Litchfield enquirer., 1835-12-10

the single condition which the French ministry
| proposed to annex 10 the paymentof the mon
ey. was, that it should not DO made until it was
ascertained that the government of the United
States had done nothing TO injure the interests
OF France or, in other lords, that no steps had
| been authorized by congress of hostile char
acter towards France.
What the disposition or action Of congress
| might he, was then unknown to the French cab
met. But, on the 18th Of January, the Senate
resolved that it was inexpedient to adopt any le.
gislative measures in regard TO the state Of af-
fairs between the United States and France, and
no action on the subject had occurred in the
! House Of Representatives. These facts were
known IN Paris prior TO the S5th Of March,
1895, whom the committee, to whom the hin oil
Naturalization had been referred, reported Il "a
the Chamber of Deputies. That committee sub
stantially re.echoed the sentiments of the min
istry, declared that Congress had set aside ths
proposition Of the President, aud recommends
the passage Of the bill. without ANY ether re
striction than that originally pfopused.s- This
was it known to the French Ministry and cham
bers, that If the position assumed by them, ana
which had been SO frequently and solemnly an
nounced as tho only one compatible with the
| honor of France, was maintained, and tie bill
passed as originally proposed, the money would
be paid and there would be an end Of this un-
fortunate controversy. r5-8... ..a 49,
ment INTO he bill al he moment Of It's passage
providing that the money should not be paid until the French
Government had received satisfactory explanations Of The
Presidents message of the Cd December 1884 and what is
still more extraordinary the President of the Council Of Min
listers adopted this amendment and consented to it's ncoo
ration in the bill In regard supposed insult which had
been formally resented by the recall Of their Minister and the
offer of passports to they for the first tme pro-
which they had declared could Justly imputed to the
Government People United States are as OBJ
staces to the Of an act Of conceded usce to
houor of France required the ment Of the engagement
into whchhe king had unless Congress had adopted
the recommendations Of the Message They ascsrtaned
that Congress did adopt them, and yet that lment is
refused unless they first obtain from the President expana-
tons themselves personal and
The conception that my intention to or Insult
France unounded as the attempt to cxor from the fears
vain and Ridiculous But the constitution of the u States
imposes the President the duty Of laying before Congress
the condition of the country in s foreign and domestic rea
TONS and ofecommendng such may, in his o.
pnion be required by its interests From the performance
of duty he be deferred by the fear OF woundng the
necessary speak andte American people are inca
pabe submitting to IN interference BY any government on
oarth however powerful with the e performance OF the
domestic duties which tho constitution has imposed their
public unctionaes The discussions which intervene be-
ourselves and any thing said in them public
only responsible to their own constituents and to each
other If In the of their consultations, facts
neonsy stated unjust made hcy require
other nducement them however informed of thor
than their love ofusco, and what due to their own
character but they submit be Intercepted
the subject matter Of right BY foreign power. Whom
discussions terminate in acts responsibility foreign
powers commences not as individuals but as uaton The
principle which calls In question the President the language
Of his mossge, would equally justify foreign power in de-
mandng explanation Of the language used in tho report Of
| committee, or by member in debate.
This is not the first time that the government
| Of Franco has taken exception to the messages
| of American presidents. President Washington,
and tho first president Adams, in the perform:
ance Of their duties to the American people, fell
under the aniinddversons OF the French drecto.
ry. The objection taken by tie ministry OF
Charles X. und removed by the explanations
made by our minister upon the spot. has already
been adverted to. When il was understood that
the ministry of the present King took exception
TO my message oflast year, putting a constrnc.
ton upon il which was disavowed on its face
our late minister at Paris, in nnswer TO the note
which irstannounced dissatisfaction with the
language used in the message. made commu-
nication to the French government under date
Of the goth Of Jan. 1885, calculated to remove
all Impressions which an unreasonable suscepti.
bility had created.
He repeated, and called the attention Of the
French government, to, the disavowal contained
in the message ITSELF g. any intention TO in.
timidate by menace-he truly declared that it
contained. and was intended TO contain, no
charge of i'll faith against tho king Of the
French, and properly distinguished between the
right to complaias in unexceptionnble terms. ct
the omission to8secnke an agreement. "nd an
accusation of bad ,58Iives in Withholding such
execution--and Demonstrated, that the necessary
use Of that right QUILT not 10 he considered as
an offensive imputatinn. Although this commu-
nication was made without Instructions, and
entirely on tho minister's own responsibility, yet
il was afterwards m de the act Of this govern
ment by my full appreciation. and that approba..
ton was officially made known. on the 25th OF
April, 1885, to the French government. It,
however, failed to have any elect. The law.
after this friendly explanation. passed with the
obnoxious amendment, supported by the klnga
ministers, and was finally approved by the king.
The people oil the United States are justly
attached 10 a Pacific system in their inter.
course with foreign nations. II is proper,
there fore, that they should know whether
their Government has adhered Ia il. In tile
present instance, il has been carried 10 The NJ,
most extent that was coiiaistent with becom
ing selt:respect. The note Of the 29th Of Jan
uary, TO which have before alluded was not
the only one which our Minister sioak upon
himself The responsibility Of presenting, on The
same subject and in the same spirit.
Finding that il was intended io make the
payment Of Just debt dependent on the per
iDrmance uf a condition which he knew could
never he complied with, he thought II duty
Ia make another attempt 10 convince meg
ernment Of France, that whist sell respect
and regard to the dignity of other nations
would always prevent us from using any Ian;
guase that ought To give offence, yet we could
never ADM, a right in any foreign govern
ment 10 ask explanations OF, or to interfere y
any manner, in the communications whicI
one branch Of our public councils made with
| another: that in the present case, no snci
language had been used, and that ttIi: had 10
red. beGre il was contemplated 10 make ihe
expIanat o condition: and that there might
be no nisa apprehension, he stated the terms
uaed IN that note, end he officially lnt,rmed
them thai il had been approved by the Presi-
dent and that, therefore, every explanation
which could be reasonably asked, or honors-
bly given, had been already. made--that the
contemplated measure bad been ana'c'psiedd
by n voluntary and friendly declaration, and
was therefore not only useless, bui might De
deemed offensive. and certainly wcnd not DC
complied with, il annexed % condition:
sssktR II