Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1836-01-28
To the Senate and House
Of Representatives.:

GErTLEMEH !: 10 my message at the o
pening OF your session, ! informed you
that our Charge de Ailaires at Paris had
been instructed TO ask for the final deter
mination Of the Ffencb Government, in
relation 10 the payment Of the lndemniii
cation secured by the treaty Of The 4,il Of
july. 1881. ana that, when advices Of the
result should be received, il would be the
subject of a special communication,
In execution Of this design, no~ trans
nit TO yon the papers numbered from one
to 10, inclusive, containing, among other
! things, The correspondence on this subject
| between our Charge, de Affaires aud the
| French Minister OF Foreign Affairs, from
| which il will be seen that France requires
AS a condition precedent 10 The execution
of a treaty Internationally ratified, aud 10
The payment OF a debt acknowledged ty
All die branches OF her Government 10 be
| due, that certain explanations shall be
made. of which she dictates the terms
! These terms are such as that Government
has already been officially informed can
not be complied with ; and, If persisted in
they must DC considered as a deliberate
refusal on the part Of France TO fulfil en-
eagements binding by HE 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 fuith in the letter OF the French
Munster, marked No. a, We viii pay
the money, says he, when '.ihe Gouern
mens ofthe United States is ready on us
mart 10 declare 10 us, by addressing lis claim
10 MS officially in icriting, thai areg,ets The
misunderstanding Which has arisen teftreen
the f,co countries ; that this misunderstood
! itig is founded on q mistake ; that IL ncrer
entered into lis intention 10 call in question
the good faith of The French Gocernmsnt,
nor 10 take a mcnaeiag attitude foaoards
Eyance - and he adds, ~ tie Gopera
ment Of The United States does mol gtce tbs
assurance, zoe shalt be obliged 10 thbik thai
This Misunderstanding Is not the result q
an error"
In the letter marked No @. the French
Minister also remarks that 1.-THE Gopers
meni Of The United States hnosos hat upon
Itself depends hencetorac0d The sreeuiioa ef
The Treaty Of July A. 1881"
Obliged, by the precise language thus
used by the French Minister, TO view II as
a p%reremptory refusal to execute The Urea
ty, except on terms Incompatible WIN the
honor and Independence Of the United
States, aud persuaded that, On consider
ing the correspondence now submitted 10
you, YOU can regard it in no other light,
il becomes my duty 10 call your attention
10 such measures as the ~exigency of the
case demands, If the claim Of interfering
il the communications between the differ
ent branches Of our Government shall be
persisted in. This pretension IS rendered
The more unreasonable by the fact thai
The substance Of the required explanation
has been repeatedly and voluntarily gwen
before il was insisted on as a condition
condition the more Illuminating because J
is demanded as the equivalent OF a pecu
eiary consideration. Does France desire
only a declaration that we had no in'en
ton 10 obtain our rights by an address e
her fears rather than to her justice? OH
has already had it, frankly and explicit,
given by our Minister accredited to he
Government. his act ratified by me, an.
nv confirmation Of it officially communi
Gated by him, in his letter to the Frencl
Minister Of Foreign Affairs Of the gath 9
| April, 1885, and repeated by my publish
ed approval ofihai letter after the passsg
f OF the bill Of indemnifcation. Does Franc