Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1816-02-01
OUR RELATIONS WITH SPAIN.
CONCLUDED.

The Secretary oil State to the Chevaiierl
de Onis, Envoy Extraordinary andI
Minister PlenipOtentiary of his Catho-
lie Majesty.
Department Of State, Jan. 10, 1916.
SIR have had the honor to receiyel
your letters of the soth December, and
I'd of January, and to submit them to the |
President.
You demand that your sovereign shall
be put in possession of West Florida i
that certain persons, whom you have !
mentioned, shall be arrested and tried
on the charge of promoting Instruction
in the Spanish provinces, and exciting
citizens OF the United States to Join in it i
and thirdly, that the flags of Carthagena,l
Ethe Mexican Congress, Buenos Ayres.
|aad other revolving provinces shall be 1
excluded from the ports of the United
Estates.
| On the re-establishment of the dipro.
matte relations between the nited States
and Spain, it was hoped that your 60
1vernment would not have confined its at.
ltentlon TO the objects in which Spain is
lalone interested, bu' have eNte ded II 10
the injuries Of which the United states
lave 50 long and SO Justly complained,
tNlth view to such reparation as it might
no" be able to make. The subjects are,
lin their nature, intimately Connected
In some important circumstances, indeed,
lit is impossible to separate them. since
the exposition of the wrongs of the
UNITED States affords the proper answer.
lin those instances, to the complaints of
Spain. 1t is my duty to bring these
wrongs into view, that they may be duly
considered and pro ided for, in case
your government has, as l am bound to
presume, invested you with adequate
powers for the purpose.
At a period anterior to either of the
circumstances mentioned in your letters,
the United States had suffered great in
tjery by the ua!awful seizure and con.
demnation OF their vessels in the ports
OF Spain, A treaty, providing an indem-
Unity fer those spoliatiCna, was agreed to
and signed by minister duly authorised
by each government, but its ratification,
though negotiated and concluded in the
presence of the spanish government. vas
afterwards declined by it. At an ante.
nor period, too, the deposit at New-Or-
leans, stipulated by the treaty of 1895,
as suppressed. As the United States
ad done no Injury to Spain. these cts.
SO hostile in theil nature, and Injurious in
their effect, excited much surpIize. 1T
had been the uniform object Of this 60
vernment to make such arrangements
with Spain, respecting tie free nayiga-
ton of the Mississippi, and the bounda-
|rles, a., securing t. our citizens the full
enjoyr ent of their rights. would place tie
peace and friendship of the two countries
on solid and durable basis. With this
view it was sought TO obtain of Spain, at
fair equivalent, the territory eastward
of the Mississippi. Gveltares to this ef-
ect were made to the Spanish govern
ment. and rejected. Being renewed.
he Minister OF the United States was
Informed that Spain had oeded Louisiana
to France. to hDm he was referred fol
the acquisitions Of such terrtey in t at
quarter, as lie might be Instructed t
make. On tie la.t very important event
the suppressi0n of tie depasit at New !;
;HrIeans, a special mission wa, instituted
to France and spain. the object of whicl
vas to avert, BY amicable negociatior
and arrangement tie caamities OF war
fair lad. more especially by this act
of violence and hostility, reached cri-
sis. which preclcded the idea of Temporal
~ pa!liatiy S. A comprehensive and
rermanent arrangement had become in
of which. it vas presumed. :
the governments of France and Spainl
would be equally sensible. The cessionlSs
Of Louisiana by France to the United !;
states, was the immediate consequence +,
# this mission, with such description j,
# its boundaries by the treaty, as, it was =
resumed, would leave no cause of con-
-roversy with SPAN.
The mission | ad tins succeeded in +
very important object, but there were :
otbers. of a similar character, which re-
manned to be adjusted. The differen,e
v 18th Spain still existed, and to them was :,
added a circumstance of much interest
from the acc uisition of Loui- I
siana. the unsettled boundaries OF the
province. which were now to be esta- :.
DIished with Spain. Cnoer the influence .
of the same policy, the special mission
v as ordered soon afterwards, to Madrid,I =