The Litchfield County post. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1826-1829, 1826-12-12

in progress, and pledges given of its resump-
ton at am early day, It was deemed expedi-
ent to await the result of that negotiation,
rather than to subscribe implicitly TO terms the
import of which was not clear, and which the
BIRTHS authorities themselves, in. this hemis-
Phere, were not prepared to explain.
Immediately after the close of the last Ses-
sion of Congress, one of our most distinguish
ed citizens was despatched as Envoy Extraor-
binary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Great.
Britain, furnished with instructions which we
could not doubt would lead to conclusion of
this long controverted interest, upon terms
| acceptable to Great Britain. Upon his arrival,
and before he had delivered his letters of ere
dence, he was met by an Order of the British
Council, excluding from and after the first of
December now current, the vessels ofthe Uni
ted States from the Colonial British ports, ex-
cepting those immediately bordering upon our
| Territories. In answer to his representations
upon measure thus unexpected, he is infor-
med that, according to the ancient rnaxins of
policy of European nations having colonies,
| their trade is an exclusive possession of the
mother country. That all participation ia it
by other nations.is a boon or favour, not for
ming a subject of negotiation, but to be regu-
lated by the Legislative Acts of the Power
owning the colony That the British Govern
ment, therefore declines negotiating concern
ling it; and that, as the United States did not
forthwith accept purely and simply the terms
offered by the sAct of Parliament, of July,
1925, Great Britain would not now admit the
vessels of the United States even upon the
terms on which she has opened them to the
navigation of other nations.
We have been accustomed to consider tie
trade which we have enjoyed with the British
Colonies, rather as an interchange of mutual
benefits, than as aJnere favour received; that.
under every circumstance, we have given au
ample equivalent. We have seen every 9TH
er nation, holding Colonies, negotiate with
other nations, and grant them, freely, admis-
sion to the Colonies by Treaty; and, so far
are the other colonizing nations of Europe
now from refusing to negotiate for trade with
| their Colonies, that we ourselves have secured
access to the! Colonies Of more than one of
| them by Treaty. The refusal, however, of
Great Britain to negotiate, leaves to the Uni
| ted States no other alternative than that Of
regulating, or interdicting, altogether, the
trade on their part, according as either mea,
sure may affect the interests ofour own coun-
| try; and, with that exclusive object, would
recommend the whale. subject to your calm
and candid deliberations.
1t is hoped that our unavailing exertions to
accomplish cordial good understanding on
this interest will not have an unpropitions eff
feet upon the other great topics of discussion
between the two Governments. Our North
eastern and Northwestern boundaries are still
tunad justed. The Commissioners under the
18th article Of the Treaty of Ghent have near
Iy come to the close of their labours nor can
we renounce the expectation, enfeebled as it
| is, that they may agree upon their report, to
the satisfaction or acquiescence of both par
for lin,,i R.,ffa tbs.
claims for indemnity for slaves carried away
after the close oil, the war has been sitting,
with doubtful prospects of success. Prnposi-
! tons Of compromise have, however, passed
| between the two Governments, the result of
which, We f1atter ourselves, may yet prove
| satisfactory. Our own dispositions and pur-
| poses towards Great Britain are all friendly
and conciliatory nor can We abandon, but
with strong reluctance, the belief they win III
| timatrly meet return, not of favours, which
we neither ask nor desire, but of nGual reciprO
| city and good will. @y
| With the American governments Of this
| hemisphere, we continue to maintain. an in
tercourse altogether f.icndiy, and between
| their nations and ours that commercial inter
| change ofwhieh mutual benefit is the source,
and mutual comfort s. harmony the result, Is
in a continual state of improvement. The war
between Spain and them, since the total ex-
pulsion of the Spanish military force from
! their continental territories, has been little
more than nominal: and their internal tray
guilty, though occasionally menaced by the
agitation which civil wars never fail to leave
behind Them has not been affected by any Sc
| rious calamity. .. A
The Congress of Ministers from several OF
those nations which assembled at Panama, af-
/ ter short session there, adjourned to meet
! again, at a more favourable season, in the
neighborhood Of Mexico. The deccase Of one
our ministers on his way to the lsthm,s, and
the impedments of the season, which delayed
the departure of the other, deprived MS the
| advantage of being represented atsthe first
meeting of the Congress. There is, howey-
err, no reason to believe that any of the trans
actions of the Congress were of nature TO
affect injurously the interests of the United
States, or to require the interposition of our
ministers, had they been present kPher abb
sence has indeed deprived us of the opportti-
nifty of possessing precise ard authentic infor
nation of the treaties which were concluded
at Panama and the whole resultshas confir-
med me in the conviction ofSthe expediency
to the United States of being represented at
the Congress. Thesursiving member of the
Mission, appointed during your last session,
has accordingly proceeded to his destination,
~, ,,x~l