The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-08-22

exhausted the resources of negotiation 10 obtain rel
dress for its injured citizens; and not without very
material success In the first place, it treated with
the French government, (BoDaparte being FRS
Consul not on the basis Of war, which actually
existed but on the basis Of existing peace; and by
that means saved all the captures and depredations
from the year 1913, for settlement and Teparation
by chasing them with the unlawful acts in time OF
peace TO be atoned for instead of the lawful opera
tons Of war, which left no claim for reparation be-
hind. In the next place, In saving from cOndemna-
ZION all the American ships then under capture and
nncondemned; in the third place, in providing for
the payment Of French debts TO the citizens OF the
United States and lastly, above all, IN procuring
cessation of the seizure and condemnation of our
vessels and IN giving security 10 our commerce Tor
the future. The value Of these stpulations for the
release Of uncondemned vessels, and for debts, was
Afterwards computed al twenty millions Of francs,
(about three and three-quarler millions Of dollars }
and that sum was actually paid 10 the claimants
der the Louisiana treaty, out Of the sum of eighty
millions Of francs stipulated for the purchase OF
that colony. Thus in addition TO all the expenses
incurred In military and naval preparations for the
protection OF these claims, sum Of near four mil
lions Of dollars was actually gained for them by
negotiation, and all seizures and COMBINATIONS
stopped And this was The actual close of the
whole business for further stipulation in the sec
ond article Of the same convention, STIMULATING 10
| negotiate further, at a convenient time upon the
IDENTITIES due, claimed and in the mean time that
the said treaties Of It's should have no operation
and the commerce ofthe two countries should be
resumed: this stipulation for future negotiation at
a convenient time, and in the time To consider
The three old treaties as dead and commerce TO begin
again on the most friendly footing | say this slpu-
aion, and contemporary history, as we'll as the his
tory OF the negotiation itself, and the vague and in
definite terms OF the promise to treat further,
nothing out the diplomatic mode Of dropping fOrev-
er the whole Of the reserved Items Aud this sense
Of the clause, apparent IN it's face-so obvious ia
the tenor Of the negOtlatlOns-was Immediately Bf-
ter, and in the very fact of the ratification OF the
conyentlon-made defnitlye and absolute by the
two governments. The American Senate refused
to advise the ratification Of this second article and
struck it from the treaty. The FIRST consul agreed to
this expunglng Of that article, upon condition that
all the pretensions founded upon the -four RESERVED
items should be reciprocalIY renounced by the two
nations. The American Senate agreed to this con-
dIuOn; and thus the article took, openly and ex-
pressly, in the ratification the character which il
obviously possessed in the treaty us first agreed up
on. Remuneration of all claims on either side, and
future trade and friendship the footing Of the
most favored nation, the design Of the article
as drawn, and its declaration as ratified. This con-
yenuon was negotiated under the presidency of
Mr.. John Adams: the ratfcatons were concluded
under that of Mr. Jefferson; that the two adj
mInistratons were OF accord in the termination Of
'hbSo WIN the french re-
public.
Thus the society-the communicative whole
body Of the citizens of the United Stntes-had ac-
quilted themselves ofal their obligations and duties
towards the members of their body who had been
injured by French depredatons upon their COM
merce. They had done everything which the prin-
ciples Of the social compact required They had
pursued their claims to the extremity Of actual hos
ullties, and at cost ten twenty times the
amount now demanded. Failing to obtain redress
by force, they tried negotiation again-saved near
four millions of dollars to the claimants for past
losses, stopped the COMBINATIONS which were 60
ing on, and secured them against future loss The
convention of 1900 put end to the seizure of
ships under the DEGREES of the French revolution
ary governments, and again gave security to our
commerce from that country This a great
object gained to the commercial community and one
Of the chief ends Of the social compact To protect
members from injury, is the first duty of the
cety: to redress their wrongs avenge Them is the
second duty: to obtain security for the future, the
third duty. In each of these forms did the society,
Of which fathers were the founders acqult
themselves of their obligations to the members oftbe
community injured in the time Of Washington and
Adams-injured by foreign power fifty years agos
They did an immensely for their protection and
dress. They went the length Of actual hostilities:
Nothing remained when the treaty of 1900
signed, but to renounce the claims-to renounce all
subjects of difference with France--or go TO
could have made him pay these claims by going to
war with him Was it wiser to rub out and begin
again-take near four millions, which got, and
recommence trade in safety and security--or go on
with our war preparations of fleets and armies,
loans and taxes, and take the chance of vanquishng
Bonaparte, and compelling him to pay five millions
more? These were questions for the community of
that day to decide, and decide them they did The
administrators of the government decided they had
done enough-that they would do no more-that
they would accept the (near) four millions obtained,
with the cessation Of further seizures and condem-
nations, and the recommenccment Of trade and in
tercourse on a safe and friendly footing. This was
the decision of the administration of Mr.. Adams
His decision was, that the community had done
enough-had done and suffered enough. And
what was the decision of the community itself? For
under such tasks and burdens as had been put upon
them account Of these claimants, it was natural
that they should think little on the matter, and
come to some conclusion the subject. In fact,
they did think! and it is matter of fact that they did
come to a conclusion! And it their opinion that
their administrators had done too much-had taxed,
and burdened, and wrought the community too
much--and that they would stand it no longer And
accordingly they overturned the Adams adminisra-
ton-dsbanded his army--dsmanted his navy
abolished his taxes-dspersed his tax-gatherers; in a
word, they nndd all his acts, except the debt he had
created. That stood! and posterity had to pay it
the same posterity that is now called upon to pay
again the claims for the protection Of which it
granted.
This was the decision of the community, as also
Of their administrators, at the time these events took
place; and, right wrong their decision stands. 1t
is not for remote generations, half century after
wards, ignorant Of the facts, to reverse their decis
ion. Right wrong, it stands: but it was right
Mr.. Adamss administration right in saying
they had done enough; for they had exhausted
the remedies of the social compact, and had done
great deal, though not everything, for the safety
and indemnity of their citizens. BY the ships of
war built, and the conveys afforded many vessels
were saved from capture: by the terms of the treaty.
near four millions Of lndemnities secured: by
the warke attitude which we assumed, it was
seen that declared war would be the consequence
Of further injuries: by the conclusion Of the treaty.
the depredatlons ceased, and commerce became
free and regular These we're the actual advon-
taees gained by the claimants from being members
of the society-advantages which no one could
have gained for himself In a state Of nature--and
therefore, he is bound to take them on the terms
on which society grants them. If not, and the
community is bound at all events, and after all ex-
erons, to pay the damage ITSELF certainly il would
! be better to pay beforehand--to pay the money