Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1860-04-04
From the Cincinnati Enquirer.
French sporiasfous.
To tie Editors Of he Enquirer

French spoliasions.
10 The Editors Of The Enquirer:
Confidence in the integrity of men and of
governments is, perhaps. their strongest ele
meDt of success and stability. What is true
individually. as between man and man, is no
less true. and vastly more important, in re-
ference TO States, whose justice to their own
people must necessarily be spontaneous and
optional. The gigantic power of Great
Britain, and the permanence of her political
system, is to be iouad in the integrity of her
financial administration and the unlimited
confidence Of the world in this regard. Alex.
Hamilton seems TO have been so deeply con-
WINGED of this great political truth. that he
and bis illustrious compeers deemed it OF
vital importance when, just emerging from
the chaos of the Revolution, their first care
was TO bring the infant republic into the
Family of nations, enshrined in the unspotted
robes of financial honor. justice and integri-
ty. Without this manifestation we might
have been the victims of internal rebellion.
INSCRIPTIONS plumber, and the derision OF
foreign States. Commerce would have Ian
gnished. industry been paralyzed, and
stagnation and death must have been the
fate of this now happy and prosperous
honored commonwealth.
Yet, strange tp tell, part of our revolu-
tionarv debt remains unpaid and legally un-
acknowledged. We mean the claims of our
own citizens for French Epnliation on our
commerce prior to the year 1900. Its histo-
~ is curious and interesting.
AT the period when the American people
were struggling for independence our Gov
eminent entered into reciprocal treaty with
France the Chief provisions of which were,
that we should protect and defend the French
West India Islands against English aggrrs-
sion; and. peY contra, that the French Govern
ment should assist the Americans in achiev-
ing their independenee The United States
did not perform their stipulat, undertaking,
and the result of this default was. Great
Britain captured most of the West India Is
lands belonging to France. The French
Government. however. honorably fulfilled her
treaty engagements. aud the assistance. of
her army and navy sustained our weakness.
and crowned our struggle with glorious
success-ihe capture Of CORVALLIS and bis
army at Yorktown, which ended our Revo-
lutionary War. Subsequent 10 the treaty re-
ferred 10. the French Government. being at
war with their powerful neighbor, captured
our defrnseless merchant-ships on the high
seas, under various nntenable preiexts, but
probably, as is supposed. TO obtain material
aiG' for their impoverished finances. These
sDoiations caused our merchants 10 retire
from so hazardous a traffic, and the couse-
quence was seriously felt by our own Gov
ernment. in greatly decreased revenue
and at a time, too, when the treasury was
almost empty.
To encourage orr merchants to resume
their pursuits, to stimulate commercial en-
terprise. and thus to replenish the national
Golfers, Mr.. jefferson. then Secretary OF State,
WAS instructed by the President TO issue the
f.lIowing paper: Compliant having been
made to the Government of the United
. fl 10 of,1
ton committed on our merchant vessels by
the privateers Of the powers of war,
and it being pos ibe that other instan-
ces may have happened of which no in
formation has been given to this govern
mcnt, have it in charge fro m the President
to assure he merchants of the United States
concerned in foreign commerce or navigation,
that due attention will be given to any inju-
ries on the high seas, or in foreign countries,
contrary to the laws of nations or for exist
ing treaties. and that on their forwarding
b ther to She Department of State, well au-
thenticat, evidence OF the same, proper pro-
ceedings will be adopted for their relief
The desired result was realized in the re-
vival Of commerce, aud the repienishing of
The National Treasury. The spoliatons, how
ever, continued. Then came the treaty of
1900. with its complications; our Embassa
doris were instructed to demand indemnity
for these spoliations of our comm.rce. This
d, mand was met by a connter-demand for
the non ulfillment OF the West India Islands
guarantee. Each party had valid claims.
and were pertinacious in asserting them, aud
each eudeavored TO justify the acts of their
own COVE n nent After long aud irritatiI z
negutia tions, the plan was adopted of Offset
ting one claim against the other, aud thus
the treaty was concluded.
Upon these fac s, and the constitutional
guarantee to the citizen in the fifth article of
the amendments to the Constitution: That
private properly shall not be taken for pub.
lie use without a just equivalent" it is that
our citizens found their claims upon Congress
Tor Naturalization for French spolialions.
Mr.. Florence, OF Pennsylvania, having CIV
en- notice that these claims will be brought
before the preeent Congress for aGjIsim mt,
and as. perhaps, there are comparatively but
few who have the disposition, or fad it con-
yenient to inform themselves as to the facts,
We present TO the general Reader this brief
statement as likely TO be interesting. We
Learn further, from The record, that Adams,
jefferson. Marshall, Pinckney, Gerry. Monroe
and Livingston admitted The justice aud va
lidity Of those claims, which have also, we
learr, been favorably reported upon by thir-
ty-one committees of Congress, and passed
by beth Houses by large majorities. The
of thirteen States have also in
dorsed them as just, we'll as the nation that
committed the spoliaiions.
The peculiar and unfayorable circumstan-
ces bearing upon an earlier adjustment Of
these claims, aud causing them TO be defer
red. arose mainly, as We understand. from the
pOy erty of the Government, aud in the strin
gent policy of Mr.. Jefferson to keep the ex-
penditures of the Government within its in
come, in the Indebtedness CT the amount, aud
to the significant fact that the documents EN-
bodying the information were locked up in
the archives of the Government, and, a. il
appears, were unknown to the claimants
not having been made public until the year
1895.
The idea that these claims are principally
owned by spectators, which formerly opera
ted against their adjustment and liquidation.
has no force now, inasmuch as the balls in r,
laliOu thereto, which have passed both houses
of Congress, OF late, contain n pruviso that
will doubtless be retained hereafter. should a
new bill pass. viz: that no purchaser of d claim
from the original parties shall receive more
than he has paid Tor il, with legal interest.
Edward Livingston in his celebrated report
On French spoliaiious, justly remal Ks that,
''io less, n public expenditure is great legls-
lative duty; to lessen it at the expense of
Justice. public iailh aud constitutional right,
il "A GRIM. -