Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1843-12-21
United States, made in 1900, the second

artscle ran thus -
"The Ministers Plenipotentiary Of the
two parties, not being able To agree al
present, respecting the treaty Of ALI
ance of the 9th Of February, 1913 f;
the treaty OF amiiy and commerce Of the
sumo date, and the contention of the l4th
OF November, 1888 nor upon the indem-
mites mutually due aud claimed the par.
ties will negotiate further on these subjects
at a conrenient lime and until they may
have agreed upon these points, the said
treaties and convention shall have no
operation and the relations of the two
countries shall be regulated as follows" F"
The Senate Of the United States, To
whom the treaty was, of course, submit
ted by the President, struck out this ar
iicle and upon its being again laid be-
fore the Government OF France, Bona
parte, then FRS, Consul, ratified it, with
the following proviso "That by this
rrirencbment (oi the second article, the
two states renounce the respective pre-
tensions which are the object of the said
article"
Suppose that this article had not been
stricken out by The Senate, what would
have been the consequence 1t must
have been that when, nj u later day, Mr..
Rives undertook to negotiate for an in
demnity Tor the subsequent spoliatioDs al
France upon our commerce, this article,
in ~hirh the parties stipulated to 'Dego-
tiate farther" upon our claims, together
with other matters, would have first ar
rested his attention and all the eniangled
controversies, arising from the complaints
Of F'ance that we had not fulfilled our
hav' been Immediately revived and
Mr.. Rivrs must have demanded sum
sufficient 10 have covered our claims, as
we'll as those Of more recent occurrence.
From these difficulties he was freed by
The mutual remuneration above described
lie would indeed have had TO conduct n
complicated negotiation. For many
years, the English had retained posses
sion Of the French West India Islands,
which we had solemnlv guaranteed to
France. Our responsibility was appa-
rent, If the guaranty had been continued !;
but, az We have said, all these inlrlcacies
were removed from the case by the ex-
ting uishmcnt of the guaranty. Mr.
Rlves obtained satisfaction, therefore,
for another class Of sufferers, closing the
door upon us.
We appeal to yon, fellow citizens, il
our case is not hard one. Those who
had claims upon France-except our
selves Denmark, Belgium Spain, Ma
pies, Mexico and the South American
Governments, have all been provided for.
Our government, with praise orIhy zeal ,
availed itself of tile return of a general
peace, to hing 10 reckoning all other
nations who had injured our people 4, aud
pursued, with iDdIscriminate Justice, the
powerful and the weak, until ample re-
paraiiOn was made for the outraged rights
Of the American people. We alone, as
If we were no part Of the American lami-
ly, are oulca-ts from its protection. or
the wisdom of the Senate in striking oui
the second article of the treaty, we do
not complain. In common with you all, {,
we have parakeD of the benefits of free
ing the country from those eaily obi ga
upon our Government during the second
presidential term Of Washington, and the
entire term Of the elder Adams. Nor do
we complain ofthe contraction Of the OBJ
legations themselves.
He must be a hardy man who at this
day questions the political sagacity of
Frank lin nor are any Of US able, proba-
bly,, TO appreciate the value Of the aid
which the treaty of alliance with France
brought to our ancestors in their revolu-
tionary contest. But the alliance was
between a nation in its infancy struggling
for existence, and an old, powerful and
rich nation the first unable to execute
its part Of the contract until future day
and the last in condition To send forth
fleets and armies for instant service =
and we do complain tifat when the young
nation reached The years and strength of
manhood, II purchased an exemption from
the obligations which then became heavy,
by devoiing our property exclusively toI
that purpose. Many Of US have become
poor, while the nation has become strong
and rich /; aud all iha, we ask is, that
small portion of that wealth should be ap-
propriated to compensate US for that prop
eriy which has been applied to the bene-
fit of all. Let IT not be said that these
claims are worthless
We cannot, in this address, which we
intend to make as brief as possible, enter
fully upon the proof bearing upon this
point but we stand upon the recorded
opinion of that enlightened statesman,
James Madison, who, in letter to Mr..
Pinckney, dated February 6, 1904, says,
"the claims from which France was re-
leased Oere admitted by France" We
have before us the official documents
which substantiate this assertion. But
these details are better fitted for exami-
nation IN an open debate in Congress, ifI
we can he fortunate enough to reach this
desideratum, than for this address.
Let US pass on TO the second interro-
gaiorv. allow has il come about that
you are no longer under those oneraus
obligations to France, which were con
iracted during our revolution, and un-
limited az to duration 2"
Have you ever reflected upon the sit
uation in which you were placed by the
treaty of alliance olI77Q and iha euhse |