The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-08-04

10 acknowledge the Independence Of the colonies.
This Is the first instruction given BY the British
ministry IN which II Was proposed TO recognize the
declaration Of Congress 4 jay 4, l77s. A great
and immediate progress was now made h. the pre-
hminaries. America could not be deAiroos of con-
tinung the war, but she had shown her ability TO
maintain her Declaration of Independence. As early
as August, l779, Congress prepared Instructions
and in September following appointed John Adams
OF Massachusetts,, commissioner to make treaty
Of peace, with subsequent instructions to conclude
commercial treaty with Great Britain. Mr.. ADAMS
went without delay to Europe. being subsequently,
appoiuted Minister to Holland. But he was
not authorized to make propositions to the
British government and it does not appear that The
United States at any time during the war, and after
the act OF July l776, made any attempt at nego-
tiaton, either directly, by means OF her allies.
Congress, at all tines rejected with great emphasis,
even the project Of short truce This was consid-
cred highly dangerous to the liberties OF the country
though favorite notion with many Of the best hends
Of America IN England. The, commission under
which the pfelminares OF the treaty were actually
concluded, was issued by the Continental Congress
in June, 1871. 1t empowered John Adams, Benja-
min Franklin John Jay, Henry Laurens and Thomas
Jefferson, the majority Of them, such OF them as
may assemble, to repair to such place as might be
fixed upon for opening negotiations for peace, and
in the name OF the United States to conclude with
the ambassadors or commissioners Of other powers,
treaties of peace, &c. An the commissioners were in
Europe during the discussions respecting the treaty
except Mr.. J,nsr-on, who was in America, and de-
clDed TIE appointment. Franklin, Jay and Oswald
met at Paris in September, and joined in Octo
Der by Adams and, in time to sign the treaty, by
Laurens. The provisional treaty of peace signed
at Paris the 30th OF November 1879, ON the part of
America, by Aessrs. Adams, Franklin jay, and
Laurens, and by Richard Oswald on the part Of
Great Britain
The preliminary articles being ratified within the
time specified by the respective governments, the de-
6nitye treaty OF peace, Substantially copy of the
provisional one, was signed by Mesrs. Franklin,
Adams, and Jay, for the United States, and by Mr..
David Hartley for England, at Paris, September, 8,
1883 This treaty unanimously ratifed by Congress
on the l4th of February 1884 Hostilties had ceased
by proclamation, in April, 1888. The British minis
ter refused to insert Oh article into the treaty on the
subject of commerce.
The treaty Of 1883 IVES an instrument Of peculiar
character. 1t differed in it's most essential ciroum
stances from most of the treaties made between ma
tons. II was treaty Of partition; treaty TO ascer
tain the boundaries and the rights Of the nation
which the mother country acknowledged to be Great
ed by that instrument. Independence was one Of
the populations made in favor Of America by Great
Britain; the boundaries were another; the fisheries
q tbird-or the mother country asserted equal
ol$l
was exceedingly favorable and honorable to the
United States, and was negotiated by the American
Commissioners with great ability and uncommon
address. They took advantage, very successfully, Of
the ancient jealousy and enmty that existed between
England and the house OF Bourbon.
America obtained an acknowledgment Of her in
dependence in the fullest manner as well as a
frmation Of the original boundaries OF the colonies
and recognition Of her rights and privileges IN the
fisheries. She made much more favorable treaty
with Great Britain than either Spain France did
at the same time.
In England the treaty with America was exceed
ngly unpopular, and taken together with the oon-
cessions Great Britain was absolutely under the ne
cessity of making at the time TO France and Spain,
threw the Shelburne ministry into minority in the
visioDal treaty with America, and the preliminary
treaties between Great Britain, France, and Spain,
were laid before Parliament, In February, 1883. A
resolution offered IN the House OF Commons hp ord
John Cavendish declared that Z" the concessions
made to the adversaries Of Great Britain by the pro-
yisonal treaty and preliminary articles were greaser
than they entitled TO, either from the actual
situation VI their respective possessions, or from
their comparative strength" This resolution was
carried against the ministry by vote OF 207 to 100.
The great object of the majority was to compel
Lord SheIburne and some Of his adherents to
resign their places in the cabinet. This was
effected by the extraordinary coalition Of
Lord North and Mr.. Fox and their friends,
composed OF both tories and wings. About three
fourths Of the coalition were friends Of Lord North
and on trial of his own strength, Fox, who had
calculated upon ninety followers, found himself sup
ported by only fortysix votes against two hundred
and nineteen. The coalition, the first trial against
the ministers carried amendments to the address to
the King by majority Of sixteen the numbers being
two hundred and twenty-four to two hundred and
eight. The Earl Of Shelburne and hi, friends having
resigned after their defeat, coalition administration
was formed the I'd of April, at the head Of which
and Mr.. Fox were made Secretaries Of State. BY
this coalition ministry, in April 1888, David Hartley
was sent to Paris, in place Of Mr.. Oswald, to COM
pete the negotiations between Great Britain and the
United States before mentioned. The negotiators,
however, were unable to agree on any alterations
in the former articles; were they able to agree
on arrangements for the future commercial inter
course between the two countries. Mr.. Hartley
therefore joined the American commissioners in
signing the dehnitiye treaty Of peace on the Sd OF
September, 1888 The American Commissioners not
having succeeded in making treaty of com
merce, were compelled TO defer the considera-
ton of that subject. The English sought for
delay, az they had not determined what course TO
pursue in trading with their Lite colonies or
they might have had hopes that the union
of the colonies, although successful in the Revo-
luton, was not thoroughly consolidated Evidently
an expectation was entertained that the American