Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1814-12-10

war. but peace with them will necessarily /
follow immediately peace with G. Bris I
tain.
10 provisional article, similar tn, what
has been stipulated in some former treaties.
engaging that each parry viii. treat for the
Indians within i,s territories. include them
In he peace, and TIE its best endcavors TO
prevent Their, T. ON committi' & h s'ilitiss a.
yainst the cirixsns or subjects Of the other
party, thr undsrs'goed ,night assent. and re
" on the appreciation and ratification Cor
their government 'rrey wosld also. TOR
the purpose cf securing the dnrasion. Of peace
aud t0 ps event collisions which ,r..,ht INFER
rupt Il. propose stipulation which, should
preclude sthe Subjects or citizens Of ca Oh ma
ton. respectively from trading with the In.
dams residing in the territory Of the other.
hut to surrender beth the rights Of sove-
| reignty and OF soil over nearly one third Of
| the territcriat deminions of the Y. States 10
. number OF Indians not PROBABLY exceeding
twenty thous md, TIE undersigned are so
tar from being instructed or authorized. that
tnev assure the British Commissioners tina,
any arrangement for that purpose would be
'nssansaneousy rejected by their govern
nieut. III -
Not only has this extraordinary demand
been mace a size qua non, to BE- admitted
without discussion, as preliminary bas
81 but u Is accompanied by others equal>
~ inadmissib e. which the British plenipo.
tentfaries stale 20 be 50 connected with il,
that they may reasonably influence the de-
cision OF the urd .rsigned uptn It, YET leav>
ing them uniformed, low Ear these other
demands may also be insisted ON as indis-
pensable conditions of peace.
| AS little are the undersigned instructed
or empowered 20 acce5e to the proposals
ons OF the British government. in, relation
ito the military OCCUPATION Of the western
Flakes If they have fouad the proposed
interference of G Britain n the concerns Of
Indians residing within the United States
utterly Incompatible with any established
maxim ofpublic law, they are no less at a
icss % discover bv what rule Of perfect re-
c'procity tbs United States can be required
to recouace their equal right OF maintain
ing naval force upon those lakes. and OF
fortihing their own shores, while Great Bri-
| tain reserves exclusively the corresponding
rights to herself That in point of military
preparation, Great Britain in her possessi
ons N North America. ever has been In a
condition to be termed, with propriety, the
weaker power. IN comparison with the Unit
ted States, the undersigned believe to be
incorrect in point of fact In regard To the
fortifications Of the stores and to the forces
actually kept on foot upon those frontiers,
they believe the superiority to have always
been on the side Of Great Britain. If tile
proposal 10 dismsntle the forts upon he,
shores. 10 strike forever her military flag
upon her lakes and lay her whole froaticr
defenccless in the presence Of her armed
and fortified neighbour. HAS proceeded, not
from Great Britain to the u States, but
from the u States to Great Britain, tho un
dersigned may safely appeal to the bosoms
| OF his Brasannic Majesty's plenipotentiaries
for the feelings with which. not only in re
gard to the Interests, but to the honor of their
nation they would have received such a
proposal. What would Great Britain her
self say, it, in relation TO another frontier,
where she has the acknowledged superiori>
~ OF strength. It were proposed that she
should be reduced to condition even Of e,
qualify with the U States
The undersigned further perceive, that
under the ailedged purpose Of operiing di-
rect communication between two of the
British provinces in America, the British
government require ccssioa Of territory
forming part of one Of the states Of the A.
mericau union, and that they propose, With
out purpose specifically alledged, to draw
the boundary line westward, not from tn.
Lake Of tie Woods, as it now is, but from
Lake Superior. II must be perfectly imma-
terjai to the Unite6 States whether the Oh
ject of the British government in demanding
the acknowledgements of the United States IS
to acquire territory, as such, or for other
purposes less liable. in the eyes of the
world. to be ascribed to the desire of az.
grand,aement- Whatever the motive may
be, with whatever consistency of views of
conquest. may be disclaimed. while demand.
inn t<>ph hoe ratf g. ~. Ill.
territory more extensive than the whole is.
land of Great Britain. the duty marked our
for the undersigned is the same. Thoy have
no authority to cede any part Of the Terri.
tory Of the U. 5. aud to no stipulation to that
effect will they subscribe.
The conditions proposed by G.. Britain
have no relation to the subsisting diife reuces
between the two countries they are incon-
sisteEt with acknowledged principles of Du,.
lie law ;they arc founded neither ON recin.
,rucity nor on any of the usual basis of neeo.
Citation. neither on that of the uti possidetis.
or OF status ante bellum they would inf|ict
the most vital injury On the United States.
by Remembering their territory, by arres
ting their natural growth and increase Of
population. and by leaving their northern
and western frontier equally exposed to
British invasion and 10 Indian aggression
tney are, above all. dishonorabls to the ".
Statesin demanding frum them TO abandon
territory and portion Of their citizens, to
admit a foreign interference in their do.nes-
; TIC concerns. and to cease to exercise their
natural rights on their own shores and in |
their own waters. A treaty concluded on
such terms would be but an armistice. 1t |
Cannot be supposed that America would |
long submit 10 conditions 50 ljDrious and |
degrading 1t is impossible, in the natural |