Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1864-12-29

ton between thsn 10 punish the outrs.ss which NAV
duly proved and to restore the property to its rghti
owners should IL also be brought within our iurisdict
and found upon judicial inquiry to have been taken in
represented by your letter. BY the universal la,
extend no further.
DO pleased, sir, to accept the assurance, &c
| /" Tba cbau., JOHN O. ADAMS.
| A year later the Portuguese Minister made anoth
STRONG representation of the CASE from which the foow
an extract but with no better success
A. COrrea de Sierra to Mr.. adams.
WASHINGTON, MARCH II, 1919.
| Only pretended Argan flag runs n,
seas taking our ships and property and it
ts Is the only one not entitled to the neutra
the law OF nations may be allowed to the othrt Won
Inc capacity OF minister of my sovereign reas and
soemnly, and officially too if necessary tbcunte that
ms followers have been expelled far r4er OF navigating
could afford them the least means and IN as WAT bs
ana consequently have right to A. aagbe RIGHTS Of
come then the privateers under nuhicst
rvaeers according to of the authority that
but partial delegation of ~ ''s " - ' $3.50
sTb;s nhsnomann quite new in the history Of the
civilized world 80 h auoud ha
he .shment? Where is the Swiss port from
which thau I'D take their departure and be fitted
std, asre the Swiss court of admiralty that could
iudoe tbI pzes If other nations allow them the
her ports and courts she deserts by that act the
gre4nd OF neutrality becomes the ally offensive, making
Common cause with the Helvetc body by lending him the
he has not by himself of annoying his opponents
"If the Artgan flag once declared illegal, and the
prizes made under acts OF piracy all occasions OF bitter
ness and mstrust done away and two nations
in those relations each to the other that the
nature OF their situations naturally calls forperpstua
amlty on both Sides and friendly mutual advantageous
intercourse forever"
1t will be perceived that here the very demand
was pressed officially upon Government that many Of
our newspapers and public have continually urged
the duty of England namely, that thu acts of hostile
cruisers be declared piracy and their flag illegal But
Government declined to accede to the demand Portugal
kept alive the claim for many years. but it at last
brought to an end by the following perempory letter Of
Mr. Clayton, in 1885, to the representative of her Most
Faithful Majesty:
MR., CLAYTON TO MR.. J. c. DE FIGANIERE MoRAo.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Washington, May 80, 1850.
The undersigned, Secretary of State of the United
States of America has the honor to acknowledge the
cep of the note which the Min ser Resident of her Most
Faithful Majesty addressed to him the 25th instant,
vtng attention to depredatons the of Por
tuga committed thirty of forty years ago by citizens it
alleged OF this country and in vessels owned and fitted
out by Them to cruise under the flag of Argas the noted
Banda Oriental chief for the redress of which unlawful
acts the Minister of Portugal the undersigned that
ais Government has never ceased to hold that of the
United States bound by welknown principles of the law
Of nations.
The undersigned is surprised at the temperance of
these obsolete reclamaons accompanied by the renewal
Of the ancient proposition to appoint joint commission to
determine and damages proposition which
rejected at the time upon substantial grounds and with
out the Minister'S to that effect the undersigned
would not have supposed credible that Portugal seriously
cherished any intention to revive them In reply there
FORE to the note which the Minister of her Most Faithful
Majesty has presented in the of bis Government the
must now, by the Presidents order inform
him that he declines reopeniDg the profered discus
sion.
The undersigned avais himself of this occasion to
to the Minister Resident of her Most Faithful
the assurance of his high consideration.
"JoHN M. CLAYTON.
The Commander ]. C. de Figaniere Morao"
1t is difficult TO how with such record, we can
appear claimants for damages at the Court of ST. James
account of the captures made by vessels fitted out in
England for "the Conederates." The of Portugal
against this country stronger than any which
bring against England and the losses of that Power
two mions) proportionaly great greater
rom the depredatons of the Artgas Baltimore prvateers
han have been from the Confederates The Portu
yuese complained, complain, that due precautions
not taken to prevent the escape Of prvateers from
Neutral ports but our Government never would admit
his and it cannot expect such concession from England
IN the present occasion.