, 1842-12-24

and justice; and whereas, both His Ma
justly and the United States are DESTROYS
Of continuing their efforts to promote its
entire abolition, it its hereby agreed that
both the contracting parties shall use
their best endeavors to accomplish so
desirable. an object" In the enforce
ment of the laws and treaty stipulations
of Great Britain, a practice had threaten
ed to grow up on the part of its cruisers,
of subjecting to visitation ships sailing
under the American flag, which, while
it seriously involved our maritime rights
would subject TO yexation n branch of
our trade which was daily increasing,
and which required the fostering care of
the Government. And although Lord
Aberdeen, in his correspondence with
the American ENJOYS at London, ex-
pressly disclaimed all right of an Ameri-
can ship oil the high seas, even if found
with a cargo of slaves on board, and re-
stricted the British pretension to a mere
claim to visit and inquire, yet it could
not well be discerncd by the Elective of
the United States, how such visit and
inquiry could be made without detention
on the voyage, and consequent Interrupt
ton 10 the trade. 1t was regarded as
the right of search, presented only in
a new form, and expressed in different
words; and | therefore felt it to be my
duty distinctly TO declare, in my annual
message TO Congress, that no such con-
.%cession could be made, andihat the Unit
ed States had both the will and the a.
bility TO enforce their own laws, and TO
protect their flag from being used for
purposes wholly forbidden by those laws,
and obnoxious 10 the moral consure Of
the world.
Taking the message as his letter of in
structions, our then Minister TO Paris
felt himself required to assume the same
ground in Z remonstrance which he felt
it to be his duty 10 present to NJ. Guizot,
and through him 10 the King of the
French, against what has been called the
Quintuple treaty; and his conduct, in
this respect, met with the approval of
this Government. In close conformity
with these views, the eighth article of
the Treaty was framed, which provides
hat leach nation shall keep afloai in the
African seas a force not less than eighty
guns, TO act separately and apart, under
Instructions from THEN respective Gov
ernments, and for the enforcement Of
heir respective laws and obligations"
From this it will be seen, hat the ground
in the Message has been fully
maintained, at the same time that the
populations of the Treaty of Client are
o be carried out in good faith by the
wo countries. and that all p~retence is
.emoved for interference with our COM
nerce for any purpose whatever by a
Oreign Government. While, therefore,
he United States have been standing up
or the freedom ofthe seas, they have not
bought proper TO make that a pretext for
voiding a fulGlment oftheir Treaty slip
l%lations, or q ground for giving counte-
TO a trade ~reprobatcd BY u laws.
4 similar arrangement by The other great
overs, could not fail 10 sweep from the
cean the slave trade, without the inter- y,
ofany new principle into the ma
code. We may be permitted TO
ope, that the example thus set, will be I
flowed by some, of not all of them. {
We thereby also afford suitable protec- !
TO the fair trader in those seas, thus 1
%Ilflling at the same time the dictates of !
sound policy, and complying with the
of justice and humanity. c
ltwou!d haze furnished additional a
ause for cougratulation, il the rrea- c
could have embraced all subjects Z
l,cuIaled in future tolead to q mis- !
nd~erstanding between the two Gov
rnmentS. The territory of the U. o
tales, commonly called the Oregon h
'rritorv. lying on the Pacific ocean, C
+ the 42d degree of latitude, to Il Ii
Of which Great Britain lays al
aim, begins to attract the attention it
: our fellow citizens. and the tide OF
opulation which has reclaimed what in
aSso lately an unbroken wilderness. Y,
more contiguous regions, is prepar- It
-
Q to flow over those vast districts 10
hich stretch from the Rocky noun "
.ins to the Pacific ocean. In ad- n
,nce Of the requirement Of individu h;
rights to these lands. sound policy lie
that every effort should be m
sorted TO by the two Governments, 81
settle their respective claims. 1t
came manifest ut an early hour of w
late negotiations, that any at pc
mpt for the time being satisfactorily W
determine those rights, would lead er
Il protracted discussion, which lii
ight embrace in It's future other
ore pressing matters, and the Exc be
did moi regard it as proper to an
awe all the advantages of an homo Al
bic adjus 'ment Of other difficulties co
great magnitude and importance, ",
cause this, not SO Immediately ha
prSino- stood in the : nv. Alihouuh in