The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-08-04
AMERICAN DIPLOMACY.
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DIPI OMATIC RELATIONS
BETWEEN THE
UNITED STATES AND GREAT BRITAIN.
LIST OF AMB ASSA DORIS,
&C., &C., DC.

Secretary of Legation, and William Henry Welsh.
Esq. Of York, Pennsylvania, Private Secretary
to Mr. Buchanan, will leave on the 10th inst-
The present favorable position Of our relations
with Great Britain will probably render thu
duties Of the new minister easy and agreeable.
compared with those of some of his predeces-
sors. But the present condition of affairs on
the continent Of Europe, and the questions
which are likely to arise in consequence, involving
the interests Of both England and the United States
may afford Mr. Buchanan abundant opportunities of
displaying talents for diplomacy, quite equal to
those which were required of and exhibited by him
when Secretary of State, during Mr.. Folks admins
tration.
The change in our intercourse with Great Bri-
tain, occasoned by the appointment Of new minis
ter to that court affords suitable occasion to take
retrospective view of diplomatic relations with
that country, since our independence was acknow-
lodged by its rulers by the treaty of peace Of 17ss-
Our sketches, extending over period of seventy
years, must necessarily be brief, embracing however,
the most important points in this part of our dplo
matte history, and drawn from the most authente
sources.
1t will be recollected that the war which led to
the establishment of the Independence of the United
States, commenced in the year l775, and was closed
in l7s3 period Of eight years of which, however,
most Of the two last years characterized by in
activity on both Sides The war it may be said was
virtually brought to close in its sixth year, in Octo
ber 1881, by the surrender of Lord CORVALLIS and
his army at Yorktown after which no military events
of importance took place between the contending
forces.
1t is worthy Of note here, that as early as Febru-
ary, l77s, after the surrender Of Burgoyne and his
army at Saratoga, and the alliance had been formed
with France by the United States, the British minis
try made decided effort for peace, and Lord North
introduced into the House of Commons what were
called his concilatory propositions" declaring It
to be the intention of government to send commits
sion to America to treat with the Congress to grant
pardons and mmuntes, to restore to the colonies
their ancient charters, to exempt them from taxa-
ton, and not to require them to renounce their nde
pendence till the the treaty had been ratified by tina
King and Parliament. This plan, so suddenly de-
veloped, but entirely matured, by Lord North, was
as unexpected 10 his friends as his enemies nas.
| much as by it he abandoned the principles UPON
which he had heretofore conducted the contest with
the American colonies A writer OF that day re-
marks =" A dull melancholy silence succeeded "a
the speech made by Lord North on this occasion.
whole assembly. Although the minister had de-
clared that the sentiments he expressed that day
had been those which he always entertained, it ia
certain that few had understood him in that
manner; and he had been represented to the nation
at large as the person in it the most tenacious Of
those parliamentary rights which he now proposed
to resign and the most remote from the submissions
which he now proposed to make.''
i Ar Erx l,oc colIo r
congratulated the public on the conversion of the
minister, and his own party on having gained 60
powerful an auxiliary If Fox and the wings gener-
ally had then pressed Lord North and Joined with
the war party, now disgusted and mortified, the
ministry would have been left in q minority in the
| House of Commons. But the conduct of the whigs
was directly the reverse of this they took such q
hearty part with the miHister that no appearance Of
party remained, and of his complaining friends
'vexatiously congratulated him on his new allies.
These new allies however. though they supported
his measures, showed no mercy to his conduct. The
conciatory terms proposed by Lord North in fact
contained all the spulatons that the first Continent
al Congress, assembled in 1774 proposed to accom-
plish America had, in reality, conquered at this
early day Q77S) every thing for which she originally
took up arms. The declaration Of Congress of July
4, l776 constituted no part Of the original requisi
tons or grievances of this country for the war; in
the outset was certainly not undertaken for ndepen-
dence. 1t may be added, that had General WASH
ingtons views been seconded by the cooperation OF
General Gates and other leaders mainly of the north
ern army, after the surrender of Burgoyne and his
army at Saratoga, similar capture of the army Of
Howe, at Philadelphia would have taken place, in
all probability, and the British ministry could not
have recovered from the effect of these repeated
blows. Peace must therefore have followed, and in
dependence have been acknowledged by Great
Britain in three years after the declaration, and be
fore aid had been received from French troops.
Ii appears also, that propositions were made in
March, l77s, to Doctor Franklin, then one OF the
American Commissioners in France by Mr.. William
Pulteney, member OF Parliament, who saw him at
Paris under the assumed named OF Williams The
terms did Lot differ from those with which Lord
North proposed to invest Commissioners to treat
with the Americans. Another gentleman, mem-
Der Of the Irish Parliament, Mr.. Chapman, had q
conversation with Dr. Franklin on the same subject.
This Irish gentleman was at great pains to collect
information touching peace and he made such
proposals, in relation to independence and CONNER
cial privileges as were then fashionable in England
The American Commissioners in Europe at that De-
Rod, had no power from Congress to treat with
Great Britain; but DR.. Franklin informed Mr. Pulte-
ney, that, in his opinion, America would not make
peace in which her independence was not formally
recognized. Mr.. David Hartley, member of the
British Parliament, and an old acquaintance of DR..
Franklin, also called on him in France, in April,
1878, and in conversation expressed the strongest
anxiety for peace with America, and was anxious to
know Franklin's sentiments of the terms which
might probably be accepted if offered. Franklin
answered that the United States were not fond Of
war, and, with the advice of their friends, would
probably be easily prevailed with to make peace on
equitable terms; but we had no terms committed 10
us to propose, and did not choose to mention any,"
&c. DR. Franklin eonjectured that Chapman was