Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-03-07
Twemty-tg,Ird Comgresx---.sei. scss.
OJR RELATIONS NTH FRANCE
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, -- EfLrharu 81
~. u IcaVV % PIVsVIIt VII' IUIUWIIIS Us Ut
LieirS Of Tic .AinnIikn Of The (nlnlniiice

/ IOmmiipc on
reign Affairs OF the House of Representatives beg leave
to submit to the House, in the following manner their
views OF that part of the Presidents Message the be-
ginning OF the session. which relates 10 the failure of
France TO execute the Convention of the 4th of July
To-, ana OF the messages and documents, the
SUBJECT, which have been since referred to them.
Inc undersigned deeply impressed with the deli
cacy ana Importance OF the subject They regard il
one oil TIE most momcntous submitted TO the de-
clsion OF the House At early period the session
aPoposai was made, i'll Committee, that bill should he
reported anthorsing reprisals against France, in the
event That an appropriation should be made by the
French Chambers, this Winter, carry the treaty into
effect with reserved to the President arrest
e reprisals should he deem it cxpedicnt That propo
son was ncgativcd by large majority of the Commit
tee OF which majority the Undersigned Formed part
IL is unnecessary in this place, to state the consdcra-
uohs winch induced the undersigned oppose this
sure Ihey VIII only observe that. intelligence had
already been received that the meeting of the French
Chambers had been ordered month earlier than the NO
rod TO which 1T stood adjourned il peculiarly de-
srabe to the undersigned to forbear every measure
whch might throw obstacles in the way ofhe unpreju-
diced action of the Chambers For this reason also the
undersigned were OF opinion, ha sense of
the committee had been thus asccrtaned against autho
zng rprsals 1T was expcdcnt report u resolution to
that effect to the House setting forth in concatorv
MANNER the grounds of such resolution but maintain
ing aso IN the strongest TERMS the obligation Of the
~ In this however, they overrned by majority
that effect.
At subsequent period a motion was made in Com
mttee to reconsider the by which the resolution
authorizing reprisals had been rejected majority of
the Committee, and the undersigned among the num-
Der were opposed TO the rcconsde ration But we'd
motion to report resolution, in accordance with the
sense OF the Committee, that it inc xpedient to nu
thorize reprisas. again failed Believing that the maio
y OF the House would have sustained the majority of
the Committee in the opinion that was inexpcdient to
authorize reprlsals at this time, the regret
tha an opportunity had not been afforded the House at
an early stage of the session. of expressing that opinion
on report from the Committee; they conceive such
course taken IN connexIon with similar course pur
sued by the Senate unanimously, would have had sa
lutary effect abroad
But the undersigned disposed unnecessarily 70
/ nina
ierences of opinion great subject whose LEADING
nature must be felt and understood alike bv all On The
justice OF the American cause the matter in dsnutc
between France and the United States the UNDERSIGNED
are happy IN the becfha there is one opinion among
their elow-citizens If differences as to the propcI
measures to be pursued to obtain the Justice Which is
due alike to the citizens and the Government of the IT.
States 1T is TO be ascrbed the eyitable diversity of
Judgment on great and difficult questions 1t may with
truth be said perhaps for the first time the history of
great national disputes, that there is but opinion in
e United States as to the grounds of the controversy
between the two countries The undersigned ardentIy
hope that this suspicious unanmity as to the origin and
character of complaints against France will extend
also to the measures adopted for obtaining satisfaction
he controversy between the two countries is too ia
nlar IN ITS origin and history, require minute sur
vey few lending points may be briefly alluded to-
a long series ofoutTages and depredations on our ne
tial commerce was terminated by the Convention of
september, 1900 Nothing short of force of circum.
stances, deemed Imperative would induce The United
states to acqcsce IN the conditions of that convention
Unsatisfactory they the best portion of its st
P9iauons have never to the present time been fulfilled
me property, OF which restitution the payment of the
cqu'aen was stipulated by the 4 article of that tea
w mas never To this day, been restored paid for and
having been pretermited in the arrangements of the
Louisiana convention of 1S03 still included among
The claims against France But the great nort;on ~
the claims provided for by the convention of july
1851 had their origin in the spoliatons committed
on commerce, under what has commonlv hecn
called the continental system Of the late Emperor
OF France by way of enforcing that system certain
DEGREES were promulgated subjectng American vessels
10 capture and condemnation for wholly INSANE
TONED ny the law OF nations and as if sufficient injury
and Outrage were not inflicted by these DEGREES when
regularly applied according to the usual forms OF admi-
rally procedure great depredatons were committed on
American commerce. without the pretence of anv
warrant OF public law French squadrons were instruct
ed TO burn any American vessel they might encounter at
sea Vessels and cargoes seized under the Berlin and
Milan decrces conscatcd both before the xisence
of those DEGREES known and after they were repeal
ca ana vessels and cargocs, sequesered in the ports
Holland and Spain, sold without trial. and the pro-
ceeds deposited in the French Treasury.
The general prctence which these measures were
founded was as groundess and injurious the measures
themselves were illegal and violent was pretended
That France was authorized to resort them by the fail
e oil the united States to their neutral rights to
be respected by Great Britain This precnce was in d
rect and notorious contradiction OF the fact that the u
d'es were cxertlng themselves TO the utmost TO compel
Ureat britain to desst from her ggressiOns our com
Herce ana, from the first commencement of those ar
grcssions pursued of policy which evenfualIv
terminated IN the extreme of war. Had the
course OF the United States been clear and
uoh9be IN This respect it is unnecessary state hatt
would nave furnished justification the unprecedcn
ca acts oil violence committed by the Government of
France on the commerce of America. To pretend that
the vessels of neutral Power dcnationalized and
as such SUBJECT to capture by bellgerent because
they have been spoken boarded by another and on the
ground that the neutral has not sufficiently yindicnfcd
MS rights against that belligeren destitute of war
RANT IN The law of nations, it is of foundation in us
tee or common In fact the undersigned need
not characterize the policy of the French Emperor more
strongly than he did HIMSELF when he called il "a revival
OF the barbarity Of the dark ages"
10 these violent, injurious and offensive measures Of
the Imperial Government the United States opposed a
steady course OF eounIcractve but pacific measures
conPanled with the most rcmonsranccs and an
peas to the justice of France. These appeals werea
length by uc force Of events rendered oiicacious
prospect OF satisfaction held Not only were
the obnoxious DEGREES repealed and the illegal captures
suspended, but indemnity promised for the losses
winch had been sustained. Mr. Barlow was invited bv
the french Minister 10 repair TO the head quarters the
imperial army ia Russia, with view 10 the settlement
OF TIC points OF difference between the two countries
Ills death IN Poland and the subsequent
OF tue campaign prevented the pursuit of the negoa-
tiou.
1t was renewed under his successor Mr. Crawford 49,
lie Duke dc Nicenza directed by the Emperor 20
prepare report the subject Of The American claims
This report presented ~ the Emperor on the IIth of
January 1871. The principle assumed vas that no in
identification ought to be made for vessels seized under
the Berlin and Milan dccrces but that il was due for
vessels seized after the 10th Of November 1910 when
the DEGREES were revoked n favor of the Aincrcane-r
vessels which seized time when no notice had
been received of the decrees Tor vessels DESTROYED at
sea; and Tor those seized at St Scbastans These were
estimated TO amount to about thirteen millions of francs
viz:
Class he Gfst,...."....... 100000 francs
Glass the second ........... 100000
Glass the third,............ 22OOOOO
Class the fourth, ........... 7,OOOOOO
-, 12,7OoOOO francs