Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-12-12

days thereafter it laid before Congress- who nInc-
datey passed The necessary part, to
10 rance the commercial advantages conceded TO her in
The compact The treaty had previously been soemnly
ratified BY the King Of The French, in terms which
certainly not matters of lnrm and OF winch The
translation !nliuws: I" We, approving the above
contention, in all and each Of the dispositions which
are contained in it, do declare, by ourselves rs well
by our heirs AID successors that it is accepted approved
ratified, aud conned and By these presents signed w
our hand: do accept approve; ratlty and confirm IT,
promising, The faith and word Of King, TO observe
IT. and to ii 10 be observed inyolably without
contravening it, or suffering it to be contIavcned d.
recty or Indirectly for any cause under any pEeencc
| whatsoever"
Official information Of t!ic exchange Of ratifcaons in
the United States reached Paris whilst the Chambers
were in session The extraordinary and 10 Us Injurious
delays OF the French Government in their action upon
the subject Of its tulfcn have been heretofore stated
to Congress, and have disposition to enlarge upon
them here. 1t is sufficient observe, that the then
pendin. session allowed expire without even an
effort to obtain the necessary appropriations; that the
two succeeding ones were also suffered to pass away
without any thing like serious attempt 10 obtain de-
cislon upon the sub ec; and that it not until the
fourth session. almost three years after the conclusion OF
the treaty. and than two years after the exchange
Publications that the bill for tie execution Of the treaty
was pressed To vote and rejected.
H. the meantime, the of the United States
having full confidence that treaty entered INTO and so
sulrmnly ratified b. the French King, would be cHecut.
ed in good faith and doubling that provision would
be made for the payment OF the first nsalmcnt, winch
become due On the second day of FcI uary lo3
negotiated draft for the amount, through .he Bank OF
the United States. When this draft presented by
the holder, with the credentials required by tie treaty to
authorize him receive the money, the Government OF
France allowed it to be protested. In addition 10 the in
jury in the payment OF the money by France, con
formally to her engagement, the U. s. were exposed TO
heavy claim the part OF the Bank, under prclence
Of damages i'll satisfaction OF which that institution
seized upon and still retains 2ncgual amount Of the pub
lie moneys Congress in when the decision
| nf r:rrtW
communication of this apparently final decision CT
France not to fulfil the stpulaons OF the treaty. was
the naturally % be expected from tho PRESIDENT
The deep Of dissatisfaction which! pcryadcd the
public mind and the correspondent excitement produced
in Congress by only general knowledge or the result,
rendered it more than probable that resort to m'ne-
dia;c measures OF redress would be the consequence of
calling the attention of that body 10 the subject SIN
ccrr DESTROYS of preserving the pacific relations which
had So long existed between the Two countries, was
anxious avoid this course If could be satisfied that
by donr ST., ncitlrr the interest the honor OF my
| country would be compromised Without the fullest
assurances upon that point, could not hope to acquN
myself vi the responsibility be iEcurrcd III suffering
Congress to adjourn without laying the subject before
them. Those received by me were believed 10 be o.
| that character.
Tina, the feelings produced in the United States by the
news the rejection Of The appropriation would be such
as have described them to lave been, was toS'sccn ny
| the French Government, and prompt measures were
taken by it to prevent the Consequences Inc hly, III
person. expressed through Minister n. Paris his pro.
] found regret at the decision Of the Chambers, and
promised to send, forthwith national ship with des.
patches TO his Minister here, authorizing nm 10 give
such assurances as would satisfy the Government and
PEOPLE oftlc United States that the treaty would YET
faithfully executed by France The national ship ar
rived and the Minister received his Instructions Clan-
| ing act under the authority derived from them, he
gave this Government in tile maine oil his, the most
solemn assurances, that, after the elections
the charter would permit the French Chambers would
be convened and the attempt to procure the necessary
/ nj
crS of tho King and his Ministers should be put in
QUESTION to accomplish the object; aud he under
stood and expressly informed by this Government at
the te engage that the question should be pressed
to decision al period sufficiently carly to permit in
formation Of the result to be communicated to Congress
at the commencement Of their next session Relying
UPON these assurances incurred the responsibility
great rs regarded it to be. OF suffering Congress 10
separate without communicating with them upon the
| subject.
The expectations Justly founded upon the promises
thus solctnnly made to this Government by that OF
France were not realized. The French Chambers met
on the lst OF July 1884 soon after the election; and al
though our Minister i'll Paris urged the French Ministry
t. bring the subject before them, They declined dong So
He next insisted that the Chambers, II pror0Sucd with
on, acnr Oh the subject should be reasscmbcd at Pc
Rod so early that their action the treaty might be
knawu in Washington prior to the meeting OF Congress
This reasonable request was not only declined, hut Tie
Chambers were prorogucd to the 2oth OF December,
day so late that their dec'slon however urgently press
cd could not in all probability be obtained IN time to
reach Washington before the necessary adjournment oil
Congress by the Constitution / he reasons given by
the Ministry for refusing to convoke the Chambers al an
early perod were afterwards shown not TO be insupera
hle he their actual convocaon on the ls OF December
under special call for domestic purposes which TACT
however did known to this Government I'M
Ill after the commencement of the last session OF Con-
| grcss r.,
Thus disappointed in just expectations, 1t became
my imperative duty consult with Congress in regard
to the expcdicncy OF resort ro -'talaory measures IN
the sputions OF the treaty should not DC speedy
couped with: and TO recommend such as IN my JUDI
men, the occasion called for To this end unrescrv
ed communication OF the case: in all Its aspects, became
in ,pensahlc To have shrnnk in making IT. from saying
ali that necessary to It's correct UNDERSTANDING ana
tina, lii. truth would Justify for fear OF giving offence TO
others would have been unworthy OF us 70 have gone,
on the other hand SIM lie step further Tor the purpose
of woundinr the pride Of Government anu people WIN
whom had so many motives TOR cutVal'h reat'o"so
anv and reciprocal advantage would have been un"Ise
and ,nuroper AdmcniS!Ied by the past OF the dicuy OF
even the simplest statement o! our wrongs WIN
out disturbing the sensJics o! those who iad ~ their
noslun become responsible for their redress, and earnest
is DESTROYS preventing further obstacles from that source,
went out Of my to preclude construction OF the
message by which the recommendation that was mide
To CONGRESS might be regarded menace 10 france IN
not only diSavowing such design: but IN declaring mat
hor n,;ic md her power were well known to expect
any thinr from her fears. The message dd not reacn
Paris until more than month after the Chanoers illu
been in session; and such was the lhsehstoity :" IN
Ministry TO our rghtful claims and Just expectations, at
onr Minister had been informed that the matter when
introduced wom!d not be pressed as cabinet measure
Although the message was not officially communicated
10 the French Government. and notwithstanding the de-
claraon ia" contrary when 1t eontaheG tle rleieH
M;;,,, drdpd 70 consider tie conditional recommend
atom of rrprsals,a and an insult. which the no.
or oi fin. unIiou made il incumbent on them to resent.
The measures resorted TO by them to eTlncc their sense
of H. . supposed indinnv, were. tho immediate recall Oh
,,,o;r Minister ut Nasngon the offer of passports to
the American Minister at Paris, and public notice to
, , rjsIavc Chanbe7s that all diplomatic intercourse
| ,y;,, the United States had hcrn suspended
| tJ,,i,r in this manner vindcaed tine dignity Of
France thcy next proceeded 10 illustrate her Justice. TIC
NJ. rnli a bill was immediately introduccd into the