The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1838-12-22

cover theh properly; and an informal agent was sent
out 10 Christcphe 10 demand repsrslon The EmPefo.
was an arislocrstcal Of and he answered tha'
some court of ours in the district OF one Of my iehes
behind me- had seized some property Of hs and that no
had taken American property only IN the way OF fe'sa
ton and when the United States should restore to INN
wha, these courts ia Maryland had taken away he would
restore our property Now, IL SO happened mat Inc
who had seized the property OF Chrstophe were
NOT the same whose property he had seized and cons-
Gated. These latter were innocent merchants who were
trading in the ports of his country, and whose ships he
seized in those ports. These claims have been out
standing for twenty years; and the claimants nave
good claim rs any that comes before this HOUSE
They have been petoning the Executive TO obtain the
restoration Of their property but IN vain And what Is
the resson! Chslophc dethIoned, and afterwards
believe committed suicide The Government be-
came Republic; and to that Republic we sent one or
more agents from the Government of the United S'ates
who renewed its claim the Government OF hayti as
the successor Of Chrisophe. And what has been .he
answer received can speak with certainty as 70 what
II has been; what il may DO now, know not ont
hope the House will allow an inquiry presume Is
continual claim. II is in the knowledge Of the Exc
cutive and can easily be obtained as the answer to
the INQUIRY proposed this morning by the gentleman
from Pennsylvania, (Mr, FaY) Some years since, an
informal agent sent 10 the President Of the new
Republic, President BOYER with the demand for indem-
nifty. He met at the threshold. and was asked for
his regular commission from the Government OF the
Uaaed States 70 the Government Of Hayti. He had
none to show; and why mott Because the United
States did not recognize the Government Of Hayti
that Of free and independent State At that time there
might be for refusal to do SO, because
the Fedch Government had pretensions to possession
Of the Island, and considered ts inhabitants as rebels
They, however, claimed to be soveregns; and it was
deemed that the recognition Of their Government could
not be made without mourning the danger OF quarrel
with France. But since them France herself has re-
cognsed her independence. So has Great Britain; and
among the States Of the civilized world we, believe,
stand alone in refusing TO do So The agent, when ne
presented the demand, told very politely. by an able
and learned Secretary of State that he could enter on
no discussion about any claims Of citizens Of the United
States until his Government recognized but with
the that, II that done all attention should
be given To our claims That the state Of things
years ago. Since, believe, the claim has been again
presented and have seen, from the papers, that some
has been sent there to perform the functions Of
consul How /. has been possible to appoint consul
to Government, and yetnot to acknowledge that Go
vernment, suppose the Executive tell il the House
will inquire But, so is person has been sent to
Hsyti consul thsughhe had letter to the
Hsytien Secretary OF State And have it stated
that, in the intercourse between him and that officer,
minated sort Of compromise, that il the Ame
rcan Secretary Of State would but give him letter to
the Haytien Secretary Of State, addressed him Off
cally under his title such, all attention should be
given 10 representations and claims and not only
avery hedvy imposed on articles
coming from the United States, should he removed
Here, them the direct and important interest Of the
commercisl community totally barred by your refusal
do what all the rest Of the world has done, aud which
you are bound TO do by the law of nations The exist
ence OF Government does depend on the color Of
the skin, but the fact that il is independent and
within the paio Of civilized nstions If it is, il has
right to demand recognition by all other Governments
That is all that Hayt asks. II you grant it, there is
every to believe that important commercial
intercourse will be established and that your claimants
will be UNIDENTIFIED without coming to this Government,
a.: i refused BY haytth They will have an unques'iona-
BILE right TO do.
Mr. Speaker, hope and trust the memorial will be
received This is not the only which contains this
request. am told there many such. There will
be more Of them before you | hope the House will put
an end to the everlasting agitation which gentlemen say
must arise on all questions Of this Sort BY the reeoeni
ton Of Hayt. Why should you refuse1 You cannot
pu. Hsy,i down. You cannot proven. her from being
an independent Republic. The consequence will be,
that you will stand in the community Of nations alone,
with sarly, suky refusal to acknowledge a Republic
as free and independent as yourselves. For what rea
son! Will the recognition do any harm1 Do you not
that in the other islands there is question i'm
porant-that Of universal emancpa,ion--and that is
proclaimed close at your doors Can you prevent that
There they are, with all their slaves emancipated In
three four years more, the Of things will
prevail throughout the whole Archipelago. Yes in
GLIDING the islands Of both Spain and France. All this
is at hand it is coming upon you lament it not.
As friend of mine once said, behind me, (Mr CAM.
BRELENe,) it will come. You might well hope to
stop the cataract Of Niagara; will be; and yop Will
be forced to recognise IL.
Here the CHAIR interPosed and intimated to Mr.. A.
that these remarks not in order, not pertaining to
the question before the House. w..
Mr.. ADAMS. was nqurng whether there were any
why you should not recognise the existence OF
. Ren I've ia frpp and indeDendent.
acknowledge her or not.
The CHAIR That subject is not now before the
House: the question the reception Of memorial
Mr.. ADAMS. | know that and think that, in ar
guag the question of reception am in order to show
that the thing prayed for in the petition is proper in It.
self and that therefore there tn refuse the
reception Of the petition account OF what prays Tor
l contend that the main for which any can
rightly object the reception OF petition Is the mpro
prlet- of granting the prayer it contains and the real
objection, in this case, is from the danger that may
ensue certain portion Of this country from recog
milton Of Hayten independence. Therefore, argued
10 show that the petition reasonable in its object
since that object involved the interest Of the whole
commercial community and that all the danger appre
hended by the gentleman from Virginia is idle These
were my reasons. / am not going TO enter into the
merits Of the subject trust the House will decide
that the memorial shall be received aud shall be
dered
And here will reply TO the remarks OF the honorable
chairman OF the Committee Foreign Affairs, Mr..
Howard) 1t is true he to the same conclusion,
but cannot concur in his reasons for It. He told the
gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Wise) that he need be
under no apprehenslons sending this memorial to that
committee fur it would remain buried among its files,
and never be heard Of again. Now, hope it will be
referred to that committee and that they will recon-
mend that prayer be granted Is important TO the
interests of the country When it is received do not
know bat should indeed prefer that it be referred to
selec, committee and to the Committee on Foreign
Affairs because the chairman has said that now, on
former OCCASIONS it will never be looked into hope,
If il goes there that it will be considered and here
challenge the honorable chairman to make report
against the petition call on him to give reasons why