Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-07-05
THE TREATY OF WASHING


ber Of the want Of energy the part Of other Go
vernnents in their efforts to suppress the slave trade,
marks:
. With the United STATES the case is wholly diff
ferent. They refused to accept the mutual right
Of search, but their Government has co-operated
with sincerity, and their navy with activity and
: success, in the suppression of the slave trade.
When Lord PALmERsToN sneers at the Treaty Of
Washington, which his Encouragement OF the
boundary negotiations did not allow him TO con-
clude, is he aware that the American squadron IS
by far the most servceable auxiliary we have ever
had on the coast Of Africa? and that more has
been done to establish good understanding with
our own officers, and to promote their common
object by the American sloops, than by all the
righIoi-search warrants issued by the French
navy 7"
This paragraph reminds us of few observations
on the subject of " the Treaty of Washington" to
which it alludes, which we have for some time past
intended to take occasion to place before readers
When the Treaty Of Washington was concluded,
objections raised in quarters to that arti
Gle by which the Governments of the United States
and Great Britain stipulated to employ squadrons
on the coast of Africa in the repression Of the slave
trade, each party assuming the charge of executing
its own laws against the slave-trade Of preventing
the abuse and maintaining the honor Of its own flag,
and Of visiting its own merchantmen. The friends
of the Treaty in the United States contended that
this provision, being substitute for, was in fact the
exclusion Of, the claim of search previously assert
ed as against our vessels by Great Britain; while
the opponents Of the Treaty alleged that involved,
on our part, an abandonment Of the question as to
4, ~ ,f nd ia Eur-
land. What is now transporting in Europe affords
the most complete justification of the Treaty in this
respect, and is alike honorable to the diplomacy of
the American negotiator Of that Treaty, and to the
dignity and character of the United States.
For many years it had been the policy of Eng
land, by every means in her power, to obtain from
the other European Powers treaties, which, while
they stipulated on their face for reciprocal right
of search in repression of the saverade, yet gave
to England an exclusive right Of search in practice,
inasmuch as England alone, Of the European Pow
ers, had numerous military and commercial ma
rine on the coast of Africa. TO give 70 her the
complete and all but exclusive police Of ths ocean,
it only needed that she should bring the United
States within the same conditions which she had
extorted from the principal European States. She
endeavored to effect this by negotiation, but failed
for the United States retained salutary remem-
brance of the encroachnens on neutral rights and
the abuse of maritime powers which had signalized
the career of Great Britain for century past
and more especially during the war of the French
Revolution. Failing to effect this by negotiation,
she resorted to the dangerous experiment Of extend
inc her claim Of search to our ships by the simple
force Of an act of her Parliament Reluctance on
our part angry correspondence, disturbance OF good
feeling not of good understanding tween the two
countries-aIl this was the natural consequence OF
the assumption of Great Britain to exercise on our
merchant marine, by virtue OF an act OF Parliament
rights which she had sought but failed TO obtain by
treaty.
England, on the one hand, claimed of us the ex-
ecution Of engagements which we had entered
into at Client for the suppression Of the African
slave-trade. We, on the other hand, exclaimed
against her revival Of those professions of maritime
search which had even already involved us in war.
And the negotiation between Mr.. WEBSTER and
Lord AsHBURToN put end at once to these pre-
tensions Of England so far were concerned,
and restored the harmonious relations of the two
Governments on this point, while the same nego-
tiations fully redeemed the plighted faith of the Uni
ted States
But the effect of these negotiations abroad, II is
now apparent, has been not less important than at
home. Among the Powers whom Great Britain
had induced TO concede 70 her this right of search
was France, whose Minister'S in doing this, had not
reflected upon, perhaps had not fully understood,
the magnitude Of the concession they were making
to England. Public attention in France had already
been called to the subject by the conduct of Bri-
fish officers in regard to French as well as Ameri-
can vessels on the coast of Africa and the Treaty
Of Washington, while it opened the eyes of the
French Administration to the error il had connie
ted, gave an example Of success and point
fappM to the French Opposition.
There ensued such a decisive vote Of the French
Chambers, condemning the course Of the Admins
tration in this respect and more especially treaty
then recently concluded by Mr.. GurzoT, that the
latter constrained to retrace his steps, and seek
for modification Of the French treaties with Eng
land in regard to the save-trade. The progress of
this change of policy in France, and the influence
Of our treaty upon it, conspicuously apparent in
the mission Of the Duke DE BRocLrE to substitute
for the right Of search a common blockade against
the slave dealers on the coast of Africa, was not
less 80 in the debates in the French Chambers by
which II WAS ureceded