American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1851-1863, 1865-11-23
Then and Now-The Past and the
Present,

rlusion the long continued controversy will
Great Britain, in relation to the non.fulfil
ment Of the treaty of Client, entered into du
ring the year 1914, upon the subject of thu
deportation of slaves, stolen and carried away
from Southern owners, during the war o
1872, by British troops.
The 18th Article of the Treaty of Peace Of
1888 in relation to this identical question
had not been fulfilled or carried out; nor
was it within the power of the administration
of Gen. Washington-the Father Of his Coun-
try--the first president of the United States,
to procure the execution of that article of the
treaty, either by restitution of the stolen
slaves or by indemnity in money.
The question slumbered but was not for,
gotten and, as We have before stated in the
year 1927, was brought to an honorable and
satisfactory conclusion, JOHN QUINCY
ADAMS of MASSACHUSETTS being at
that time president of the United States.
The stolen slaves were first sent to Nova
Scotia but soon becoming nuisance there
when freed, as we fear they will be every
where in that condition, were hurried off to
Sierra Leone, and constituted the beginning
and basis of the British African colony there,
with what results, the mournful teachings of
history have informed US.
Great Britain and the United States being
unable 10 agree as to the meaning of certain
words of the treaty of 1914, after spending
seren years in the vain effort to do so, con-
cluded to refer the matter to an umpire
whose decision and arbitrameut should be f.
nal and conclusive. That umpire was Alex
anicr, emperor of all the RussiaS, whose de-
cson was speedy and mandatory That the
United States Of America are entitled to
lust naturalization from Great Britain for
all private property carried away by tire Brit
ish forces and, as the question regards slar,s
more especially, for all such 'larcs as were
carrfrl ar1y by the British forces from the
places and territories of which the restitution
was stipulated by the treaty, in quitting the
said places and territories
This decision was certainly explicit enough,
and should nave been satisfactory when
measured by the language of the first article
Of the treaty of Client, which expressly stip-
Mated that "All places taken shall be restor
ed without delay or carrying away any Of the
artillery or other public property originally
captured in the said posts or places, and
which shall remain therein upon the exchange
Of the ratification of this treaty, or any siarcs
or other private property
The British minister was astonished at this
decision of the Emperor Alexander, or rather,
pretended to be astonished, for the policy of
the British government, during the campaigns
in the Southern States was to resort TO every
means, foul or fair, just or unjust, to entice
the slaves to desert their masters, with
premise Of ultimate freedom, aud the British
minister knew that, better perhaps than any
one else. To say that he suggested the idea
and insisted upon its practical execution, is
nothing more than what is true. But pre-
tending to be much astouished, and claiming
his right, as a special peader, to insist upon
the technical meaning Of certain words used
q the frst article of the treaty of Client, he
presented note with his views to the Rus
sian minister-Couut Ness elrode, to be sub
mitte3 to the emperor This note was an
swered by the Emperor Alexander, through
his minister, Count Nesselrode, in the follow
ing emphatic and decisive terms "The en-
prror having by the mutual consent OF the
two plenipotentiaries, given an opinion,
founded solely upon the sense which results
from the text Of the article in dispute, does
rot think himself called upon to decide here
any question relative TO what the laws OF
war permit or forbid to the beligerants; but,
alvays faithful to the grammatical Interpret
alton Of the FIRST article Of the treaty Of Client,
Ills imperial majesty declares, second time,
that it appears to him, according to this iu-
t.-p-s,.tion, that, in quitting the places and
territories Of which the treaty Of Client slip
u'atrs the RESTITUTION TO the United States,
bis Bri,sai va sst7's '1.oes had no right to
y n.