The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-09-22
SPANISH AGGRESSIONS.
No. III.

Since the two preceding numbers were writ
ten ferries of articles, purporting to be letters
from Spain, have appeared in the Philadel pha
Gazette-fome of which merit particular atten-
ton.
The letters are declared to be from "ebar0e-
tiers oftbe fri reIbeGfa5Iity"-we have not the
leat doubt of this fact, and they are faid to have
been received by an intelligent ebnratfer here
which is till more certain we could with that
they had fallen into the hands of an editor either
intelligent hmfslf or capable of dfcerning what
was due to the honor and intereit of his own
country or who poieHed knowledge of the
fubie6t to be capable of forming an opinion up
on it. The opinion of the Philadelphia Gazette
here is certainly ONO more importance than the
chipping of the locuf, but when it is well
known that foreign governments have taken
pains to obtain and make uie of the opinions of
certain american iudividuais for the purpofe of
delaying or denying the jutt claims of American
citizens, made by the American government
we ihould not be at all fiirprized to hear of
the equally inconfiltent and imbece opinions
of mercenary Gazetteer, being employed for
the fame purpofes as the opinions of mercenary
lawyers.
We have not the leaf doubt that the Madrid
letter of the 10th July, comes dirrt7iy from an
official fource and in this view we fhall offer
few remarks upon it.
1t now appears notwithstanding all the previ-
GUS Civilizations of major .Jaekjon and other zvie
acre editors, that Spain " does not dfpute our
title to Louifiana properly 70 Called" and that
1.-THE exultation on the injurious confequences
refulting from the prebaIe are reduced to
fimple difpute about boundaries
That fome negotiation would neceliarily arife
and fome difference of opinion follow, upon the
final fettlement of boundaries, which have ne
yer yet been tettled, were incidents that might
naturally have been expected; and it was as ma
tural to prefuppofe that in the negotiation,
Spain would employ all the means, ufiially re-
iorted to by European diplomatits to procure
for itfelf, as good terms as pof1ible.
But II was not therefore neceGary confe-
quence that war ihould be the effect of this
negotiation and it will fcarcely be fuppofed
that the menace of war, would be the mott like
ly method of obtaining from us the beft terms
tor Spain. Whatever therefore has been Eid
III the papers in the nature of menace, we con-
clude to be mere brufum fuinen; and that the
whole will be amicably fettled by the more paci-
nc iyitem of negociatIon-we find in the letter
from Madrid, that Spain is diFpoied to do this
for" fair eqniUaient."
What then are the objects upon which nego-
citation will principally hinge They appear to
be- founded in the following proportions.
1. That EaA and Wet Florida were originally
ceded by France to England in 1853, who at
the fame time coded to Spain the illand of N.
Orleans, and the territory welt of the MiliiC
hppi.
2. That in 1880 Spain conquered the country
eat of the Mifiinippi, then divided into Z.
and w. Florida, which conquefs were con-
tirmed by the peace of 1888.
8. That w. Florida formed no prt of Loui-
iliana as originally coded by Fance to Spain.
Thefe proportions will be found perhaps to
f-nD he eff nf he 70 far
concerns territory but it fhould be kept in
view that while Spain effects to carry lofty
port on thefe particulars, there are other flb-
je6ts, upon which Spain has to render iuftice &
retribution to the United States and it is very
apparent, that he afiumes more arrogant tone
upon thefe points, only becaufe our govern
ment has in the mott Deceive manner, demand
ed fatisfaction for the iufult and injury done
us, by the Spaniih intendant at New Orleans
and by the pillage of our vefels at Tea.
Spain in fact appears to with for A general
compromise of difference to obtain an oblivion
of injuries, and to make that oblivion the price
of fettlenent of mountaineering in the courfe
fine purfues, ilie defeats her own purpofe--ei-
ther her Ininifers are mifnformed or very much
miRake the character of our goverDment-from
what we know we are rather dfpofed to think
them mjfaken.
Let us now examine the principles laid down
in fupport of the pretenfions of Spain, as ex-
expreficd in the Madrid letter.
The firf propofition fcts out with Eating in
manner and in words incorrect, what is not in
fact true. 1t ftates, that 4" Eaft and Wet Flo
rida were originally coded by France to En-
gland" This is incorrect in terms, becaufe
there was no divifion of the territory into EAT
and Wet, until after the Engfifh took pofefion
of Florida in lT63-The treaty bears date the
iGth DIV vi February, I763, and the Britifh
kings proclamation is of date the 18th October
of that year, the 9TH and gath articles contains
all that relates to this fubjea therein.
Art. VII. in order to re-eftablih peace ON
fold and durable foundations, and to remove
forever all fube6t of difpute with regard to the
limits Of the BrifiH and FreHeb territories on
tue continent of America, it is agreed that for
the future, the confines between the donnons
Of his Britannia maje1y and thofe of his mott
chriftian rnajeity, in that part of the world lhall
be fixed irrevocably by line drawn along the
middle Of the river MifiGipp., from its fource
to the river Ibervle, and from thence by line
drawn along the middle Of this river and the
lakes Maurepas and Pcntchartrain TO the feas
and for this purpofe the mott Chrifian king
cedes in full right and guarantees TO his Britannia
majefty the river and port of Mobile, and eq,srz
thing q0bieb he b91fgcJ or ought to bo1cy5 on the
left Eide (Eaf hde) of the M1ifipp except the
town of N. Orleans and the iGaud on which it
is iituated, which lhall remain 20 France, &c.