The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-08-23

- Ii we are steadily supported by Congress,
we shall go clearly to the windwaId of thee
but If Congress waivers and gives way, the Uni |
ted States will receive blow that they win not
recover in FIFTY wears.
Ne have nothing to fear from this court but
III the particulars aforementioned The alliance
is too necessary TO them; we are too essential TO
them for them to violate the treaties, finally 10
disgust and ALLEVIATE us----But they have not
known any more than England the men with
whom they have I o do
When we see the French Intriguing sr;th tie
English AGAINST US, we have no way 20 oppose
it, but BY reasoning with the English, to shew
that they are intended 10 be the dupes.
The commissioners in their joint letters, stat
ing the progress of the negotiations for peace,
and enclosing the preliminary articles, say, % as
we had reason to imagine th.t the articles rcspec
ting the boundaries, the Refugees, and the fish
cry did not correspond with the feelings OF this
court, Tof France we did not communicate the
prcliminaries to the minister, until after tley
were signed and even then not The separate arti-
Gle. We hope that 'hcse considerations will sx-
cuse our having SO far departedfrom the spirit of
our instructions.
One Of the commissioners in his letters says.
that 90 the courts of France and Spain were ep-
posed t, ur as to the fisheries, the boundaries,
| the Mississippi and the Refugees, and used eve
~ means in their power to deprive us ofthe three
former, and saddle us with the latter-that the
| Countde Nergennes, and his confidential secreta-
Try, M. Raneval, whom he often employed to
spsak his sentiments and carry his points, had
peatedly declared, that they thought the claims
of the British forcomnensationt to the tories,
Just and polite that every precedent was in their
favor; that it would be disgraceiul to Britain TO
,reGnquish those claims, and that we ought 70 ac-
| cede to them"
| Another the commissioners in his letter saws
that 6 the Count de Vergennes and NJ. Raneval
insisted very strongly, that he should treat with
| Mr.. Oswald under his first commission 10y this
commission the United States were NOT ac-
lknowledged 10 be free and independently alledg-
| ing that our independence rnight be secured by
| treaty that WAS Of the same opinion
with the Count and his secretary, and wanted to
begin the negotiations with Mr. Oswald under
the first commission, but he absolutely refused to
do so ; that the Count Gle Nergenues and Rane-
val GeRfed 0ur hGviTg right 70 such extent Of
territory ave had claimed, and also 30 the fShc-
Try on the banks, and advised him by ne means to
insist on such claims, alledging that it was i'm
possible for Great Britain accede them they
insisted upon his treating with the Count de A
randa, Spanish ministerial the court ofVersailles)
without seeing his commission from the court OF
Spain, asking torit, alledging that he had
no right to this as Spain had not Acknowledged
our independence, though Spain was then de-
srous Of treating with him under his corTnis-
sion from the United States as Independent
States, which commission the Count de Aran-
da had seen, but refused to shew his commits
I sion, or TO say whether he had any or not that
| the Count de Vcrgennes and Raneval supported
the Spanish claims in opposition to ours to great
part of the western and southern teryitory, and de-
MED haviaf riFhr to the of the Nissis,ib-
i, insisting upon IT that ought to give up these
CLAIMS, or that we must not expect treaty with
Spain, she certainly could not recede that Re
neval had even gone so far as to present him with
a written memorial, stating the Spanish rigkt 10
that territory, and the exclusive navigation of the
Mississippi, and denying our having any right TO
either This memorial was sent to Congress by
one OF the commissioners that about the same
time MI Marbois's letter (alFe ady fecitcd) made
its appearance, helding up the same ideas as
Count de Vergennes and Raneval had been urg-
ing, to claims to The territory, the fisheries,
&c that Count de Nergennes communicated to
MIR. Fitzherbert, the British minister, to treat
with France on peace, the views OF the courts of
France and Spain, rs to our claims, which MIR
Fitzherbert sent TO Id. Shelburne, as evidence
that there was no necessity for the British court
| to accede to our claims. they not being support
ed by those powers this prevented their send
ing Mr. Oswald new commission to treat with
cur commissioner.
" THAT soon after this the Count de Vergennes
| and Count de Amanda, fearing that Mr. Oswald
might, by his importantly, prevail on Lord Shell
burne 60 give him new commission and instruc-
tons to close with propositions of Our commits
| sonerS, sent Mr. Raneval over TO London to state
| to the British Ministry the situation of things,
| and to prevent Mr.. Oswald succeeding in his ap-
| plication Our commissioners were soon acuuaint
| ed with the mission of MIR. Raneval, and the oh.
| ject of it they in consequence directly sent off
Mr.. Vaughn to state to lord Shelburne the bust
ness of Mr.. Raneval and the views with which
he was sent, to show him (lord Sheburne) that
| France and Spain wished to prevent Britain and
America agreeing on terms, they being DESTROYS
| OF continuing the war and knowing that the u
nited States were not bound to continue it on her
| part after Great Britain had acknowledged her
| independence and to convince him that it was
she interest Of Great Britain TO make peace with
America OH the terms proposed by our commits
sIoncr5.-That the views OF France were direct
ly opposed to the interest both OF America and
Britain and that ifany attention was paid to the
representations Of RanevaI, France and Spain
would probably establish their own interest to
the ruin both Of Britain and America Mr.
Vaughn was well instructed in every point. His
information satisfied lord Shelburne, and new
commission with proper instructions were sent
to Mr. Oswald, in which commission the United
States were acknowledged to be free and indie
pendent.
50 In another letter, this same commissioner
Gays that " France intended, if possible to cont.
nue. the war, and to keep America involved in il,
with view to impoverish both Britain and Anne
RIGA as much as possible and if this could not
be effected, then TO place America by tbs peace
in situation as dependent IN her she could
that in order 10 this she into ed to deprive us of
the bank fishery, to territorial limits,