Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-04-07

Having thus indicated The character
: oi the United States, by showing thai
! they have made no attempt 10 alIer, in
/ any degree, The obligations Of the con.
I ventIon, II reaiaiSS Tor me 10 establish, The
! position laid down in regard Ia Spain. -
, with minnie reluctance approach the
OK cuiion of this painful, but not difficult,
task. he convictions of lis truth arise
{ Sn foreibly oui OF the circumstances Of
( inns transaction, as already detailed, that
; a bare reference 10 particular portions of
! mem VIII be sutiicient for my purpose.
must call your Exceliency's attention 10
the period at which these donations were
made The departure from The ordinary
! regulations of the Spanish government in
| the quantity OF land given away 10 The
grantees; the reasons assigned for max.
| ing tile donations to thu conduct of Tie
Spanish minister IN The u. S. III arranging
The STU art. OF the convention, and to the
malignant Influence these donations see M
10 nave hai IN preventing the raliiica-
tion oil that convention. The idea OF max.
/ my these grants was not entertained uu
~ SPAN had determined To cede The
fioridas 10 the United States. Authority
was given TO offer a cession of that COIN.
try; between the grants and the execution
OF HAT authority, the resolution is formed.
nnd partially carried into effect. 10 render
The thing 10 br coded, as far as il was in
| the power OF Spain 10 render il so. worth
less II may be suggested, that the
sovereignty OF the territory was all that
tieSpanislI government proposed 10 cede:
ano that this was, OF itself, suRicien,ly
important TO The United States. 10 render
unnecessary any attention 10 the property
~ Inc sou. HE iorce Of such a suggestion
Is destroyed by the TACT, that Spain pro-
poser 10 provide Tor Tue payment of the
claims ot the U. ). and Of their citizens.
mon her, cut OF the oacant iamdS of The
Territory 10 be coded. villa, Was the
meaning of this proposal, and The siipu.
laiipn made ia consequence of il, when
bv secre, and irregular donations of ali
! Tie vacant lands. his Catholic Majesty
hal rendered lis iultiiment Impossible.
and THIS, too, while the Spanish Minister
was III The very act OF discnssingii? Was
u made III mockcry, TO add iaSuil TO The
M aries, OF which Tire Anerican govern.
meni had so long complained, aud saiis-
faction Tor which they had generousIv
iorborne TO take ? Iiy reieyvpce TO tic
srchiyes OF The Indies, YOUR Excellence
Will ind, that the donations 10 the Duke
"i Alagou, Count Punon Rost,o and Ny
| Vargas. include all the vacant, land. mol
only IN that part OF The Floridas possess
ed by Spain, but also Of that possessed
| 10y the U. ). under The cession of loui.
sIana from France. make this reference
from belief that tue description of the
deterrent grants herein contained is nearly.
| il not entirely, correct.
The colonial regulations Of Spain.
made Tor Louisiana and Florida, expressly
forbid TIVE alienation of more Than y
u3Fupt small MONTE.
same person. This, il is true, Is a res
| friction upon the governors and anibori-
lies at those territories, and WAS no,
| obligatory upon The king; but il shews
the general policy OF The government,
widely departed from, in tie donations 10
two iavorile officers OF the crown, and
a Spanish subject, between whom, il,
sweeping transfer, a few millions oil acres
were literally granted by the king and
y HAT, SIR, were The reasons assigned for
these liberal gifts " For Tie increase of
population iu The territory OF Florida"
Tor The fnliIlmeni of his Majestv's bene.
hcent wishes IN favor Of the agriculture
! and commerce o. his said possessions.
winch was very much in want of a pnpu
lailon adequate TO the fertility of the land
aud the defence Of the coast" AT the
moment of determining 10 pass away The
territory 10 The dominion of a Ioreion
po"cr, the anxiety is discovered 10 rem
der II popnlohs, 10 foster It's agriculture
aud commerce, 10 furnish an ADEQUATE
defence fur lis coasts. That individuals.
Who sought the acquisition Oi wealth al
lie expense OF tie moral character of
thru country, should attempt TO conceal
The real, the selfish, motive of heir appIl.
Gallon Ter gifts under the preieuce of be
ing aciualed by desire Of promotiu,
the interest of The state, Is not surprising,
nee the history Of The world affords SO
many unhappy examples OF IL; but IL IL
both wonderful aud lamenlablr, that 90.
yernments sbouId be dclnded 10 adI,t
such hollow preirnces, and assign them
as tie motives al their conduct. I'm the
present case, how are these reasons of
slate reconcilcable with the prouosed
cession Of The territory? Either Spain
offered cessioD, intending never 10 make
~, or those were not the real inducements
TO these donations.
territory which had been almost
abandoned Tor years by the government
OF Spain, alternately used by the British
troops, the Indians aud The blacks, for tie
annoyance Of the United States, wbivh
had been lefi TO be- preyed upon BY every
adveniurcr who could command a pilot
boat and nluskel, becomes, at HE mo-
neni il is TO be coded away, an object of
parental solicilude a soiciiude discoy.
cred by giving manapoIies OF its lands 10
three persons, who affected the intention
10 cultivate aud improve them an inren.
lion, established by the noisrious fact, of
these lands having been frequently offer
ed for sale by The claimants in Spain aud
IN the u. s. II is somewhat singular that
The Spanish minister in The T.. S., who,
~ The whole Of the negotiation, profrssed