The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1851-01-30
SPEECH Of WILLIAM II. SEWARD,

SPEECH Of WILLIAM u. SEWARD,
THR
CLAIMS OF AMERICAN MERCHANTS FOR IN
IDENTITIES FOR RENCII sPoLIATIONS.
Delivereiin thrA, o. tne Uned States Jan 81, 1851.
MR. PRESIDENT: While no lawful public en-
gagement ought ever to be broken, debts founded
on the appropriation of private property to the
general use, and especially to the discharge of
obligations incurred in the war of the Revolution,
are practically guaranteed by the Constitution,
and are stamped with a peculiar equity. They
ought therefore to be held as sacred as the safety
of the State itself The claims before US fall with
in that class of inviolabe obligations
The peace Of Paris, in 1863, reduced the broad
possessions Of France in America to Cayenne ON
the continent and the islands of St Domingo
Martinique, Guadalupe, ST. Lucia, ST. Vincent
Tobsgo, Deseada, Msrigalante, St Pierre, Mque-
Ion, Grenada, and Dominica, in the Atlantic
ocean. Great Britain, at the same time, acquired
the Canadas, together with the vast region of New
France, and thus secured to herself an empire
extending from the Gulf of Mexico to the Arctic
circle
In February, 1878, the new thirteen American
States were struggling to disengage themselves
from that empire. 1t was conflict ripened and
dominion, and the United States to &C luire abso-
Lutte sovereignty and Independence Great Brit
ain, so lately victorious over her great continental
rival was now confessed mistress Of the seas. The
United States had, then a free population
| ly surprising their present number of slaves
| Their sovereignty had been assumed only nine
teen months before, and had not yet been recog-
missed by any foreign nation, nor even by the least
Of the hundred savage tribes whom the wilder
ness protected within and around their borders
| They had no navy, mercantile marine, fortiica-
lions, constitution, nor even confirmed c0nfedera-
ton. The hopes which had been kndled by carly
successes were almost extinguished by recent and
successive disasters Boston had, indeed been
regained, and BGrgoyne had given back the
passes Of the North but the enemy yet retained
New York, and now victorious over Washington
in successive pitched battles, on fields chosen
by himself, on the Brandywine and at German.
town. was marching unobstructed towards Phila
delphia, then the American capital. The pre-
cious metals seemed to have hidden themselves
again in the earth, and paper credits had every
where collapsed. The chaplain Of Congress i'm
plored Washington "to give over the ungodly
war in which he was engaged" The discounted
army, without recruits, pay, or sufficient food, had
tracked their way with bleeding feet into winter
quarters on the Schuylkll. Two hundred off
GERS had resigned and retired the hospitals and
the neighboring farmers fresides were crowded
by soldiers without blankets or shoes and the
great leader, in the midst Of discontents fast
growing into mutiny, announced TO the loosely
constituted Legislature, which was now convulscd
with distrust and faction, that " unless some great
and capital change should occur, the troops un
der his care must starve, dissolve, or dispersep
A great and capital change did occur, Allied
armies, fresh, vigorous, and we'll appointed CO
| ftnsr with Ia nj NJ . ba, o1ar
and his surrender at Yorktown opened the way
TO peace sovereignty, and independence. An aus
picous star had led Franklin, Deane, and Lee
the first Of American ambassadors, TO Paris; and
IL was an alliance with France q hereditary foe,
but thenceforh n fraternal nation. that wrought
out this great and capital change, and effected
that triumphant contamination.
The courses of the allies Immediately separat-
ed, and thenceforward widely divergcd The
United States completed their union in peace and
tranquility, and established their Constitution
on the unremovable foundations on which loyal
citizens hope, and wise men throughout the world
believe, that it stands firmly fixed forever; while
by well-dirccted devotion of the national revenues
to the payment Of their debts and the establish.
ment of credit, and wise cultivation of arts and
industry, they prepared the way for permanen,
and extended empire.
France, on the contrary, began the descent TO-
wards revolution in the very year when the
United States emerged. from its dangerous LADY
rnths and thereafter distracted herself for thir
teen years she convulsed all Europe.
10 was during this period that these claims fol
indemnities for spoliations arose
The political and commercial relations between
France and the United States had been defined
by treaties
FHa. The Treaty Of Aal,y and Commerce, III,
| of he nil Ell Cx
eouted on the 9th of February, l77s. 1t stipu
lated Art. firm, inviolabie universal, snd
perpetual peace. Art 2 That all commercial
privileges TO be granted by either party to any
State should become common TO the other con
tracing party. Arts. and 4 The most f,
vored footing for each party in the others ports
Arts and Reciprocal protection TO vessels
in their respective jurisdictions, Art Th'
aid Of France in negotiations by the United State
with the Barbary Powers. Art II The mu
tual exhibition Of passports and certificates o
cargo in cases Of suspicious vessels making TIT
ports of an enemy of one Of the parties. Art
II That goods Of either party should he for
feited If laden in ships Of an enemy Of the other
Art II That armed vessels Of one party nigh
freely carry prizes into the Others ports without
paying duties TO courts, and might freely depart
to the places designated in their commissions anC
that neither party should give shelter to csptort
of prizes from the other. Art % That priva
teers of an enemy Of one party should not b
allowed to be fitted out or to sell prizes in th'
ports Of the other Art % That free ship
should make free goods Art 81 Defined arti
Giles contrabaud of war, and excepted from thai
class many articles not free by the law of nations
Art % In case one party should be at war, TIT
vessels Of the other should be furnished with se'
letters or passports, and with certificates contain
Ing the particulars of the cargo so as to reiev,
the rigors Of search.
Secondly The Treaty Of Alliance, concluded OF
the same day, February @, l77s In this treaty
the parties recited the execution Of the Treaty Of
Amity and Commerce., declared that they had con
sidered the means Of strengthening their engage
ments, particularly in case Great Britain, ia re-
sentiment against those engagements should
break the peace with France, either by direct
hostlities or by hindering her commerce and nav.
igation, contrary 10 the rights Of nations and the
peace subsisting between those countries; and
that therefore they had agreed, that Art. il
| war should break out between France and Great
Britain, during the continuance Of the existing
war between the United States and England, that
then his Majesty and the United States would