The Arkansas advocate., 1836-01-08
francs, besides large custom house

The subject had already been an affair of twenty years uninterrupted negotiation, except for short time, when France overwhelmed by the m- 1 tary power of united Europe. During this period winie other nations were extortlng from her pay ment of their claims at the point of the bayonet the United States inernled their demand for jus tice out of respect to the oppressed condition of gallant people, to whom they felt under obligations for fraterna assistance in their own days of suffer- ing and of peril. The bad effects of these pro- tracted and unavailing discussions, as well upon our relations with France, as upon our national character, were obvious; and the line of duty was to my mind equally so This was, either to insist upon the adjustment of our claims, within req. sonable period, or to abandon them altogether. l could not doubt that, by this course, the interest and honor of both countries would be best consulled Instructions therefore given in this spirit, to l the Minister who was sent out moro 10 de- mand reparaton. Upon the meeting of Congress- 1 Tn December, 1S29 l felt 1t my duty to speak of these claims, and the delays of France in terms calculated to cali tine serious attention oi both coun 1 tries to the subject. The then French ministry took exception to the message, on the ground of l its containing menace under which it was not agreeable to the French government to neqo- 1 tiate. The American Minister, of his own accord refuted the construction which was attempted 10 i be put upon the message, and at the same time called 10 the recollection of the French ministry 1 that the Presidents message was a communica-
 
 l to the Congress of the United States, in which 1t was enjolned upon him. by the constitution, to lay before that body information of the state ofthe Union 1 comprehending its foreign as well as it's domestic relations and that if, in the discharge of this duty, he felt It incumbent upon inn to summon inc atieI- l ton ot Congress in due time to what might be the possible consequences of existing difficulties with any foreign government he mi ght fairly be supposed to dc so under sense of what due from him i'll frank communication with another branch of his own government and not from any intention of l holding menace over foreign power. The views taken by him received my appreciation, the French government was satisfied, and the negotiation was continued. It terminated in the treaty of July 4, 1851, recognizing the justice of claims i'll part, and promising payment to the amount of twenty five millions of francs, in six annual instalments.
 1 The notifications of this treaty were exchanged at Washington, on the 2d of February, lS32, and iii five days thereafter 1t was lad before Congress, who immediately passed the acts necessary, on our part to secure to France the commercial advan. tages conceded to her in the compact The treaty had previously been soemnly ratified by the King of the French, in terms which are certainly not mere matters of form, and of which the translation 1 Is as follows:
 We, approving the above convention, in all and each of the dispositions which are contained in 1t do declare, by ourselves. we'll as by ourhers and successors, that 1t IS accepted, approved rat fled, and confirmed; and by these presents, signed I.by our hand, we do accept, approve, ratify, and 1 confirm 1t; promising, on the faith and word of a King, 10 observe 1t, and to 1t to be observed inviolaby, without ever contravenng 1t, or suffer- ing 1t to be eontravened, directly indirectly, for any cause, or under any pretence whatsoever"
 l Official information of the exchange of ratifica- tions in the United States reached Paris whilst the l Chambers were in session. The extrf ordinary, and to us injurious, delays of the French Govern ment in their action upon the subject of its fulfil l lnf hay her atafnr tad fr l and have disposition to enlarge upon them here. 1t IS sufficient to observe that the then pending session allowed to expire, without even an effort to obtain the necessary apprepra- tions-that the two succeeding ones also suf- tered to pass away without any thing like serious attempt to obtain decision upon the subject and that 1t was not until the fourth session-almos three years after the conclusion of the treaty, and more than two years after the exchange of rat
 catons-that the bill for the execution of the treaty l was pressed to vote, and rejected. In the mean time, the Government of the United States, having full confidence that treaty entered into and lea:.;!y ratified by Frerleil King, would be cuted in good faith, and not doubting that provision would be made for the payment of the first install ment which was to become due on the second day of February, 1883, negotiated draft for the amount through the Bank of the United States. When this draft was presented by the holder, with 1 the credentials required by the treaty to authorse him to receive the money, the Goverement of France allowed 1t to be protested h addition to the injury in the on-payment of the money by France, conlormably to her engagement, the United States were exposed to 8 heavy claim on the part of the Bank, under pretence of damages, in sats- faction of which that institution seized upon, and still retaIns, an equal amount of the public moneys I Congress was in session when the decision of the Chambers reached Washington: and an immediate communication of this apparently final decision o France not to fulfil the stipulations of the treaty was the course naturally to be expected from the | President. The deep tone of dissatisfaction which pervaded the public mind, and the correspondent excitement produced in Congress by only gene ral knowledge ot the result, rendered it more than probable that resort to immediate measures of re- dress would be the consequence of calling the at tenton of that body to the subject Sincerely desi- rous of preserving the pacific relations which had SC leag existed between the ssHe countries was anxious to avoid this if could be satisfied that by doing so neither the interests the hon. ! or of my country would be compromised. With out the fullest assurances upon that point, could not hope to acquit myseifof the responsibility to Do incurred in suffering Congress to adjourn without i laying the subject before them. Those received by me were believed to be of that character.
 That the feelings produced in the United States by the of the rejection of the appropriation, would be such as have described them to have been, was toreseen by the French Government, and prompt measures were taken by it 10 prevent the consequences. The King, in person, express i ed through Minister at Paris his profound regret at the decision of the Chambers, and pro- 1 missed to send forthwith, national ship, with de- 1 spatches to his Minister here, authorizing him to l give such assurances would satisfy the Goverrl- ment and people of the United States that the trea- 1 ty would yet be faithfully executed by France. The national ship arrived and the Minister receiv-