Lynchburg Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1829-185?, 1835-01-19

- sssSes.sI eea..e<ese.xz-3z--
..ventv.six TO one hundred and sixiy-eishs, u was
r,.t,sd I, is TO, the intention Of your COMMITTEE
10 exhibit ever ske,ch Of the facts and srsomen''
broueht forward, either in the repcd OF vac
discussion, in which several Of the h'nss minister
shared. But they do no more 'nsn justice :" ,sa
derior the;r humble testimony 10 the mastery so'
' and s,a,esmsnlikc bearing exhibited by the Mn
;sa., a. roreixn Affairs in the Chamber OF Depu-
IL. Tba, Minister Immediately rcsigned ms
~. in consequence Of the vote OF the Chamber.
The Comm;l,ee have looked into these proceed
;nos and discussions Ia discover, II they could the
s...., of the rejection Of the hill The principle
ar indemnity seems Ia have been generally admit
ted. The diversity Of opinion was chiefly az to
the amount. Bur, tcsiles this widespread and
.eep rooted prsjudices prevailed in the Chambers
Some Of the members appear to have 'hough' 'na'
France was a prey TO the rnpaciiy oil foreign row
ers thai the United States owed her d. BIT Of graf
;,ude. growing out OF her assistance in our sIrug
ve for independence thu, ough, TO have restrained
them from presen,ing any clam, OF at least have
,,o.,,v moderated their demands that the dc.
CREE, Of France out OF which large part OF the
eisms sprung, were no more than just retaliation
,,,on the bell,sernnt edicis OF Great BRIAN; that
the claims were ia tho hands Of few spectators (;
that upon = fresh negotiation The amount OF lndem-
uity would be materially rcducod; and that as to
e,oh, Of the twenty five millions OF francs, the Uni-
,cd States were seeking double satisfaction, FIRST
from Spain in The Florida treaty, and then from
France in the treaty Of 1881. Your COMMITTEE
cann,, but think tina, this last objection, utterly
erounJless and derog iory from our national honor
"a il 10. exer,ed considerable influence upon the
,,ha n,ers. Il, was suddenly sprung towards the
close of the debate, md the supporters oil Tue o''
beio. taken by surprise, all the satisfactory exda-
a.. l;..l ~, Gnsutsh tfeufv ~ susceptible,
x.c,. not made The controlling motive. however,
a tho maturity is believed TO have been a conse'io"
.o,,rained by Them that the treaty s'ipulelcs the
navmcnt Of greater sum than - justly due from
France.
Unfortunately We are, perhaps, not altogether
r..o from the rcproach Of having contributed 10
make this unfn vorab,c impression Of the treaty up
ON the mind OF the French Chamber. In his des-
o.,ch. under date the 9Th Jaiy. 1881. accompany
,nS the treaty, and addfessed'o the Secretary oil
Stnte. after explaining some oil IT'S provisions, ana
referring to the opinion OF Mr.. GnlIatin, MI h'Vcs
.av.; {" II the opinion here expressed DO correct,
and certainly none enjoys ors entitled 70 more re-
80, the sum stipulated to be paddy tho French
Government will he amply suhc'en, to satisfy oil
,o JUS, claims of our oiizens, of euey description,
.omorehcuded IN the scope of,he negotiation
A ,.;, he remarks The result which las been
Gained in the interest Of the claimants has not been
sch;eved without the grones, difficulty. Tho cor
,.s,o,,lencc OF Mr.. C,awfnrt Of Mr.. Gallaiin, ma
~ M, Brown, with the Department oil state, (ihc
unf;,vorable parts Of which have, Tor obvious fea
.on. not heretofore been given 10 the pubic shows
,h.t they regarded this whole snhJ'c as almost
.,t;r,lv homeless" And he further observes An
.r,sos ement which, amid so many d'iieu'I'es, has
occurred for claims OF our citizens (proseoucu IN
vain for the last twenty years, nno large portion
II No, the whole, of which has been CONSIDERED as
4,,perate) n sum sufficient IN all probability, to
nav every cent justly due, ana nearly "'oc 'he
.r,o,n, pronounced to be due by the commission
.ha,ool with their examination here, which hus
:, ,he anne time extinguished the claims OF French
.,h;,c,, against the United States TO the amount
~ near five millions OF francs, by a stipulation 10
nav n million and half, and has finally got r'd OF
mast embarrassing claim (fodnded on the Ian
,uaee of u treaty. of perpetual privileges IN the
nor,s of one of the Suites OF the Unon, by toni
nor.rv n, assure nrinseally advantageous to our
..Ives and in the defnlye settlement OF these nn
nlsa.ant questions, has la'd lasting foundation OF
harmony and friendship between the two countries
having the most importnn, common interests, po
l,;cal and commercial an arrangement marked
nv these lectures cannot, trust, tai' 10 be saus
factory, and to justify tho responsibility when,
under the Discretionary powers tho Pres'den, has
49,, oIco.cd o conhde TO me, have no, hesitn.ed
"a assume both in the progress and termination OF
mi, complex negotiation
A treaty possessing these characteristics may
\. acceptable to one party but it's not surprising
INA, it should no, be very much 20 to tho 9TH
:, II il be true tina, he has stipulated TO pay every
,.,, If claims believed TO be hopeless and d'spe-
81. ,b.t he has received less than one.'h'rd OF
,.h,, W n. due to his own subjects and instead Of
an couva,en, for perpetual privilege has rcce,v-
.l oniv what i, in,rinsically advantageous TO the
other party .
/, !. quito natural that tho American negolis'or
should hive commended to the favorable consilc-
,,,on Of his Government, tho work Of his own
h.nds. If he had magni6cd it, some excuse might
h,ve bccu found in the comrlaccncy with which
-. too often contemplate our own achievements
M, perhaps, the feelings of the other party have
10, hcen duly consulted. !, may not have been
.,,s,c;cn,,y considered that what IS won by skill in
dnlomacy on one side. might have been los, by the
-.r, off on the other and the pretens'ons OF su-
r.rior ssyaci,y on our side, was not likely TO be
.ooinr 10 the pride OF the French nation ori rc'
.o,c;le 4 to engs gcmen,s agans! which strong pre-
s.,d,c.. nrcvailed II remains 10 be seen whether
.,r,o.v and friendship between the two countries,
-. ,,,,;ny foundation OF which Mr.. Rves fcllci-
,.,.. nj. Government with having been laid by him,
.h.l,. in the sequel, have been actually esmc"ted
(Concixded in 0S' nerf)