory to his Royal Highness
the P.ince Regent. • '
With great respeti and consideration,
I have the honotir to be,
Sir, )-our most obedient servant,
(Starred) Nr()NP.O2 .
A Lir:l I Foster, Eaq. dec.

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