Delaware tribune. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1867-1877, 1875-03-04

nd a. Minister OF the Uuited bt1tes TO that I
,untry. Al relation Of the tedious delays ,
hs hairsplitting differences, the Anesslng Of
orts, Of negotiating treaty, with Ave Commits
iousn ON the one side and three on the other,
lin narrative Of the four months proceedings at
}hent Ia not devoid Of entert anment, but Oh
hs whole II ia rather wearisome reading. Tie
experiences In Paris are much more spirited, and
his life In London, At the Court OF the Prince
Regent" George, with Castlereagh IN prime
presents mary scenes and incidents
hat ARE interesting.
The Uhsnt treaty, which terminated our hec.
oud-and no doubt last-war with Great Britain,
d remarkable for not settling the questions Of
The war to which 1t put au end. Probably the |
discussions helped to forward their ultimate set.
dement,, but for the time little was gained for |
the United States beyond the restoration Of |
peace This, however, was what our govern.
ment most desired. The War Of 1912 was poor
piece Of work on our part Our natural advan-
tages Of isolated position, and wide wild country
alone eAved us from ruin. Had we been CON-
pact population on . territory contiguous to
Great Britain. We should have been conquered
completely, aud obliged to take infinitely worse
terms than the merely negative adjustment
which we obtained. The war, in fact, had been
full Of disasters, eliminating, while the negotia-
tons were in progress, with the capture Of Wash
inston, the destruction Of the public buildings,
aud the iguominious flight Of the officers Of the
Government from the &c Bladensbug races"
President Madison was no warrior. In the Fed
eralist he WAS strong, but in the field his
strength lay in the application Of his spurs. His
war, from the Arnt, had been crowded with o.
currences Of misfortune and disgrace. Hull's
surrender, the Queenstown disaster, the loss Of
the Chesapeake, the capture Of Washington,
| were successive events that mortified our pride
and hurt our national spirit. True, Scott had
fought well on the Niagara, and Harrison in the
Indian country, and our record Of naval suc-
cesses included Perry's Victory on Lake Erie,
and MAcDonough's on Champlain, rs vol ~
many notable captures on the ocean. These
served to redeem our name from total blemsh,
and 1t the very last, when Jackson's skill at New
Orleans ended the war with decisive military
success, we felt, aud we're perhaps entitled to
feel, that, Oh the whole, our fight had not done
| us discredit.
The negotiations, however, were under the
| pressure Of adverse fortunes. The news Of the
capture and burning OF Washington came to
Client while they were in progress, preceded and
followed by other tidings scarcely less distress.
| ing and under such circumst ances, while Mr..
dallatin, who more exactly than any other of his
colleagues represented the mind OF President
Madison's administration, was urgent for peace,
and bent oil the powers Of his diplomatic mind
to that result, Mr.. Bsyard, too, ardently desired
it. We find him Notwithstanding to the Jour.
nal-at one point in the negotiations, that
"The only chance we could possibly have Of a
| successful continuation Of the war was that onr
whole people should embark heart and sonl in
It, They never would do 40 for 3 war on tile
only ground nov left us. Our divisions would
become infinitely more dangerous and formida-
BILE. Our finances were in rims Enormous
taxes, such as our people have never known, are
tina only means by which the war can possibly
be carried on. A war is nothing to tho British
Government. They hsve now no other enemy
upon their hands"
Mr., Russell joined with Mr.. Gallatin In his
anxiety to stop the war. Mr.. Adams was more
pugnacious, but still DESTROYS Of that result
Clay was more ready to fight further. He was
afraid the treaty would ruin his popularity and
Mr. Gallstin ccnsoled him by iemarking that
this would only be sharing the common fate for
almost all treaties were unpopular Mr.. Bsyard,
however, believed that they were making good
bargain and one highly credtable to them. To
take of twenty one millions OF taxes and restore
commerce, with substantially nothing given
up was result which would please the people
at home.
The discussions were often warm enough
Mr.. Clay once or twice refused TO go farther, and
Mr.. Adams declared his purpose not to sign the
treaty, II his colleagues gaze mp the fishery priv.
ieges which were Of suell concern to New Eng.
land. At one point, Clay declared his disgust
with the British demands. "Ho wss for war
three years longer" That would develop our
fighting ability. And the Diary adds
"ms was for playing srag with tho British plsn
to play bra3. l had forgotten how. He said
the art OF it was to beat your adversary by hold
Ing your hand. with solemn and confident
piiz. aud outbrssging him. lie appealed to
Mf. Bayard il it was not.
"'Ay,' said Bayard. 'but you may lose the
game by Dragging until the adversary sees the
weakness Of your hand. And he added to me,
Mr.. Clay is for Dragging million against
cent"
The point at issue, just here, was the giving
mp OF Moose Island to the British. Mr.. Adams
said it was the principle which concerned him:
"'Mr. Clay said l, 'snpposing Moose Island
belonged TO Kentucky, and had been for many
years represented as district in your Legisla.
tnIe, would you give it up as nothing Mr.. Bay
ard, il it belonged to Delaware, would Won p
Bayard laughed, and said Delaware could not
Afford to give MP territory"
Which reminds us OF the celebrated colloany
in the Pea Patch case.
The illusions to Mr. Biysrd throughout this
portion Of the Diary are more kindly in temper
than some OF those in the preceding two vol
umes which We have already reviewed Early
in the negotiations, Adams thought Inn too
anxious for peace and too easy IN making con-
cessions, and h, relates that Russell raid, in a
private conversation, "tfat Bsyaid always
talked about keeping high tone, but when it
| came to the point, he was always OIL the conceo-
ing side, but still, they agreed as often as they
differed. The share which Mr.. Bayard took was
| generally critical rather than originative, and
here he often cut across Mr.. Adams whose
drafts of the formal letters TO be sent the Brit
isl Commissioners were always sadly cut
amended, and changed /" The peculiar diiicul-
ty with Mr.. Bayard," says the Diary, Sic that
lis view is always exclusive"
The treaty having been signed, all the Ameri-
can commissioners repaired to Paris, and here
Mr.. Adams remained from the first of February
to the middle OF May. During this period
Napoleon left Elba, and arrived in Paris, Louis
XVIII precipitately flying before him. Mr..
Bayard health had now become iniirm On
February 7th, the Diary records AZ called to see
Mr.. Bayard at the Hotel de l'Empire, and found
him very i'll, with severe cough and some fever
his throat is much liberated" and on the 18Th
having called again, " fonnd him very much
reduced but evidently much bett.r than when
had last seen him" Early in April, the news
arrived that President Madison had appointed
Mr.. Gallatin Minister to France, (Mr. Crawford,
whom lie succeeded, being made Secretary Of
State,) Mr.. Adams Minister to England, and Mr.
Bsyaid to Russia. The last named
gentlemen WIS now recovered from his
illness. He considers himself, and
his physicians and surgeons ! ow consider him
out OF all danger, but lie said he had had a very
narrow escape with his life. He did not suppose
the Government would consider lin under an
obligation to accept his appointment. and most
assuredly he would not go to St Petersburg:
his health woula mol admit OF it," lie Proposed
to go to Brest, in few days, aud sail for home,
and accordingly Oh May 9th, Mr.. Adams, upon
calling at his hotel, found him preparing to de-
part, the post horses being already brought. He
left in the afternoon and thns thasa t,ro oo,