Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1850-04-19
From the Baltimore Sun.

i s /
MEssRss EDIToRs Your Washington correspon-
dent X y has made just remarks IN his letter.
of the 10th inst, on the Frefeh Spoliation Claims
There not Wanting some Of our citizens both in
and out of Congress- who deny the justice of these
claims Will you allow me to Law before otlr nu5
merous readers condensed view of the facts of the
case. They may be summed up thus.:-In ITS a
treaty was made between the United States and
France, called the Treaty Of Alliance BY this
treaty France guaranteed the sovereignty and indie
pendence OF the United States This stipulation was
fulfilled to the letter In consideration of this the
United States GUARANTEED to France the continuance
of her. West India possessions forever. After the
War OF our independence was ended, hostiEties be-
tween England and France continued: the French
revolution had taken place, and France commenced
war on the commerce of England, by attacking all
neutfals who traded with her enemy Among the
sufferers were many American merchants. This led
to negotiation the United States claiming indemni-
ty for the spoliations her commerce. and France
claiming indemnity for her West India Islands,
which England had taken. 1t was finally agreed
Sept 3d. 1800) that France should be released from
the claims of merchants for illegal captures In
consideration of her releasing the United States from
all claim OF the capture of her West India Islands
The case therefore amounted to this The United
States owed France large of money, and
France also owed the citizens of the United States
large sum. By the treaty the account was squared
between the the United States of course
assuming the debt due to our citizens from France
| Thus was private property taken to pay public
debt contrary to the constitution of the United
States Art VI, amendments) Thus, the mer-
chants whose claims France were taken by the
United States by treaty for public use, have just
claim on the U. S. France claimed that the U. S.
owed her 5000 O0O 600, the value of her West India
possessions lost to them BECAUSE the United States did
not perform the guaranty in the treaty Of l778 Gen
Washington proposed to give to France $500, 600
year, in lieu of this guaranty. during the then
pending between France and England. This offer
France refused. This shows the value of the debt
due by the United States to Franco debt which
was paid by the private property of our citizens
If any wishes to see all the facts we'll the
law on this subject, would refer them to the unan
swerable report of Mr.. Livingston to which your
correspondent aludes. If the question between the
claimants and the United States was one between two
individuals jury would settle in favor of the former
in hour Indeed the neglect of the United States
to pay these claims for the last forty years. is a
shameful denial of common justice. 1t is hoped,
however, that justice will yet, at least in part be
done. | say in part, for the amount proposed to be
appropriated will not pay more than fifty cents in the
dollar of the amount actually due.
THE FATHER OF WATERs-The following from
the New Orleans Bulletin, mentions some singular
phenomena connected with the food in the Misss-
sippi this year:
| We learn that the river above the Bonnet Carrie
Crevasse, is eight inches higher than the highest
flood of last year, whilst opposite the city it has new
er reached within eighteen or twenty inches, the
same height This of is owing to the great
body of water which is passing on by the above Gre
vase. The water of Lake Pontchartrain, into which
this flows has risen very much by this ad
ditional supply, and is also completely fresh, being
composed exclusively of Mississppi water The cur
rent, understand, sets out very strongly through
the Rgoets and has freshened the water of the Gulf
out far Pass Christian to such degree, that it
is killing the oysters The channel which the water
has worn from the River to the Lake will probably
hereafter form permanent outlet or bayou and the
river has thus done what it proposed should be
accomplished by artificial means, of the modes
for protecting the city from future overfows.