Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1847-09-04

Even il the truce had been proposed with every
iormality, there would be little justice in charging
the French Government with acting dishonorable
or disingenuous part, since Congress had fully au7
thorzed this course of proceeding. In October
1880, Congress instructed Mr.. Adams, the Ameri-
can Commissioner at that time in Europe for treat
ing of peace
'sThat il truce be proposed for so long period or for
an indefinite PERIOD requiring long notice previous
renewal Of hosies evnce that il is the part of
Great Britain, virtual REIMBURSEMENT Of the object of the
and expeden only TO avoid the modification of an
express acknowledgment of the independence and sovereignty
of these United States the said Minister be liberty with
the Of ally accede thereo provided the
removal of the British land and naval ornaments from the
United States be condition of it"Secret Journal poL
page $780,
This language was held by Mr.. Adams, nearly in
the same words in his letters to Count de Yer
gennes. The terms here required, and others IA
vorable to the United States, were as strongly in
sisted on by the French as by the Americans in
all their suggestions Of truce.
What was the cause of the failure of this second
mediation 1t no other than the demand of
France that .dmerical independence should be Sc
cured By H. and that a Pienipotentiary from Con-
gress should be present at the negotiation, and act
of free nation. This demand was laid before the
mediatng Powers, and sent by them to England
The answer of the Court of London effectually
closed the door to all further overtures:
.The King Of Great Britain has constantly declared that
he admit, any form whatever the
terventon of any foreign Power between him and his rebel
subjects resolution founded what the King to his
dignity, the essential interests Of the people, and
the ncontestabe right of every sovereign determine his
convenience, whatever pertains exclusively his
jurisdiction.
In accordance with this principle, the King
to the admission persons whatever the Congress
the part of his rebel Subjects this admission being abso
luely incompatible with their quality subjects
Gin Short the King of Great Britain restraints the exercise
of the mediation Of the imperial Courts the peace between
the begerent Powers and does that it shall be
extended to particular peace with the revoed Americans"
This explicit declaration was sent by the media
tors to the French Court who, after remarkng that
I" the Court of London had taken from the King all
the means and every hope of peace, by the i'm
muable resolution to regard the Americans
subjects" said in reply:
In this othng the King believes that the conferences
proposed by the mediating Courts would this time be
without object and that the assembly of PIenpoentares
would be only vain show that would neither abridge
y Of their imperial Majesies The King considers his duty
observe that he has allies whom he is bound by nvoa
BILE engagements that he should beay them abandoning
the American cause and that be should abandon that
il he should consent to negotiate separate peace ndepen
IDENTIFY Of the United States"
From this time the mediation of the Imperial
Courts in reality ceased, although some feeble at
tempts were made by them TO revive ii on the basis
of armistice. But the capture of CORVALLIS
soon paved the way to reconciliation by the bel
ligerents themselves, without the intervention of
their friends.
These facts are enough to show that in the various
schemes for a negotiation during the war, there was
no shadow of wavering in the resolution of the
French Government to adhere strictly to the terms
of the alliance, and to establish in the 6rmest man.
ner and in lis broadcast extent the independence of
the United States. The voluminous correspen-
dence from which these extracts have been drawn,
nearly all of it confidential at the time, confirms in
every part the same result by an unbroken chain of
evidence.
Suspicious have been entertained of the sincerity
OF France in regard TO her conduct towards other
foreign Powers, respecting the interests of her al
lies. Ii has been said repeated and believed, that
she threw obstacles in the way of the recognition
of their independence by these Powers, especially
Spain, Russia, and Holland; and this from the sell
the Americans under her own control, and depriv-
ing other nations of the glory and benefits which
she expected from her agency in procuring their
emancipation. All such illusions are completely
dspeed by the whole tenor of this correspondence
There was not moment when she would not have
been pleased if every Power in Europe had ac-
knowledged the independence of her new allies, for
the plain reason that she would the more easily and
speedily have obtained the end for which she had
involved herself in a war. Be the reason what il
may, the fact is nevertheless certain that she exerted
her efforts for this object wherever there was the
least prospect Of success. What motives had other
nations for following her example The great
Powers could not do it without embroiling them
selves with England, and the small ones were not
in condition to hazard such an experiment, even
if they had possessed the inclination. The mari.
time Powers, annoyed by the aggressions OF. Eng
land on the ocean, and fatiered with the hope Of
participating in the emancipated commerce Of
America, might be tempted to hazard something in
the contest but not so the northern and central
Governments Of Europe, which were not affected
by these relations.
IL was source Of complaint at the time, which
history has not forgotten to repeat, that Spain did
not act more in accordance with France consider.
ing how intimately united were the two Courts BY
the family compact. The i'll success Of Mr.. jay,
in his endeavors TO negotiate with Spain, was as
cribpd In uraat least IN tho oiniator