New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-03-24
TIL r. TRIBUNE.
Ths gass Correspondence.

.gelliiusous ana interesting Correspondence
betsseen ts.,. LEWIS CAss, late O.. s. Minister at
:he eotr. Of he King Of France, and Hon. DAN
TEL WEssr4R, our Secretary of State, has recent
" been rublshed in answer to the call Of the Sem
ase Itis oil course on both sides very able and
pos,esses high degree of interesr, from the ma.
tional points discussed as well as from its person
al character and political bearings It's great
length Of ceurse precudes its appearance in our
columns; bat we will endeavor to present as care
full and thorough an abstract of it as possible, in
srder that our readers, may not be withouttsome
notion of its history and issue. 8
1. Previous to the conclusion by the governments
of Great Britain, France, Austria, Russia and
Prussia of treaty in which each Power made
stipulations to adopt certain prescribed measures
for the eftectsal suppression of the Slave Trade
on the coast Of Afrca--among which was the con-
cesson of the mutual right of visitation and search
Mr. CAss addressed TO NJ GU1zor, the F,ench
Minister of Foreign Affairs, under date of Feb 13,
1872 Protest against its ratification by the French
government, mainly upon the ground that it viola.
ted the rights of the United States, since the Brit
ish Government, in the Correspondence between
Lords PALMERsToN and AEERDEEN and Mr.. STE
vESsoN, had declared that in order to carry its pro-
. visions iuto effect, it would become necessary to
visit the vessels of The United States and that
this, which they claimed the right TO DO would be
done. Mr.. CAss assured the French Government
that this claim on the part of England would be
resisted by the United States by force of arms, if
necessary and if France took the same view Of
IL >, p ,Jo
sions to the exercise of the right, she would
be treated by the American Government in SINH:
lar manner. He therefore called upon the French
Government to examine closely her position in this
NATTER and the construction put upon the Treaty.
20 which she proposed to become party, by at
least enc of her associates. He cited passage
from the Presidents Message of Dec.7, 184l, in
support of the positions he had advanced. oAt the
same time he added that his communication
made solely upon his own responsibility the
absence Of instructions from his Government, and
that the whole responsibility of the measure was
his own.
IL Mr.. CAss encloses copy of this commu-
nication in q despatch to Mr.. WEBSTER dated Feb.
.ruary Is, 1912, and addresses him at some length
in vindicaton of the course he felt it his duty to
pursue The chief purpose of his letter is to- pro-
duce the impression that the Government OF Greal.
Britain has entered into the Quintuple Treaty
,chiefy for the purpose of claiming and exercising
the right of search on the high seas-coyeriRg her
designs under the cloak Of pretended zeal tor the
suppression of the slave trade and intending to
nterpolate into the code of maritime police BY the
moral force of the Quintuple Treaty stipulation
which i, was known the United States would never
admit. He speaks at length and with gerat
warmth of the vast power and still more boundless
ambition of England, aud sneers at her pretensions
of disinterestedness in desiring the suppression OF
The slave trade-sayiug that " one would think
there were objects of misery enough at home to
occupy the attention Of any English statesman,
without that excess of philanthropy which would
tilt spear at every nation and light up the names
of a general war in order to accomplish its own
charitable views in its own exclusive way, almost
at the end of the world.' He represents the
great inprobabty that France, after his commu'
nca,ion to M. GuIzur, will ratify the treaty, and
begs leave to "press upon Mr.. WEBSTER the ne
cessty of instant and extensive arrangements for
offensive and defensive war;" After apologlsins
for the warmth and earnesness with which ne has
expressed himself, and the apparent holiness OF
the course he has adopted, Mr.. CAss says nc IS
aware the IS. Government is at perfect liberty
either to avow or disayew his conduct.
III. The next letter in the order of time IS
brief reply from Mr.. WEBSTER to this communica-
ton from Cen CAss, under date OF April 3th
1912. 1t gave succint sketch OF the correspond
ence on the Right of Search that had taken place
with rhe British Government, with notice OF the
csusos which had interrupted it. and stated that
the appointment of Lord AsHBuRros as Minister
Pleppo,en,iary hsd for the then present suspended
MI association upon the subject. Up to that time
the U. S. Government rested upon the senl!ments
Of the Presidents Message, on which Gen. CAsS
had founded his action. Mr,WERsTER says that the
Uo;ted States reserve to themselves the unolrnh-
;shed riobt 70 receive or offer such stipuIauons on
The point as they may deem proper. The fresi-
dent. he says, regarded Gen CAss,s letter as IN
tended merely TO assure the French Government
TIM, tbe principles of the message would be ad-
herca 70. and warmly commended the m0tfreS
which animated him in presenting II. ne aoos
,hat,wha,eyer may be donein,hc matter the oai'ea
States will, in the absence of treaty stiPaa'ons'
maintain the fullest immunity Of merchant vessels
nm the sea, and if she shall deem it proper 10 enter
into any treaty slipuatons for the Suppression OF
the African slave trade they shall be strictly con-
fined to that single object and shall neither be en-
h,,rass;ng 10 innocent commerce nor unequal IN
,bo;. ,,roc,icsl eperalien. He concludes by de-