Weekly national intelligencer., 1851-01-25

the qualities Of wisdom and moral herosm In the highest de
gree, would be during that time of almost universal
amongst the nations Of Europe when be may sd ha,
compelled the Of the United States with the Of tn
csmors at home unlen6sd by menaCes from abroad,
afforded 10 American genius that opportunity which
to lay deep the foundation and spread wide the line
which marked the boundaries Of the great fabric Of American
power and prosperity. His love of truth and justice. fo
which nc IS so celebrated, sgnaly cvincel
than in his intercourse with other nationa Sir in tn.
chspst wsch crowns the efgy Of that immortal man. per
haps no leaf is more imperishabe than the one which th
stranger has contributed to testify his the wisdom
JUSTICE of the moderston and frmness which marked hi
course in his relations with him. regard the reputation
Of this country for fair DEALING the reputation and character
OF washington for justice and truth, worth than all
these French CLAIMS, II they ten times told But as said
before it is not necessary the .gument to examine th,
question II is sufficient 10 show, as think have shown
that the French before 1885, did ask or desire us to
execute that guarsaty and therefore, they have nothing
complain OF in that regard have shown that we were ius-
tilted by the of France in pstting an end to these
treaties have shown, think that they were not justified
in violating their treGiy spusoas towards us by any thing
we had done and in doing believe have made that
| branch Of argument
But permit me to pcuse moment here. The sdyocat, Is
Of the French claims will prove much If they succeed IN
proving that the French Justified in their violation Of
treaty stpulalons with US account Of violations on ouy
part II they succeed in proving that we failed observe the
Of treaties towards France, they will prove that France
justified in adng that treaty she did regard t-a
perfect nuiy If they rrove this they will find that they
have proved themselves out Of court you take away
class Of which they will thus Destroy and the classes
paid under the convention of ls0O twill be found that
is but very little left. .a
The Secretary of State, Mr.. Pickering-in l799 think
il was-n bis instructions TO commissioners, said that
the two most interesting classes Of american claims were
first that class of claims where the French seized enemy
goods, goods asserted by them belong the enemy in
American and next that class where they seized
ships for want Of role dequpage Now. is demons.ra
tn Tho nf
ships that If the treaties null and void could lay no
claim indemnify for them under the laws nasions Mr.
Ade in bis report which has been furnished the Senator
from Connecticut in from the code dpiomatique
says, and says justly that if the treaties Of
ence the Americans couldot have justified their claim accord
ing the law Of nations. refer the greater part of
those claims which paid under the convention sOO
clear that could lay claim for indemnify for the
seizure Of enemys goods in American ships under the laws
OF nations, and could lay claim France for
it, claim could be made against Government for
greater privileges than its citizens enedto under the
laws of nations If the friends of this should make
good their argument they strip the claimants Of all right
indemnity for this class Of seizure.
Now, how is it with respect to those vessels which
seized for want Of role dequpage? That certainly
oaion, and gross violation of the treaty of ay and COM
because that treaty had provided that the of the
two nations should be suffered 60 fee provided they had
letters which had certain requisites and having satisfied these
conditions, nothing more 10 be implied required than
that each nation should furnish letters according its
form. That the fair construction Of the treaty. But if
the treaty null and void, it becomes very erent ques
onwhe her the French had perhaps right demand
the production Of the role dequpage? We must remember
that this old ordinance umped up for the occa
son. not brought into being for benefit operate
merely to commerce, but it wasmade in the days Of
Louis Fourteenth had been pracsed upon ~ France
wards neutras since that time 1t ordinance of which
no complaint made, far have been able to
tain, except by US, and which perhaps would have
complained of but for claims under the treaty better
treatment And in point Of fact there isa letter in the
respondece to which have already referred from Mr. King,
when Minister to England in which he states that the
grievance abated in that respect for having
found out what required, provided themselves with the
proper papers say that is indispensable that under
the laws of nations France had right to seize ships for
want of this role dequpage but say that many plausible
arguments may be advanced that side Of the question.
Under the laws Of nations it at least adoubul question,
because that old provision of France which had been
acquesced in by neutra which had not been complained of
by them for perhaps than half century, and believe
for century, Up to the time Of the Of the Revolution
France had always been remarked fol its beray towards
the commerce of neutrals She esteemed by them
during her practice under this ordinance and she had there
fore much to say in favor of its legality.
If them should subtract from these cRms to indemni
ties these two classes which Mr. Pickering said the
most important, where seizure made Of an enemys
goods and where ships seized for want Of role
eQupas and leave out also the which were provided
for and paid under the convention Of 1900, should find
that there many left The claimants, if they
ceed then in proving tina, violated reates and thus
cused the French for treating them nuiies will indeed
prove themselves out or very nearly out Of court.
But, sir come TO the other branch of the PROPOSE
ono another Defence and in my opinion most complete
Defence of The United States against these claimants That
defence is that it retaliation for these hosties and
these poatons and to procure security for our commerce
and for the rights of citizens in future that we waged
with France We waged hoites which did not amount
to what civilians call perfect war, but which did constitute
what is called an ssmperfect" and "public y
in which spilled blood, in which expended money,
and did every thing in power which necessary
force these claims Whatever be given prove
that the declaration of perfect is satisfaction for such
claims be given show that such hosties waged
such conducted full satisfaction for these
claims that discharged from all obligation to pursue the
negotiations further and, what's more, justified the French
pleading it they did plead it in bar to claims against
them for it is in proof that when they to conclude
the treaty the French commissioners said war; and
would have been decided BY any impartial tribunal Now,
that is full satisfaction in relation to foreign and
begeent naon for all such claims Isuppose nobody denies
There be dispute about that. The only controversy
is whether these hosies amounted to that sort Of which
makes satisfaction, and whether the which
apply in the operate in the other. hope shall
succeed in showing this imperfect to have been such
satisfaction perfect would have been, according
the admission of all. S,s,.a. ..... .s.r .,. u ,r.
Sir, it a in which spent great deal ofmoney
| II was war in which shed blood 1t was which
pursued for something like two years, until we forced
settlement and just treaty of peace. To show what we did,
will read short extract from speech delivered by Mr.
BESroN Of Missouri this question, in the first session Of
the twenty ninth Congress- August 10, 1s46 in which
shall find brief history Of what did at that time He
says E.a