The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1885-08-06


When General Jackson became Pres.
ident be found that France owed the
United States $4,000, 900 francs, which
he resolved. "by the Eternal" should
be paid. Andrew Stevenson and VIII
liam S. Archer, both of Virginia. were
candidates for the French mission, but
it was given to another applicant from
the same State, William G. Hives. Mr..
Stevenson afterwards, received the
mission to London; and Mr.. Archer,
rather piqued. joined the ranks OF the
opposition.
Mr.. Rives made but little Roadway
until Louis Philippe came into power,
when the treaty was signed. Great
was the rage of whiskered Frenchmen,
who asserted that Louis Philippe had
bought up large portion OF the claims,
and thus robbed the French treasury
in order to fill his own pockets. Mr..
Rives, on the contrary, was in high
spirits, and it ia asserted that only
eight DAYS after the treaty was signed,
he wrote dispatch to Mr.. Forsyth,
Secretary OF State, in which he boosted
that he had affected treaty which all
his predecessors had failed to accom-
plish, and by which he had guided and
out-generaled the French ministry, and
induced il to "pay not only every just
and legal claim. but many claims that
were considered desperate and doubt
full"
This was, perhaps, pardonable in
young and ardent man, but Mr.. For
syth did very wrong in permitting the
letter TO be made public, as subsequent
events proved. BY the condition of the
treaty the indemnity of 25,0OO,0OO
francs was to be paid in instalments,
and Mr.. Woodbury.. Secretary of the
Treasury, was instructed to draw i'm
mediately for one of the instruments
He did draw, and the draft came back
dishonored and protested, and for the
reason that the French Chamber of
Deputies had refused to make an APP
preparation to fulfil the treaty which
Louis Philippe had signed and sane
toned. And the reason assigned by
the Chambers for their refusal was that
the American Minister in his dispatches
to his Government had boosted that he
swindled the King and the Duo de
Broglie. In the meantime Mr.. Rives
came home, and the late Edward Liv-
ingston was despatched to the Court OF
St Cloud, instructed to demand the
immediate fulfilment of the conditions
of the treaty of July 4, 1881, and, in the
event OF his meeting with any obstacles
to the object of his mission, to demand
his passports and retire to England.
He was coldly received; the Chambers
refused to make any appropriation, and
Mr.. Livingston, as instructed, de-
manded his passports and retired to
London. Thus stood the case until the
month of January, 1880, when Gen.
Jackson issued special message re-
commencing the issue Of letters of
marque and reprisal against French
commerce. The message was referred
TO the Committee of Foreign Affairs,
Mr.. Edward Everett, chairman, in the
House, and to the corresponding COM
mittee Of the Senate, of which Mr..
Clay was the head. The committee of
the House reported in accordance with
the message of the President; but that
of the Senate unanimously reported
that nothing should be done until fur
Their information was received from
Trance.
Louis Philippe managed to have the
indemnity paid, though the French
nation was almost unanimously op-
posed to it, and certainly there was
anything but affection manifested
Pen: Perley Poore.