Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-12-14

form, thereby and of right required."-
notwithstanding this, he tcoutd not raIify
within The time appointed. On the 10Th
June, he wanted time TO examine the
treaty with the greatest caution and
delibeTatioD." On the 10Th August, he
valves final decision" wiihouipre-
| viously entering into several explanations
with the government OF the United States
, To some of which (iliaD government had
given RISE" He is therefore TO send a
minister to the United States. Sill he
| avoids touching on the causes OF his delay.
On the 18th August be again forbcars
explanation, but will send minister. On
the 9Th October (the last letter. the Spa
| nlsh munster valves particulars but
touches on the declaration, Just commu-
nicaled by Mr Forsyth. by which the
United States refused under The 9Th art.
Oh treaty 10 recognize the Florida grants
OF land made TO the Duke of Alagon, &c.
| We say, lie seiZes OIL this declaration.
upon the pretext that it aBnuls one Of
the most clear, express and conclusive
articles OF The treaty, for the purpose of
Justllying by side wind his delay to
ratify that treaty he also Tugs in The
Texas expedition by way of additional
scrnplee, as If requiring erptamation.-rhis
is the last we hear OF him, his doubts, or
| his minister.
We can exc out. by nothing that he has
told us, the real cause OF delay. lfii be the
grants OF land, they furnish not even a
decent pretexi. True, all grants since
the oath January 1918, were to be null
| those before, were to be valid 10 the same
extent as if Florida had remained under
| Span: true TOO, The grants Of Alagou and
! others we're by some hocuspocns dated some
days before but il is also true that both
ID. Onis& Mr.. Adams supposed they were
| dated after The 24Ih-they both meant
them TO be annulled-Don Onis said so
! before the treaty was made he frankl,
said 80 aiterw ards in note he addressed
TO Mr.. Adams, The French minister,
who was privy TO the whole transaction,
positively says the same every thing
| proves n. So, there is an end of thai
scruple.-As to the Texas expedition, il
has made an end OF itself; aud in no
stage was ii countenanced by our govern
| ment.
| The conclusion ~ then, that the King
has broken his word lie has not complied
| with The acts oil his own minister ,iOne by
virtue of full power; he has refused 10
raliiy treaty thus sOleEniy made. He
has done us wong: now, what is the
| remedyt
We will not now enquire, whether we
| have right TO execute the treaty our
selves; whether by the laws oil nations
we may occupy Florida. This is one
| question:. Certainly there is great strength.
III the authorizes cited by Mr.. Adams"
II would seem we have right To redress.
But n needs time 10 examine This question;
| and there Is time enough, according la
the views we take of the course before
us. We waive this point.-We also " awe
another question: tOhsther il we have tins
| right under The law OF nations, il is our
interest TO assert IL whether this is the
| best course which we can take. But there
| is third question which the President
has made.
me contends we have right TO take
| flerda-bni this is u case (Which forms
strong appeal 10 the camdour, HE ,nae
| naHi'nity, and honour of This peouIe. Much
- due TO courtesy between naiious."s
Therefore, he wishes us 10 wait I'LL the
expected minister arrives. g 1t is sub
United, therefore, whether il will not be
proper 10 make the PR posed law for car
rylng the condiiuus of the treaty into
effect, should it be adopted, contingent /;
10 suspend lis operation upon the rcspon-
sibiiiiy OF The executive, In such manner.
as 10 afford an opportunity for such
friendly explanations, as may be desired
during the present session OF Congress. /"
We cannot agree with this view of the
matter. III we are to yield TO magnanimi-
ty; If we are TO consult courtesy. and
walt Tor our rights, LET us go on upon that
ground. Why pass an act which holds
The scourSe over the head of the minister
Why tell him, if you will give II. Florida, II
is well iinot, we v i'll iakeilf Will he COM :
or will he negotiate under such circum
stances ifwewait TO hear him, before pass
lug the law, still we may passii afterwards
We do not forfeit one atom of onr rights
Our right to take Florida is as good, after
he refuses TO yield il to US; nay, better.
g BY a short delay" in passing the las
we lose nothing. Besides, we !orbeaI
+ IN the mean time committing our bark tC
the wave of events. We avail ourselye,
OF all HE lights which intervening event,
may strike out.-Besides, we confess va
have still hopes of getting Florida from
the new minister. Ii Great Britain is no
seeking Cuba, if there be no under cur.
rent OF this sort, we may have Florids
yet without blow. Casilereagh showed
: Mr.. Rush, despatch 10 Sir Fl. Wellesley
IN which an unequivocal opinion is OK
pressed that the true Interests of Spain
would be best promoted by ratification.
We shall re-touch this subject hereaf.
ter.-Meanwhile, though such are our
impressions OF The immediate project of
the President, we are strongly persuaded
OF the prOpriety OF taking some step TO.
wards Spain, as soon as il is ascertained
that her minister will not come, or is
irifliDg with us. Our unsettled claims
are OF long standing. She has evaded
them. And now she evades, though MOI
finally rejects, upon apparently very irlv.
olous principles, treaty solemnly enter
,, ed into by her accredited minister. Il