Vermont telegraph. [volume] (Brandon [Vt.]) 1828-1843, 1836-01-28
From the New-York Times.
SPECIAL MESSAGE
FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES.
To the Senate and
HouSe of REPRESENTATIVES:

House Of Representatives:
GENTLEMEN In my Message at the open
ing of your session, informed you, that our
Charge d'AfIaires at Paris had been instruct
ed to ask for the final determination of the
French Government, in relation to the pay
ment of the naturalization, secured by the
treaty Of the 4th of July, 1881, and that when
advices on the result should be received, it
would be made the subject of special COM
munication.
In execution Of this design, now trans
nit to you the papers numbered from to
13, inclusive, containing, among other things,
the correspondence on this subject between
our Charge d'Affaires and the French Min
lister of Foreign Affairs, from which it will
be seen, that France requires, as condition
precedent to the execution Of treaty uncon-
ditionally ratified, and to the payment of
debt acknowledged by all the branches of
her Government to be due, that certain ex-
plantations shall be made, of which she die
tates the terms. These terms are such as
that Government has already been officially
informed cannot be complied with and, if
persisted in, they must be considered as de-
liberate refusal on the part Of France to fulfil
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. owe will pay the money" says he,
"when the Government of the United States
is ready, on its part, to declare to US, bv ad-
dressing its claim to us officially, in writing,
that it regrets the misunderstanding which
has arisen between the two countries; that
this misunderstanding is founded on mis-
take; that it never entered into its intention
to calm question the good faith of the French
Government, nor to take menacing atti-
tude towards France" and he adds, "if the
Government of the United States does not
give this assurance, we shall be obliged to
think that this misunderstanding is not the
result of an error" In the letter marked
No. 6, the French Minister also remarks,
that "the Government of the United States
knows, that upon itself depends hencefor-
ward the execution Of the treaty of July 4th,
1881"
Obliged by the precise language thus used
by the French Minister, to view 1t as per-
emptory refusal to execute the treaty, EXCEPT
on terms incompatible with the honor and
independence of the United States, and per
suaded, that on considering the correspon-
denee now submitted to YOU, YOU can regard
it in no other light, it becomes my duty to
call your attention to such measures as the
exigency of the case demands, If the claim
ofinterfering in the communications between
| the entbranches Of our government shall
be persisted in. This pretension is rendered
| the more unreasonable by the fact, that the
substance of the required explanation has
been repeatedly and voluntarily given before
! 1t was insisted on as condition-a condi-
ton the more humiliating, because it is de-
manded as the equivalent ofa pecuniary con-
sideration. Does France desire only a de-
claration that we had no intention to obtain
our rights by an address to her fears rather
than to her justice She has already had il
frankly and explicitly given by our Minister
accredited to her Government, his act rati6.
ed by me, and my confirmation of it officially
communicated by him, in his letter to the
French Minister of Foreign Affairs. of the
25th Of April, 1885. and repeated by nv pub
lished approval of that letter after the mas.
sage of the bill of indemnifcation. Doe
France want degrading, servile repetitior
of this act, in terms which she shall dictate
and which will involve an acknowledgment
Of her assumed right to interfere in our do
mestic concerns? She will never obtain it
The spirit of the American people. the die
nifty Of the Legislature, and the firm resoly,
Of their Executive Government, forbid it.
As the answer of the French Minister Z,
our Charge d'AfFaires at Paris, contains an
allusion to a letter addressed by him to IN,
representative of France at this place. II nov
becomes proper to lay before you the cores
pondence had between that flnctionarv an,
the Secretary Of State relative to that 1etter
and to accompany the same with sucb ornIa
nations as will enable you to understand tn,
course OF the executive in relation to II. Re
curing to the historical statement made a
! the commencement of your session, of thu