Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1843-03-18
TIE BRITISH TREATY.

On Monday, The 9th uli., the Speaker
laid before the House the following mes
sage from the President OF the Un,te,
States, III answer to resolution of thu
House, on the subject of the construction
of that portion of the treaty of Washing
ton which relates to the right Of uisitaioa:
WASHINGTON, February 81, 1913.
To the House Of Representatives.:
la compliance with the resolution of the
House "i Representatives. of the 22d in
slant, leque-t.ng me To communicate to the
House whatever correspondence or com.
munication may have been received from
The British Government respecting the
Presidents construction of The late British
treaty concluded at Washington as it con.
Germs an alleged right TO visit American
vessels" herewith transmit a report made
to me by the Secretary Of State.
l have also thought proper to communi.
cafe copies of Lord Aberdeen's letter OF
Tue 2Oth December, lS4l, 10 Mr.. Everett
Mr.. EverettS letter of the Odd December
IN reply thereto, and extracts from severa
letters OF MIR. Everett TO The Secretary OF
Stale.
cannot fo:ego The expression Of nv
regret at the apparent purport of IA part of
Lord Aberdecn's despatch to Mr. Fox. ]
had cherished The hope that all possibility
of misunderstanding as TO the true CON.
sructIon ut the Slh article of the treat,
lately concluded between Great Britain and
the united States, was precluded by the
pain ana weli-weghed language in which
II Is expressed. The desire Of both Gov.
einneuls Is to put an end as speedily as
possible 10 The slave trade, and that desire.
1 need scarcely add, is as strongly and as
sincerely ielt by the United States as il
can be by Great Britain. Yet i, must NOT
be forgotten that The trade. though now
universally reprubated, was. uD TO late
period, prosecuted by all who chose TO en-.
gage III 1t, aud there were unfortunately
very few Christian powers whose subjects
were not permitted and even ENCOURAGED
To snare IN the profits Of what was re-
garded as perfectly legitimate commerce
IL originated at a period long before the
United States had become indrpenden nj
ana Was carried on within onr borders in
opp"sliOn 10 the most earnest remnn.
stranGes ana expuslualiOns Of some of The
COLONIES IN which il was most a,iiveIy
prosecuted Those engaged IN il were "a,
ntAe liable 10 inquiry or lnlerr,rp.inn a.
others. lis character, thus fixed by cam.
mon conSenl and general practice, could
DC changed by the positive assent of each
anu e'e'y Nation, expressed either in the
io.m ut municipal law or conventional ar
rangement fne United States led the
WAY IN efforts 10 suppress il. They claimed
~ rlsht ~ diciaic 10 Others, but thew re-
SJl'eL, waiting for the Corporation of
other powers, 10 prohibit IL TO their own
cilzenS, and To VISIT It's perpetratIon by
mem win condign punishment | NAV
safely aihim that II never occurred 10 Tins
Government that any new maritime RICH,
accrued 10 II from The position II had thus
assumed IN regard Ia The slave trade. H.
oeto'e our laws for It's suppression, the fiag
1f every nation might traverse the ocean
inqueslIoned by our cruisers, this freedom.
Was mol, IN our opinion, in the least abridged
ny our municipal legislation.
Any other doctrine, il is plain, would
subject TO an arbitrary and ever varying
system OF maritime police, adopted at will,