The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-05-21

static, EUROPEAN and West-lndia article
brought to our markets. would cheaper the
f, price ofthosc articles ~ home. & each ship,
while in port, and in the prosecution of her
VOYAGE, woaid require supplies in provision
and ether articles, which would raise the
price OF those articles, to the great advan-
tage OF the general interests of the country.
The limitation of the article to the term
specified. was a''condition which we presu-
med might prove advantageous to the United
States, white it could Tot possibly miure
them. 1t is expressly stipulated that the
| right OF both parties. shall revive at the ex-
pirationof the term. Those of the United
States, therefore, would then be in force, and
to the full extent Of their pretcnsioms, in the
same manner as if the stipulation had not
necn entered into. In another war they might
insist on conditions which this stipulation did
not secure, and, if Great Britain did moi Weld
TO their demand, they might resort to any ex-
Pedient, to Gem pei her, which the wisdom of
their councils might dictate. Any encroach-
ment on the part of Great-Britain on their
rights, as heretofore commended for, might De
considered by their government an act of hos
tiilty, and treated accordingly. The least
favorable conditions that she could offer,
would BE those already settled, which the u
nited States might accept or reject, as they
thought best. As youthful, prosperous, and
rising nation, it Gould not be doubted that
In the next war their situation would be
more imposing thanin the present one. The
presumption is that they would be able then
to obtain better conditions than at present.
| On the third article have to observe, in
addition to what is stated in our Joint let
| ter OF January 8, 1907, that nothing would
| have been more easy than to have omitted
| any provision on the subject oft, and to have
placed that trade on the footing of the most
favored nation. To obtain better terms by
treaty was utterly impossible. We were
much inclined to omit any provision on the
| subject, because we were aware that the arr
| rangemcnt made would fall short of the ex-
pectation ofour government and country, &c
most probably subject us to censure. We
| acceded to that arrangement from convic-
| ton that 1T secured us better terms than we
| should be likely to enjoy, if left to depend on
| the pleasure ofthe British government, sti-
mulatcd as we knew that was to restrict us
| in ithy the India Company, and other int
| rests OF the country. 1t is impossible to con-
ceive too high an idea of the Jealousy which
is entertained of the United States, in COM
mercial view, by that government, and of the
danger with which it thinks Great Britain
is menacedby their extraordinary prosperi-
ty and rapid growth The boldness of the
projects, and the activity and ability with
which they are prosecuted by our merchants
and mariners, excite the admiration of Eu-
| rope. Great Britain has seen, that wherever
ouI citizens gained foot-hold, they never lost
It, Without distressing her own means, or the
hardness and activity of her people, she
finds that our position, remote from Europe,
contiguous othe West Indies and the south
ern continent, and as near to India as herself,
gives us advantages, against which she cannot
cope. The effort which we made and perse-
Vered IN for several months to gain admissi-
Oh into British India, on more favorable terms
and the disposition which was shewn by the
British commissioners to yield, excited a SEN
sation, or more properly speaking, an alarm
in the board of India directors, and of the
commercial people in general, even among
those who had no particular interest in the
question, which was extremely obvious. Had
we made NO r,r6visins. IN ti,,- treaty tn secure
our atmittance into India, on certain condi-
tons, we had much reason to believe that
that commerce would have been fettered to
an extreme degree, and in every form.
We were extremely anxious to provide
that our citizens might make their ship
ments from Europe, to take specie from
Spain and Portugal, goods from England,
&c. and that that they might touch at the
Cape of Good Hope, at the isle of Bourbon,
at the Mauritius, &c. that they might carry
on the coasting trade in India, and be permit
ted to pass from Calcutta to China. These
advantages wereinsisted on, but the pres
sure which we made produced reports from
the board of directors, at the instance of the
government, and from political men CONVEX
santin these topics, which fixed the govern
ment in its decision not to grant them. Ire
peat, however, that it would have been ca
sy to have omitted the regulation from the
treaty, and placed the trade on the footing
of the most favored nation, as it would have
been at any time afterwards, had the state of
affairs in other respects permitted it,
by your Instructions, provision in favor
OF indemnity was not made an indispensable
condition of a treaty. We were authorized
to conclude one without it. We we're, there
fore persuaded that tie ground Oil which I'll at
interest was placed, could not fail to be APP
proved. The arrangement which we made
authorized just Claim 10 expect ii disnissi-
OH of all the causes that were depending in
the courts of admiralty, and even to indem-
nifty i'll the cases of condemnation. The do
cumeDts which we forwarded to YOU in our
joint letter of give a full view of
this subject, and to them beg to refer.
Your fifth objection applies to the 18th and
18th articles of the treaty, and in the first in
stance to the prohibition it contains, of ex-
tending the priviledges which are made re-
ciprocal between the parties, to other natl
ons, which il supposed to- be a breaclrof neu-