The Arkansas advocate., 1834-12-26

bearing, as to make 1t impossible that our justice and moderation should be question: ed, whatever may be the consequences of a longer perseverance,, on the part of the French Government, in her omission to satisfy the conceded claims of our citizens.
 fine history of the accumulated and un- provoked aggressions upon our commerce, committed by authority of the existing Governments of France between the years 1900 and 1877, has been rendered too pain fully familiar to Americans to make its rep etition either necessary or desirable. It will be sufficient here to remark, that there has, for many years, been scarcely single administration of the French Government by whom the justice and legality of the claims of our citizens to indemnity, were not, to very considerable extent. admitted; and yet near quarter oi q century has been wasted in intellectual negotiations to secure 1t.
 Deeply sensible of the injurious effects resulting from this state of' things upon the interests and character of both nations, regarded 1t as among my first duties to cause one more effort to be made to satisfy France. that a. just and liberal settlement of our claims was as well due to her own hon. or as to their ncontestable validity. The negotiation for this purpose was commen- ced with the late Government of France, and was prosecuted with such success, as to leave no reasonable ground to doubt, that settlement of character quite as liberal us that which was subsequentymade, would have been effected, had not the revo- lution. by which the negotiation was cut of, taken place. The discussions were re- sumed with the present government, and the result showed, that we were not wrong in suppesing, that an event by which the two governments were made to approach each other so much nearer in their politi- cal principles, and by which the motives for the most liberal and friendly intercourse were so greatly multiplied, could exercise no other than a salutary influence upon the negotiation. After the most deliberate and thorough examination of the whole subject, treaty between the two Governments was concluded and signed al Paris on the 4th of July, 1881, by which 1t was stipula- ted, that ..the French Government, in or der to Iiberate itself from all the reclama- tions preferred against 1t by citizens of the United States, fo: unlawful seizures, cap- lures, approximations, confiscations, or des- truction of their vessels, cargoes, or other property, engages to pay sum of twenty five millions of francs to the United States, who shall distribute it among those entitled, in the manner and according to the rules it shall determine;H and Il was also stipulated on the part of the French Government, that this twenty-five millions of francs should s.be paid at Paris in six annual in- stalments of four millions one hundred and sixty-six thousand six hundred and sixty six francs and sixty-sIx centlmes each, into the hands of such person or persons as shall be authorized by the Government of the United States 10 receive it." The first instalment 10 be paid tat the expra- ton ofone year next following the exchange of the rafifcations of this convention, and the others at successive intervals of year, one after another, till the whole shali be paid. To the amount of each of the said
 nstalments shall be added interest at four per centum thereupon, as upon the other instalments then remaining unpaid; the said interest 10 be computed from the day of the exchange of the present convention" !"
 It was also stipulated on the part of the United States, for the purpose of being completely liberated from all the reclama- tions presented by France on behalf of its citizens, that the sum of one million five hundred thousand francs should be paid to the Government of France, in six annual |instalments, to be deducted out of the an- nuaI sums which France had agreed to pay. interest thereupon being in like manner computed from the day of the exchange of the rati6cations. In addition to this stipu- lation, important advantages were secured to France by the following article, yiz.:- The wines of France, from and after the exchange of the notifications of the present Convention, shall be admitted. to consump- ton in the States of the Union, at duties which shall not exceed the following rates by the gallon, (such as it is used at present for wines in the United States,) to wit six cents for red wines in casks; ten cents for white wines in casks; and twentv-two cents for wines of all sorts in bottles. The pro- portions existing between the duties on French wines thus reduced, and the gene- raj rates of the tariff which went into ope- ration the first January, 1929, shall be maintained, in case the Government of the United States should think proper to dimin- ish those general rates in new tariff. In consideration of this stipulation, which shall be binding on the United States for ten