Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-01-31
respon.ible, have been refused to be com.

responsible, have been rettsed TO be com
pensated, but on conditions affecting o
Their claims in no wise connected with |
item. Yet the same practices are re
ncwed in the present war 81 are already Of
great amouat." It is very we'll known |
that in a state of war, there exists and |
will probably ever exist, certain abuse
at force, confined TO sub2l,ern hands. Z !
ven the United States themselves have
not been an exception to this general
rule, and during The short period of hos
tilities with france, in the year 1898, not.
wi,hstandiDy no privateers were armed
and that their protecting Fore consist
ed only ef a small number OF frigates,
neutrals experienced from them many in
Juries, we'll authenticated by the hume
rous claims on this government by the
injured powers, principally on the par,
OF Denmark and Sweden.
Probably there might have existed las,
war some abuses of this nature, although
very rare, on the part Of the royal navy
OF Spain; but the king my master, ami
mated by the love of Justice, which cha
racterises him, authorised his principal
secretary of state to sign a convention
with the American minister near his per-
son, in which were stipulated reciprocal
compensalions for the damages and inin
ries their respective subjects and citizens
might have sustained from officers, or in
| dividuais oil either, contrary TO the right
and laws OF na,ions. This stipulation,
similar To that OF the same nature in the
treaty offriendship, navigation and limits
| concluded in l795, aud scrnhafouSiy com.
IiAea win by my sovereign, would now
have had the same effect by the ralifca.
ton ofthe convention, had not AN article
been inserted therein tending to impose
on Spain the obligation of a responsibility
| both detrimental and important in its Ie-
sui', as we'll as unsupported by reason and
| justice, under existing circumstances.
] My court has in direct manner, as well
as through me repeatedly manifested to
| the American government its readiness
TO carry the said stipulation into effact,
\ whenever the article in the same couvcn-
ton relative TO the aforementioned res
possibility, should either be suppressed
| OF altered in "a manner more conforma.
bic TO justice, and has been SO far from
refusing re- satisfy said coInpensations or
| -
ed v9i them, that it was precilelyy be .
cause they are connected, that the said
coDveniion has not been carried into ef
! fec has.was and still is the wish of the
t king my master.
is true that the two subjects by their
nature are not connected with each other
IN themselves, but il is also true that this
connection is very great, when we con.
slider that an endeayor is made 10 form
out of those two things, distinct in them.
ewes component parts ofthe same whole:
thereby, placing the king my master, un
der the disagreeable die NINA of either
refusing to raGfy stipulation which he
conceives to be just and therefore wishes
To- fulfil, or else oftaking on himself a re-
sponsihlity, more CT less dire6t, in favor
of,he United States to which it is well
proved they have no RICH, topretend.
In regard to what concerns the new
spoliations, | can assure you. sir, few are
those that strictly merit thi. denomlnati.
on on the part of Spanish vessels, as ma
ny of the captures, which so frequently
| figure in the American papers, arises Ell
Their from acis OF contraband, or from
"Shl VI having Ob oodTu -lDc documents
required by the treaty of 1895, or even
! from other circumstances which the cap
ta;ns and owners of said prizes will take
| good care to conceal besides, on this
head, the citizens of the u States would
receive that justice which they have alrea.
! dy experienced on the same subject, in
virtue Of the treaty of 1898. cannot but
! observe, that although had the honor OF
| communicating 10 you, sir. Two months .
so, that the s.rlctest injunGtions had been
given by the king, my master, not to inter-
! rupt the navigation IF American citizens,
! when employed in lawful trade no mento
is made by the president cfthis circum-
stance, as highly important in its effects
towards American commerce, as it is ne
cessa'y to demonstrate his just and pacific
intentions.
Without any view 10 rccriminatop, I
find II necessary to sbserve, that although
The violations of the rights OF neutrals are
infinitely &orc frequent and extensive on
The part Of England, whose vessels of ne
royal nary have almost continually block.
AIDED the ports of the United States, and
what is more, when this power daily es.
tablishes new prin ciples on the rights of
neutras, which in reality, tend 10 under.
mine and annibilate them the name Of