Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-05-19

Tile iCih snd last al tirie of liza Sr6aty il ia ,
the following words The present treaty
skaU be ratified IN due form, by the contracting
parties; aud the notifications shall be exchang.
ed III six mouths from this time. or sooner, u
possible"
On the faith of his Catholic Majest,'s pro-
mise, the treaty was, immediately after its
signature, ratified on the part OF the United
States, and on the 18th of May follow ing, Mr..
Forsyth. by an official note. Informed the Mar
quis OF Casa Yrujo, then Minister of Foreign
Affairs at Madrid, that the treaty, duly raiifi-
ed by the United States, had been entrusted
10 him by the President, aud that lie was,pre-
pared Ia exchange IL for the ratification of
Spain. He added that, from the nature of the
engagement, ID was desirable that the earliest
exchange should be made /; and that the A
metican ship of war Hornet was waiting in
the harbor of Cadiz. destined i'm few days TO
the United States, and ai,ordinc an opportu-
nifty peculiarly convenient of transmitting the
ratified treaty TO tue United States.
N0answer having been returned TO this note,
on the 9TH of June Mr.. Forsyth addressed to
the same Minister second, urging in the
most respectful terms. the necessity OF the
departure OF the Hornet; the just expecta-
ton OF the United States that the ratified
treaty would be transmitted by that vessel.
and the disappointment which cosld NOT fail
to en>ue should she return without il.
After Is days of further delay, on the 18th
of Jane, MIR. Forsyth was Informed, by a note
from Mr.. Salmoa, successor to the Marquis of
Casa frujo that 4" HIS Majesty, on Rejecting
OH the great Importance and interest OF the
treaty Ia question, was under the indispensa-
Bile necessity Of examining il with the greatest
canton and deliberation, before he proceed
edto ratify IL, and that this was alt he WAS
enabled 10 communicate to Mr.. Forsyth Oh
thar point"
Thus. after the lapse of more than month
from the time of Mr.. Fsrsyth's first note, and
OF more than two months from the time when
your government had received the treaty,
with knowledge that had been ratified by
the United States, the ratification of a treaty
which HisCashOlic Majesty had solemnIy pro-
missed, so that Ii might be exchanged within
, six months from the date of its signature, or
sooner. II possible, was withheld merely to give
time 10 His Catholic Majesty 10 eramine il and
thts Treaty wa the result al a 20 Years neco-
tiatiun, Ia which every article aud bject con.
tanned in il had been debated and Sifted to III
utmost safety. between the parties, both al
Washington and Madrid u treaty in which
the SupnatioNs by the Spanish Minister had
been sanctioned by successive references of
every point 10 his own government. and were,
by the formal admission OF your own mole
fully within the compass Of his Instructions.
II, under the feeling OF such procedure on
til. part of the Spanish government, the Mi
mister of the United States appealed TO thc
Just rights OF his country in eXpreSsiOnsSuit.d
more TO the sense OF its Wrongs than TO the
cDurtesies OF European diplomacy nothing
''Ad fli then occur eG which cOuld have re-
stralned your gove,umsn from asking of him
any explanation which could he necessary Tor
nhing ITS determination npOn the ratification.
No explanation was asked OF him.
Nearly two mouths afterwards, OH the 10Th
OF August, MIR. Forsyth was informed that The
King would not come to fiual decision a pom
The raiiiicaiion, without previously entering
into several explanations with the government
oil the United States, TO some of which that
government had given rise; and that His
Majesty had charged a person possessed of his
full confidence, who would forthwith make
known to the United States His RIaiestys iu-
ntfp 4, nlt
every explanation which could be Justly re-
CURED but your government declined re.
ceying them from him, assigning TO him the
| shOrIness OF the time a reason altogether
different from that which you now allege,
of the disrespectigl character of his commu.
hications
From the 10th of August till the 18th of the
last month, period gilmore than eight months
passed over, curing which no information " as
given by your government OF the nature of
the explanations which would be required -
The government of the u ). by forbearancc
perhaps mexanpled in human history, has
patiently waited TOR your arrival, always rea-
dy TO give, in candor and sincerity, every rx-
PLANTATION that could with any propTety be
demanded. What then must have been the
sentiments of the President upon finding. by
your note of the 18th uliimo, that, instead Of
explanations, His Catholic Majesty has in
strncted you 10 demand the negotiation of
another treaty, and TO call upon the States
for stipulations derogaIoTy 10 their honor.
and Incompatible with their duties as an in.
dependent uatiOnI What must be tina feelings
of this nation 10 learn that, when called up
on to state whether you were the bearer of
His Catholic Nlajesty's ratil ,atioD of the trea.
~, TO be exchanged HpOu the explanations
demanded being given, YOU explicitly answer
ed that you were not ? And, when REQUIRED
to say whether you are authorized, as sub
stiinte for the ratification, 10 give the pledge
OF immediate possession of the territory from
which the acknowledged just claims OF the
citizens of the United States were stipulated
10 be Unidentified, yOu still answer that you
are not, but refer rs back TO a solemn promise
OF the King, already pledged be fore in the full
power 10 your predecessor, ana TO ratifica-
ton, as soon as possible already stipulated IN
va By the treaty which he in full conformity
TO his instructions, had signedS
The ratification Of that treaty can now no
longer be accepted by tkis Government, with.
out tue concurrence OF "A constitutional main-
TIty OF the Senate of the United States TO
whom II mnst be again referred. Yet even
this promise, you were, by my letter of the
Sd inst. informed that, rather than abandon
the last hope of obtaining the fuIfilment O!
His Catholic Majesty's promise. already givs
EN-, the President would, so far az was con
additionally within his power, vet accept.
The assurances which Won had given ME i'm
the first personal conference between us of
your own entire satisfaction with the expIana-
tions given you upon all ,he points on which
You had been Instructed to ask them would
naturally have led TO the expectation that the
promise which you was authorized TO give
would at least not be withheld. From youI
letter of the 9Th instant. however. it appear
that no discretion has been LETT Won TO pledge
even His Majesty's promise OF ratification, 10
the eVentOf your being Yourself satisfied with
the explanations upon GHthe points desired
That the only promise you can give, is cOudi-
tiOnal, and the condition a point upon which
yonr government, when they prescribed il,
cOnd not but know il was iDipoSsiGie that the
United States should comply condition in
compatible with their independence, their
neutrality, their Justice. and their honor
1t was also aCOnditiOn which His Catholic
Majesty had not the shadow OF right 10 pre-