Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-05-12
rTSCRlPn


feelings, If we did not express The plea
sure with which we concur in the tone
OF the following Interesting Message, re :
ceived by last nights mail.
OUR RELA1 IONS WITH SPAIN.
WASHINGTON, May lO.-The follow
my Message was Yesterday transmitted
10 Doth Houses oi Congress, by the Pre-
sidenl OF The United States
10 The Senate dnd Heuse Of Representatives
cf tie United States.
communicate 10 Congress "A cores
| pondence which has taken place between
| The Secretary of State ard The Euyov
| Extraordinary and Minister plenipo,en
i'ary al His Catholic Majesty, s,nce The
| message OF the 27,h March lasi, respect
ing The 'rca'y which was concluded be-
tween the United States and Spain. on
| The 22l February 1919.
| After the failure OF lis Catholic Ma
Jes'y Tor So long time 10 raiiiy ib,. treaty.
1t was expected that Tins Minister would
have brought with hiul the ratification.
or ihai he would have been authorised 10
give all order iorslhe delivery oi the trYr,-
terry coded by II, - the United States. n
| appears, however. thai The treaty is still
|
uhorty tn Surrender The territory. The
object OF his mission has been. to make
complaints, and 10 demand explanations.
! respecting an imputed system of hosiii-
! ~, on The part oi citizens c The Il. States,
| against the subjects and domnians of
| Spain, and an nniriendly policy in their
| T"Vrrnmeni, and 10 obtain new siipula~
ons again these alciycd ininrics. as
the condition OH which tie treaty should
be 'a,iticd.
Unexpected "a such complaints and
} such demand, were, under existing cir
cumSianceS, n was thought nrouer with.
out compromising the government, a. 10
The course to be pursued, tn NEE, them
promptly, and 10 give The explanations
That were desired, on every subject. will,
The utmost candor. The result has pro
vcd, what was sufficiently well knows he
| lore, that The charge OF systematic hos
iiiiiy beng adopted and pursued by CHI
zens OF tie UnIied States, against the
dominionS and subjects of Spain, is III
teriy destitute of foundation, and that
iuelr government, IN all lis branches, has
maintained, with The utmost rIgOr, ;IIat
neutrality, in The civil war briwetn Spain
and her colonies, which they were The
! hrsi 10 declare. No force has been col.
!
me UnIted States against The dominioDs
OF SPAN; nor have any naval equipments
been permitted, III favor of elder party
against The other. Their citizens have
been warned OF the obligations incident
10 lie neutral condition OF their Country ::
The pubic officers have been instruc Ted
| 10 see That the laws were fully executed !;
! ahd severe examples have been made OF
some who violated them.
In regard 10 The stipulation proposed,
aS 'he condition Of the ratification of the
treaty. thai The United States shall abans
AIRY colonies IN South Rmciiua, VI w -tu,rEI
other relations with them, when, III their
judgment, Ii may be just and eXpeAient
so 10 do, II is mauliestly so repugnant 10
the honor, and even To The independence
OF the United States, thai II has been
impossible 10 discuss it. In making this
proposal, II Is perceived that His Caiho
lie Majesty has entirely miScoDceived the
principles on which This government has
acted, III being party TO negotiation
so long proiracied, for claims so well
founded and reasonable, as he likew Use
has the sacrifices whichihe United States
have made, comparatively, with Spain, III
the treaty to which it is proposed to am
mex so extraordinary and improper con
ditiou.
Had The Minister Of Spain offered an
unqualified pledge that the treaty SHOULD
be ra,ised by his sovereign, ON bein g
made acquainted with the explanations
which had been giVen by this govern
ment, there would have been = strOus
motive for accepting and submitting il
10 The Senate for their advice and con
sent, ratlIt than 10 resort TO other mea-
sures for redress, however Unsuitable
and proper. But he gives no sucl
pledge. On the contrary, he declare.
explicitly that The refusal of this govern
meDt TO relinquislI the right OF judging
and acting for itself hereafter, according
to circumstances, in regard TO the Spanisi
colonies, right common 10 all nations
has rendered ii impossible for him ,unde
his Instructions, to make sncb engage
menf. He thinks that his sovereign vii
be induced, by his communications, 4
ratiIy the treaty; Dut still h. leaves hin
free either TO adopt that measure, OF Il
decline it. He admits that the other objec
5 lions are essentially removed, x will not
in themselves, prevent the ratification, pro
| vided the difficulty on the third pOiui i
2 srrmounted. The result, therefore, Is
2 that the treaty is declared 10 have no 90
e legation whatever that its ratification u
A made 10 depend not on the considcra
D tons which led 10 its adoption, and tn
S conditions which il contains, but on
$ new article uneonnected with it, respect
G ing which new negotiation must be {
+, pened, OF iDdehniie duration and dOub
ful issue.
4 Under this view Of the subject, III
/ course TO be pursued would appear TO i
II direct and obvious, il the affairs Of SpaI
e had remained in The state IN which the
+. we're when this minister sailed. But IL
- known, that an important change hi