Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1836-01-26
THE SPECIAL MESSAGE.
70 the Senate and House Of Representatives.

To the Senate and House Of Representatives.
Gentlemen In my message at the opening
of your session. I informed you that our Charge
d AfIairs at Paris had been instructed to ask for
the final determination Of the French government,
in relation to The payment OF the indemnfcatlon
secured by the treaty of the 4th Of July 1881
and that when advces of the result should be re-
ceivej, it would be made the subject of special
Ia execution of this design now Transmit O
you the papers numbere from to ID inclusive,
containing among other things the correspondence
this subject between Charge dAfiairs, and
the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, from
which it will be seen that France requires as
condition precedent to the execution of treaty
Internationally ratified, and 10 the payment of a
debt acknowledged by all the branches of her
government to be due, that certain explanations
shall be made, of which she dictates the terms
These terms such as that Government has al
ready been officially informed cannot be complied
with and lf persisted in they must be considered
deliberate refusal on the part of France to
fu! engagements binding by the laws of nations,
and held sacred by the whole civilized world. The
nature of the act which France requires from this
Government is clearly set forth in the letter of
the French Minister marked No. 4. We will nav
the money. says he, when "the Government of
the United States is ready its part to declare
to us, by addressing its claim to us officially, in
writing. that il regrets the misunderstanding which
has arisen betu cen the two countries that this
misunderstanding is founded on a mistake that il
never entered into tsintention call in question the
good faith OF the French Government, nor to take
a menacing attitude towards France and he adds.
II the Government oil the United States do not give
this assurance, we shall be obliged TO think tina,
hic pn,c dos DIM, L
In the letter marked No. @, the French minister
also remarks that I" the Government Of the Unite ed
States knows that upon itself depends hencefor
ward the execution Of the Treaty of July A. 1881.
Obliged, by the precise la 1guagc thus used by
the French minister. to view il as a perem-
tory refusal to execute the Treary, except on
terms incompatible with the honor and indepeod
ence OF the United States, and persuaded that. on
considering the correspondence now submitted to
you, you can regard II in other light 1t becomes
my duty to call your attention to such measures
as the cXlgcncy of the demands if ;be claim of
interfering in the communications between the diff
ierent branches OF our government shall be persist
ed IN. This pretenson Is rendered the more nm.
reasonable by the fact that the substance of tie
required explanation has been repeatedly and vol
UNFAIRLY given before it was Insisted on az a condi
dI,ion-a condition the more humiliatinp because
II Is demanded as the equivalent ofa pecuniary con.
slderat'on Does France desire only declaration
that we had no intention to obtain our rights nv nm
address TO her fears rather than TO her Justice :,
She has already had it, frankly End explicitly civ
en by our Minister accredited to her Govetntneu,
his act ratified by me, and my Confirmation of n
officially communicated by him, in hs letter 10 the
French minister Of Foreign affairs of the 25th of
APf'i. i'oo' and repeated by my published appro-
val of that letter after the passage Of Tho Nh 81
determination. Does France want degrading
serylle repetition Of this at in terms which she
shan dictate and which will involve an ackpoyl.
eedgmen' OF her assumed rights 10 interfere in our
domestic 90 councils She Will never obtain it,
ne sp't'' o. inc American people. the dignity Of
me Legislature, and the firm resolve of the Exc.
cutise Government, forbid it.
As The answer Of the French minister to our
Charge c'Ataires at Paris contains an allusion to
letter addressed BY Lim to the representative Of
france At this place it now becomes proper 10 law