The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-04-05

HouSu py ule SoVSrEmcnC whose OinScrS hao
committed them, and which had, ut last, ia
kenth exorbitant shape of hostility and of
insult seen in the attack ON the frigate Che
sapcake Candor will pronounce that less
coui', not be done !; and it will as readily adj,
init that the proclamation comprising that
| measure, could not have breathed a more
| temperate spirit, nor spoken in a more Be
| coming tone. How far it has received from
| those whose intrusions It prohibited, the
| respect due tothe national authority, or been
made the occasion of new indignities, needs
no explanation.
The President having interposed tins pre-
cautionary interdict, lost no time in instrnc-
ting the minister plenipotentiary of the Uni
ted States to represent to the British govern
ment the signal aggression which had been
committed ON their sovereignty and their flag,
| and to Isauire the satisfaction due for it !; in
dulging the expectation, that his Britannia
| majesty would at once perceive it to be the
| truest magnanimity, as well as the strictcst
Justice, TO offer that prompt and fill expia-
! ton of an acknowledged wrong, which would
re-establsh and improve both in fact and
| in feeling the state of things which it had vi
olated.
| This expectation was considered as not
only honorable to the sentiments of his ma
Jestv, but was supported by known exam
pies, in which, being the complaining party,
he had required and obtained. as prelimi-
nary to any counter complaints whatever, a
precise replacement of things, in every prac-
ticable circumstance, in their pre-cXisting
| situation
Thus in the year 1864, Bermudians and O.
ther British subjects, who had according to
annual custom, taken. possession of Turks
island Tor the season of making salt, having
been torcibly removed with their YES; els, AND
| effects By French detachment from the isl
and OF st. Domingo, to which Turks island
| was ailedged to he an appurtenance, the Bri
fish ambassador at Paris, in Pursuance of in
structioDs from his government, demanded,
as a satisfaction for the violence committed
that the proceedings should be disavowed,
the intention of acquiring Turks island dis
Claimed. orders given for the immediate a
abandonment OF 1t on the part of the French.
every thing restored to the condition in which
1t was at the time of the aggression and re
paTTtion made of the damages which any Bri-
tIsh subjects should he found to have sustain
ed, according to estimation to be settled
between the governors of st. Domingo and
Jamaica. a compliance with the whole OF
! his demand was theresult 49,,
| Again In the year 1889 certain English
| merchants huving opened trade ut Nootka
| sound, on the north west coast of America,
and attempted settlement at that place,
the Spaniards, who had long claimed that
part of the world as their exclusive proper
ty, dispatched fr1gatc from Mexico, which
captured the two English vessels engaged
| In the trade, and broke up the settlement
4 on the coast. The Spanish government was
the first to complain, in this case, of the in
trpsions committed by the British merchants.
/ he British government, however, demand
ed that the vessels taken by the Spanish fri
gate should be restored, and adequate sa-
J. n er,.a, fnl
discussion.
This demand prevailed; the Spanish gov
eminent agreeing to make full restoration
OF the captured vessels, and to indemnify the
parties interested in them for the losses sus-
} tanned. They restored also the buildings &
tracts of land, OF which the British subjects
! had been dispossessed. The British, howe
yer, soon gave proof Of the little value
they set on the possession, by voluntary
dereliction, under which it has since re-
manned;
The case which will be noted last, though
OF a date prior to the case of Nootka Sound,
is that of Falkland's Islands. These islands
lie about one hundred leagues eastward of
the streights of Magellan. The title to them
had been.a subject of controversy among Sc
veral of the maritime nations of Europe -
From the position of the. islands and other
circumstances, the pretension of Spain bore
dh advantageous comparison with those OF
her competitors. In the year 177O, the Bri-
fish took possession of Port Egmont in one
of the islands, the Spaniards being at the
time in possession Of another part, and pro-
testing against a settlement by the British.
Il he protest being without effect, ships and
troops were sent from Buenos Ayres by the
governor OF that place, which forcibly dis
possessed and drove of the British settlers.
ne British government looking entirely
to the dispossession by force, demanded as a
specific condition of preserving harmony be-
tween the two courts, not only the disavow-
al OF the Spanish proceedings, but that the
affairs OF that settlement should be immedi-
ateiy restored to the precise state in which
they we're previous to the act of disposses-
SION. Theopanish government made some diff
hculties; requiring particularly a disavowal,
on the part CT O.. britain, of the conduct of
her officer at Falkland's islands; which, it
was aledged, gave occasion 10 the steps ia
ken by the Spanish governor and pro-
posing an adjustment by mutual stipulation
in the ordinary form.
The reply was, that the moderation of his
Britannia majesty having limited his de-
mand to the smallest reparation he could ac-
cept for the injury done, nothing was left
for discussion but the mode of carrying the
dIsavowal and restitution inco execution -
TehardffOn losing its Uaiue if IL be corditi-
/ onaL, and to be obtained by any stipulation
whatever from the party injured.
The Spanish government yiaIdp6 TIL.