Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1843-03-04


tentions in this respec;, Lord Abe rjecn.
IN the despatch OF the ZUin December.
makes known 10 Mr. Eyerrtt the nature
IT the instructions given To- the British
cruisers These are such ds, if faith NJ
y observed. would enable the British
government 10 approximate the stand
ard Of fair indemnify. That Go,e
ment has, in several cases. fulfilled her
promises in this particu ar, by making
adequate reparation for damage done To-
our commerce.. IL seems obvious To re
mark, that n right which is only 10 be
exercised under such restrictions and
pre- autIons, aud risk, in casU otany as
signab damage, to le followed by the
consequences OF a trcspass, can scarce V
be considered any thing more than n
privilege asked for, and either conceded
or wiihhe on tho usual principles Of in
| tcrnatiURal comfy.
The principles tad down in Lori 40
or ieen's dispatches, and the assurances
Of indemnity therein held out although
the utmost reliance was placed on the
good faith Cf the British Government,
were not regarded by the executive as n
sufficient securit y against the abuses
which Lord Aberdeen admitted might a
rIse In even the most cautious aud mod
crate exercise of their new maritime DO
lice. Aud therefore, in my message at
the opening Of the last session, / set
forth the views entertained by the Tx !;
ecutlve on this subject and substantially
afl rmed both our inclination and ability
To enforce our own laws protect our flag
from abuse, and acquit ourselves OF ali
our duties and rbligations on the high
seas. In view OF these assertions the
treaty OF Washington was negoIia ed !;
and upon the consultation Of the British
| negoiIator as 10 the quantom OF forcs ne
] ceSsary TO be employed n order 10 at
tam these objects, the result To which
the most deliberate estimate led. was EN-
bodied in the eighth article Of the irea
ty.
Such wcr, my views AT that time Of
] negotiating that treaty, and such, in nv
opinion, is its plain and fair inierpreta-
uon. regarded The eighth article as
removing all possible pretext. on the
| ground Of mere necessity, to visit aud de
tain our ships upon the African coast, be
cause of any alleged abuse Of our flag
| by siave-traders OF other nation. We
had taken upon ourselves the burden
of preventing any such abuse, by stipu
latlng TO furaish an armed iorce-regar
dcd by both the high contracting parties
as sufficient to accomplish that obie
Denying, as we did and do, all color OF
right 10 exercise my such general pol
ice over the flags of in dependent na'Ions
we did not demand Of Great Britain any
! formal remuneration Of her pretension
| Still less had we the least idea Of yield
ing any thing ourselves IN that respect
! We chose 10 mike a practical settlement
of the question. This we owed TO W at
VIC had already done upon this subject
! The honor OF abe country called for il
The honor of is flag demaniel that il
should not DO used by others To cover an
ubiquitous IRA lie. This government,
am very sure, has both the inclination
and the ab, ity 10 DO this; aad, if need
be, It will not content itself with feet
Of eighty guns-but sooner than any for
cign government shall exercise the pro-
vince Of exeru'ing iis laws, and fulfilling
rs obligations, the highest OF which is
to project It's flag alike from abuse or
nsult-it would, doubt not, put in re-
QUESTION for that purpose, It's whole ma
val power. The purpose of This govern
ment is faithfully TO fulfil the treaty on
It's part; and it will not permit itself to
doubt that Great Britain WI comply
with it on hers. In this way peace will
be best preserved, and the most amicabIe
relations maintained between the two
countries. JOHN TYLER.
Washington. February 81, 1913.
|