The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-10-13

cond1ry magnitude, on WHICH the friends snd
enemies of the administration are a: Ito, viz.
iheir conduit reipeet:re TIE Convention ;bcY.
referred TO-. FIatierps ousie,,Ss that irfcrrna-
non VIII, IN tas initance- a, iG the former. he
ehIcacious IN ialuriny Ilaruuny OF opirion. ".
offer the following facts and remarks. OF M.
toi;dity OF the remarks the reader will iude,.
tor the accuracy OF the facts we pledge our
frives.
Subiequertly to the year 1895, when t..
treaty Oh San JorrnIo was formed between ,;,.
United States and Spain, coaiidcrabie fpoli,;i.
oIls were committed or the American trade. ly
.Suels under Spaniin colors, and by French vel.
ISIS, whole prizes were adjudicated in Spanfs,
ports and BY SnaHiih tribunals. For. thefc in
tFaetiohS OF our rights ii became the duty of Cur
government to demand reparation. If il pre
iufned that this, as matter of courie, WAS done
coe'2i WIN The cecsiou that crested the necef.
N.Y. Oy Sir. Adams then President of the Uni
red States. The treaty OF San Lorenzo o,I,,
provided FOR the termination of +" ali diff.
ces on account OF the Iofes fuitaincd by thee.
tizens OF the United States in conicouence of
,neir veneis and csrgoes having been taken by
me iuojeets OF his Catholic Niaieity, during ri.
ln.e a0@T 6etSGee' Spsia and Trance" THAT is,
antecedent to the eed of July, 1895, when the
war terminated This circumstance is ftatrd
20 correct an iuadvertent error into which =
writer IN an Eaftern paper has fallen, in conf!
oering this proviion ofthe treaty as protective.
ana as embracing period of eighteen months
beyond the date of its ratification.
ne new fpoliatious commenced immediately
alter the date OF the treaty of San Lorenzo and
III. oi'iiuea until the convention of Madrid, which
was hgned on the 18th of AuguR, 1902.
Exception has been taken to the cont,ua os
the administration on three grounds /:
I. On that of delay in the purG,, oe &C.;
ent meaiures for the obtaining inderlniscat;on
for fpoliated property.
q. On account of the flbiance of the CON.
vention : and WIZ
s: On account the circumstances attend.
ing its ratification.
In the trf place, the administration are char
ged with having neglected to take prompt and
efficient meaiures for indemnifyins our mrr-
chants.
To teft the accuracy of this charge, it is only
necefiary to fate few facts.
he fpol'ations commenced towards The cIoGa
OF the year 1895, in the Proficiency of Geos-
raj Warrington, and continued durine the yyhote
OF that OF Fir. Adams, whom it is cuiton,arv 20
extoi rci' the vigorous profecution of the com.
mercia rights Of our citizens.
NO treaty was formed, or redrefs obtained.
curing tne whole OF this period, which terr,i
i.ated tne Sd or March, 1901, and which con-
icquentiy embraced term of more than FIVE
years.
1t is well unaertood that thefe fpoliations, in
a great meaiure, if not altogether, grew out of
our Misunderstanding with France
nat Misunderstanding was not fully clofcd
until the 18th day Of December, 1901, when The
treaty OF Paris was finally acted upon by III,
senate. That treaty, it is true, was fiened on
the 3oth Of September, 500 but it will be re-
coiiected tnat there was maternal modification
OF 1t propoied by our government, accomDan;-
ed with which it was fen, back TO France yybr,
agreed to it 10 modified /; in coufeouence az
Which the notifications were EXCHANGED a
w abingdon on the 9th Of December. Iso,
On the Sd OF March, 1901, Mr. Iefe1on'.
commenced. Mr Humphreye was
then our minifter at the court of. Madrid. II !.
to be Prefumed that he had full inflruetions from
Mr.. Adams, and that they were renewed by
Mr.. Jefferfon. ~
In the month of June, 1901, Mr.. P;nctner
was appointed minifter owing to GckneE AZ
ter he left the United States, he did not replace
Nlr. Humphreys till December 1901 and ON
the 18th day of Augut following the conyen.
ton was fgned.
From thefe facts then it follows. that what
MIR. Adams was unable to effect in four vears-
MIR. Jeferfon accomplished infeventeen months.
Notwithstanding the unavoidable delays arifipe
rom the commencement of new adminifrs-
ton.
r. wv, hNiCrChuSul OF any COmDarI-
ion OF the promptnefs of the meafures of one
administration with thofe of the other, that Et-
tie, n any time was loft, which could have been
iaVed: 1t was eGentially neceGary, to feclre the
confidence of the Spanifli court, that the new
executive ofthe United States fnould renew the
powers of its minifer. It was inpraeicable
to do this in lefs than a few months. Thar
court, likewife, undoubtedly waited the ifIne Of
our negotiations at Paris, and was even,,,allv
governed by them, and the treaty of peace with
Great-Britain, entered into in October 1901.
lheie negotiations, we have feen, wers nor
brought to clofe until the 9Th of December.
1901 leaving period fhort of eight months
previous to the formation of the convention
When thefe circumstances are duly weighed
and when proper allowance is made for the
tardy habits of the Spaniih government for the
unavoidable delays attending all negotiations be.
tween independent nations for the connection.
as IN this cafe, ofnegociations on one point with
thoie on another Of greater importance If ny
iurpriie is indulged, in refpe6t to the time con-
tuned in negotiating the convention, II will no
on account of It's brevity.
Exception is, in the (eeord pLace taken n tte
fubrance OF the convention, which is as follows.
Here .foNoqvs tire Conuentior, as bubbne4 in
the Enquirer eftbs 9Th iyfaai.l
This convention provides for the adiufmept
of all claims arihug from the excenes commit
ted bY individuals nf either nat;o, -