, 1842-01-08

81 UPPER UROSVENOR ST. OCl. Il, 1891.
The Undersigned, Envov Extraordinary
and Minister Penipotentiary from the Uni
ted States Of America, has the honor to ac-
knowledge the receip: of the note which
Lord Aberdeen. Her Majesty's Principal
Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, did
him the honor TO address to him, under date
of the 18th instant. in answer to one from
the undersigned of the 10th of September.
relative TO the visitation and interruption
to which the vessels and of the
United States have been subjected by British
cruisers in the African seas, and which has
been made the subject of complaint to Her
Maiesty's Government; and. having consider
ed with the attention which their importance
merits the arguments presented by Lord
Aberdeen's note. the undersigned has now
the honor to submit to his Iordship's conside-
ration the observations which he feels him
sell called upon to make. Before proceed
ing TO do so, however. the undersigned will
take occasion to remark that he shares fully
in the opinion expressed by Lord Aberdeen
as to the Importance of avoiding, in the dis
cussion of grave questions Of a national
character, every thing calculated TO embar-
rass or throw difficulties in the way Of i'm
partial and dispassionate consideration
The undersigned, therefore, with great sin
cerity, assures Lord Aberdeen of the rcadi-
ness and zeal with which he is disposed to
conduct the negotiation between the two
countries on his part, 10 a manner the most
conciliatory and best calculated to preserve
peace; and that he should equally deplore
with Lord Aberdeen that any harshness or
~asperity of expression should be suffered to
mingle in the discussion Of 4 question in
volving national sensibility Of feeling, and
80 liable, as his lordship justly supposes. to
produce excitement and irritation. He begs
Lord Aberdeen, therefore, TO believe that it
is under the influence of such feelings, and
with the most perfect respect both for HIM
self and for her Majesty's Government, that
he now proceeds to reply to those parts
of his Iordship's note which he deems ii his
duty to notice.
To enable him to do this, it may be impor-
tant to ascertain what is the real question at
issue between the two governments, and the
precise nature Of the power asserted by her
Majesty's Government over the vessels and
of the United States. 1t may be
thus briefly stated:
The Government of Great Britain, with
that OF other nations, regarding the African
slave trade as a great evil, united in measures
of its abolition. For that purpose laws
were passed and treaties concluded, giving
to the vessels of each Of the contracting
parties the mutual right of search, under GER
tain limitations. Independent of these trea-
ties, and under the principles of public law,
this right of search could not be exercised.
The United States were invited to become
a party to these treaties; but, for reasons
which they deemed satisfactory, and grow
ing Out of the peculiar character of their in
stitutions and systems of government, they
declined doing so. They deemed it inexpe-
dient, under any modification or in any form,
to yield the right of having their vessels
searched or interfered with in time of peace,
upon the high seas. With the history of
the negotiations which took place on this
subject, between the two Governments,
Lord Aberdeen is doubtless informed. In
the mean time, some of the powers who
were parties to the treaties, and others who
'refused to become so, continued to prosecute
their slave traffic; and, to enable them 10 do
30 with more effect, they resorted to the
use Of the flags Of other nations, but more