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


motive, far from giving TO Spain the right 10 /
claim OF the United States an engagement not |
torecoguize the South American Cove inments, !
ought TO have been considered by Spain as a |
proof at once OF the moderation and discre- |
tion OF the United States: as evidence OF their |
disposition 10 discard all selfish or exclusive
views IN the adoption of measure which +,
they deemed wise and inst in itself, hut most
likely TO prove efhcacious, by "A common adop-
lion of il, in a spirit entirely pacific. i'm con-
cert with other nations, rather than by a pre-
cipitate resort to il, on the part of the United
States alone.
The conditional promise therefore. now of
fered by you, instead of the positive one
which you have declared yourself authorized
to give. cannot be accepted by tue President,
and / am constrained to observe, that he can
consider the procedure of your government
in thus providing you with power and iustruc-
tons utterly inefficient for the conclusion OF the
negotiation with which you are charged, in
no other light than as proceeding frots de-
termination on its part, still to protTact and
hattie its final successful issue. Under these
circumstances he deems il his duty 10 submit
the correspondence which has passed between
MS since your arrival, TO the consideration of
the Congress of the United States, 10 whom
il will kelong TO decide how far the u. States
can yet consistently with their duties TO them-
selves. and the rights of their citizens, autho-
rize the further delay requested in your note
of the 9Th inst.
In the conclusion of that note, you have
remarked, abiding to great change which
appears to have taken place since your depar-
tnre from Madrid, In the Government ofSpatu,
that this circumstance alone would impose
you the obligation of giving 40 greater latitude
| to your promise previous to your receving new
instructions. III have understood you right,
yosr inientionis 10 remark, that this c,rcum
stance alone would Restrain yon in any event
! from giving without new instructions the MI
conditional promise OF ratificati ton. which in
| former note, You had declared Yourself anthO-
| rized in the name ct your Sovereign TO give
This seems TO he equivalent TO declaration
| that yon consider yonr powers themselves i'm
the extent TO which they were entrusted 10
| You, as suspended By the events TO which you
| thus refer. 1t am mistaken in taking this
| as yonr meaning, will You have the goodness
| 10 inform me how far yoS do consider your
| powers affected by the present state of your
ntofmatof from Spain
| Please 10 accept the assurance of my dis
| tinguished consideration.
! Mr. Galidtin to The Secretary of State.
Paris, February Is, 1890.
Sir: General Wives, the new Minister of
| Spain to the u. States, arrived at Pnris on the
18th instant. and left il the l1ih, tor London,
| with the intention to embark at Liverpool,
| I'm the New York packet, which will sail OH
| the LIST day of March.
Mr. Pasauier. after having seen him, iuvit-
ed me 10 an interview OIL the 18th, and said
That he wasin hopes that the differences might
| still be adjusted General Wives had told
! him that the principal points with Spain were,
that the honor of the crown should be saved
| (mis couvert) in the business offhe grants.
! and TO receive satisfactory evidence of our
| intention 10 preserve a fair neutrality in the
| colonial war Mr.. Pasquer had observed 10
him that II would be a matter of deep regret
| that private interest should prevent the con-
| clusOn of snch an important arrangement,
and that when il was clear that there had
| been at least misunderstanding on the snb-
Ject, the Mugs dignity couid not he injured
| BY resumption of the grants, or by an ex-
| change for other lands. He seemed to think
| that this would be arranged, aud asked me
| what thought we could do respecting the
| other point / answered that the fullest re-
liince might he placed the fairness of
| our neutrality, and, that was really at loss
| to know what could be added TO the measures
the u. States had already adopted TO enforce
il Mr.. Pasquier gave me TO understand that
if there was any defect, however tritling. i'm
our laws, and that was amended. it would
| probably be sufficient to satisfy the PRIDE OF
| Spain, as there now appeared real desire TO
\ ratify, provided il could be done without be-
| traying glaring inconsistency. He had ex-
| pressed TO General Wives his opinion OF the
| improperly OF asking from the u. States any
| promise not to recognize the independence of
the insurgent colonies, and had told him that
| on that subject, Spain could only rely on The
moral effect which solemn treaty, accomo-
mOdating all her differences with the United
States, would have OH their future proceed
Jugs.
expressed my hope that the explanations
which General Wives was instructed TO give
on the subject OF the grants, and to ask on
that of our neutrality. might be such as to re-
move all the existing difficulties. Bat il was
most important that he should arrive in the
United States before the adjournment OF Con-
gress, and that he should he the be arer of the
Kings ratification OF the treaty, SO that ii e.
very thing was arranged, those notifications
might be at once exchanged at Washing ton.
Ii that was not dohe, the President WOnid
have no more security that the King womIG
fifty General Wives than MIR. Onis' acts and
II was impossible 10 suppose that he would
run the risk OF a second disappointment This
observation fOrcibly struck Mr.. Pasquier, who
said thar he would make further enquiries OH
that point.
saw, the same evening, the Spanish Am
bassador, al this court aud, in the cOnTse of .
short conversation, he suggested that the
grants in dispute might be set aside the gran.
tees not having fulfilled certain coHditions or
formalities and, after ackHow lodging that
GeDeralNives was not The bearer OF the Kings
ratification, he limited that he was authorize q
10 give the United States satisfactory security
that Spain would fulfil her eDgag emcmis.
On the 18Th dtned at the Minister'S Of
Foreign Affairs, with General Wives, who re-
peaied 10 me, III snbstance, what lie he had
said to MIR. Pasquier. | told him that The
President would Judge OF The explanations he
In d TO give oil the subject of the grants; hat
he might rely on the determination OF tic L. !
States to preserve their MENTALITY and not
less on the manner in which The laws for en- |
forcing il were executed, than on the tenor
OF those laws, which observed were aud had !
always been more full aud efficient than those !
of either England or France. on The same sub |
Ject; that cOuid not say whether The ques- !
tion of recognising the Independence OF the |
iHsurgent colonies would be agitated during |
the present session of Congress, but that IL ii
was, the decision wOnid probably have ta- |
kerr place before his arrival.
then repeated what I had said to Mr. Pas !
QUEER respecting tie Importance ef his being
authorised to exchange the ratification Of the |
treaty. He answered, that although he WAS |
not he could. in case o. an arrangement give |
satisfactory security 10 the United States, and !
thar il would consist i'm conSeutiup ihat they