The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-11-14
THE BRITISH TREATY.

We had The satisfaction on Friday, OF pro-
mitigating officially the treaty between theUnited
States and Great Britain, as consummated by
the exchange of rallfcallons at London on the
18Th of October Although the treaty had pre-
viously found It's way 10 the press, and has thus
been the subject of discussion both in Europe and
America for months past, still, as every days
consideration Of il has served to show its inn
portance more and more clearly, there can be
no filter occasion than the present TO explain its
tenor and call attention TO its merits
The treaty has three objects, namely =
|. the settlement of boundaries between the
United States and the British possessions in
North America; 2. the suppression of the Afri-
slave trade ; aud 3. the reciprocal extra
dition Of criminals iugitives from justice.
In the articles from the Isl to the 7th inclusive
are defined the two great lines of disputed
boundary ; In the first place, that from the source
OF the Ste. Croix, in Maine, along the frontiers
of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New
York to the island Of st. Regis in the river ST.
Lawrence; and in The second place, from the
foot of the Neebsh Rapids through Lake Supe
rlor and the frontiers Of Michigan, Vision
san and Iowa TO the Rocky Mountains toge-
ther with various rights of navigation in the in
termediate waters, including the navigation Of
the ST. John, now just conceded to the United
States.
The 9Th and 9th articles relate to the African
slave trade and the 10th provides for the ex-
tradition of criminals.
On all these points we confidently predict that
the treaty will receive, as it deserves, hearty
favor from the people Of the United States.-
They will see how beneficial to the United
States the provisions in themselves are and
they will reflect that if instead of negotiation,
war had been the result of the controversy be-
tween US and England on these points, we have
obtained as much by peaceful means as we
could have reasonably expected to accomplish
by years Of hostility at the expense of millions
of money and thousands of lives, and injury in
calculabe TO the interests Of commerce and the
cause Of humanity and civilization. 1t is to be
remembered, also, that other and important in
cidenal questions have been adjusted by the
correspondence which accompanied and ended
In the negotiation of the treaty
In the letter Of Secretary Spencer to his
friends at Rochester credit is claimed for the
President and his Administration for The rea-
son that our Government has compelled
that Of Great Britain to desist from its preten-
sion 10 visit and detain American vessels for
suspicion OF being engaged in the African slave
trade. The Globe, commenting on this, as
sumes that MIR. Spencer spoke Of the right of
search as being abandoned by Great Britain,
which the Globe denies. In these comments,
the Globe, while it disputes the merits OF the
Administration in thi, respect, confound, Tin
adverenily. we presume,) two perfectly dis
tnct questions, the calculation OF which will
prove that Mr.. Spencer's views are perfectly
correct
The right Of search, called, as it is dis.
cussed in the books of international law, is a
oelhgerent right merely, as one growing out OF
state OF war. 1T is the right, exercised by a
beligerent, to visit neutral vessels to see if they
are engaged in trade conlraband of war by
treaty or The law of nations. Whether thi,
right shall hereafter be exercised by England
against us, in case we should occupy the posi-
ton OF neutral, she being at war and, if so
to what extent, AMI under what restrictions
are questions, which neither Mr.. Webster, in
the official correspondence, nor Mr.. Spencer, in
his letter, pretends to have been affected by
the negotiation, except in so far as this TO wit
that the visit of American vessels by England
in time of war, in search of contraband COED
Is not to be made pretext for impressng, O,
otherwise molesting persons sailing under the
flag Of the United States
But Lord Palmerston, actuated by the med
dlesome zeal OF abolitonsm, or perhaps by mo
tlves OF more mercenary nature, had underla
ken to interfere with the trade and the domes
tic institutions of all the world In this spirit
England has treated Portugal as inject State
She has forced upon most of the other nations
of Europe treaties allowing of mutual search OF
the high seas, for the lrpose of detecting sav,
traders, and having no relation to the old claim
OF the right Of search in time of war;
She has even gone far as to attemp
TO dictate to foreign ATOMS the regulation o
their own domestic affairs in the matter of slave
ry; though, if the ights of man be her ob
Ject, those other nations might we'll reply, de-
handing by what rule of the rights of man Grea
Britain governs Ireland, massacres the Chinese
invades Aiighanlstan, or holds, in forced sub
Jeciion, hundred and twenty million en-
shaved inhabitants of Hindostan, or ever
by what chapter, in the code of III,
natural rights Of man, it is that tn,
millions of Great Britain itself should sub
nit to be ruled by an hereditary prince ant
peers. And in this spirit 1t was that the Mel
bourne ministry carried through Parliament tn,
act of 1889, subjecling the vessels of the United
States and of all other powers TO the arbitrary