The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1819-12-29

"a pau, wiz PSooSo VIC o'"S, ShthN,
and exclusive power Of ratifying treaties
made by his ministers, and who, there
fore, by the promise, on the faith and
word OF u King, to ratify whatever his
minister shall sign, commits his own hon.
or and that Of his ,A.tion, to the ful!ilment
OF his proinise.-This distinction is well
known and clearly recognized by the law
OF nations.f
The Spanish government cannot al
lege, either that MIR. Onis transcribed
bis secret Instructions, or that the ratif.
cition of the United States has been re-
fused, or that any unfair advantage WIS
taken OH the part of the Unted States in
tl,e negotiation, or that Spain was not
fully aware beforehand, Of the fun extent
of the engagements Contracted by MIR.
Onis. 1t is too well known, and they
will not dare to deny it, that Mr.. Onis'
last Instructions authorized him to con-
cede much more than he did that those
Instructions had been prepared by Mr..
P'zarro /; that, after the appointment OF
the Marquis dc Casa Yrujo 10 the min
istry, they were by him submitted to the
kings council, and, with their full sane
ton, were transmitted to MFR. Onis that,
both in relation to the grants OF lands in
Florida, and to the western boundary,
the terms which he obtained were far
within the limits of his instructions; that
i was known to, and understood by, him,
that the grants to Alagon, Punon Rostro,
and Vargas, were annullcd by the treaty
that so fully was this his understanding,
that; in his dispatches TO his government,
he pointed out to them means of indem.
ni(ying those grantees, for their disap-
pointment, from other lands. - ! he gov
ernment Of the United States. indeed,
considered the moderation and generosi-
ty of the terms to which they had acced.
ed as a pledge that they would be receiv.
Ell with pride and joy by the Spanish
government And SD, it will not be de.
MED, they were in the first instance re.
ceived by the king of Spain and lis cabi-
net. Ii afterwards, from the unexpected
extent Of sacrifices which the United
States made, for purposes of conciliation,
and Of sincere amity, Spain has drawn
the inference, that this temper may be
trined with, and abused. it is proper, and
will be just, that she should DC efsec.uuiy
undeceived.
Should the ratification be withheld, it
is to be presumed, that some other rea-
sou than the importance Of the treaty will
ultimately be assigned by Spain for with
holding it. What that will be, eau at
present only be conjectured. If the
grants to the Duke Of Alagon and Count
PuDon Rostro should be assigned, as
forming the objection, you will explicitly
declare, thar the United States have no
compromise to make, and will listen to
none on that subject. The insinua,ion
of the Marquis of Casa Yrujo, that those
grants, by the letter oil the eighth article,
would he confirmed, If dated before the
9th Of january, 1913, was totally un-
founded. Mr.. Onis knows that the
whole of the eighth article was finally
drawn up, as it stands, with the express
intention, declared by me, and agreed to
by him, to exclude them from confirm.
alton, whatever might be their dates.
Mr.. Onis, on the first project of treaty,
delivered ON the 9th of February, had
drawn the article in such terms as to con-
firm all grants made before the Gath of
January, 1918. If the article had even
been accepted by us in those terms, it
could only, by an unworthy deception,
be pretended that it covered the grants of
.Alagm and Punon Rostro, because it
had been explicitly agreed, Oh both sides,
that they should be annulletl, and be-
Cause Mr.. Onis, who always spoke OF
them as fraudulent grants, Of which he
was ashamed for his country, has repeat.
edly declared to me, that he signed the
treaty without knowing their dates, but
fully believing them to be subsequent to