New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-02-13
NEW PUBLICATIONS.

Shs fEACE Se,iveyad e.or tao New-York Historic
cai society on It's Seventy Niath Anniversary Au m,
S 9ao Sew.YorR: Printed Tor the society.
The treaty of peace between England ana the
Tinted states. NEGOTIATED at Paris in 1852 by John
Adams Eenjainin Franklin and John Jay, mas
l,een for a hundred years the subject of curious
errors ans, con!rovorkies The American Conniis
soners were instru ted by Congress to uhaei'aho
nothing in the negotiations for peace or truco
ont the knowledge and concurrence OF the Minis
tiers of our generous ally, the King OF rance """
ultimately to govern themselves Dy their "u.i'0
and opinion" This extraordinary instruction:
which made the French King master of the terms OF
ace and arbter of our dcstnes, was voted AT tile
suppestion of the French Ministry, and one OF the
curious facts emphasized in the present monograph
ia that the French agent at Philadelphia was CHI
powered to make donations to various Aiher'can
authors in furtheranco of his Malestys desishS'
Jay, who, though tho youngest OF the Aihorio'l
commissioners. was the leading spirit In the neso-
tat;on became satisfied that the French Minister
Vergenues was playing false part, aud anxious W
betray our most vital interests into the hahu' VI
Great Britain. With the entire concurrence VI
Adams and the final consent OF FRANKLIN no .nero-
fora proposed to disobey the instructions OF Con-
gress, and deal secretly and directly with the
British agent The treaty thus concluded was
one. The real causes of bis resentment OF course
were not declared; but the Commissioners were
censured for ungratefully and injurously .disre
caraing the obligations of America to her generous
ally. jays American critics pronounced his sus-
picons of VergcDnes totally unfounded. Jareu
Sharks in his edition of the Diplomatic Correspond
once of the American Revolution" asserted that
he had "read In the French Office OF Foreign
Affairs the entire correspondence OF the Count de
Vergennes during the whole war with the french
Ministers n this country developing the policy and
designs of the French Court in regard to the war
and the object to be attained by thc.peace," and
that after careful examination of these and other
papers he could have no doubt that MI. Jay was
mistaken both in regard to the aims of the French
Court and the plans pursued by them to gain their
sur posed ends" The verdict of MI. Sparks has
been echoed by many other historians down TO our
own day.
And vet the correspondence of Vergennes does
contain what Mr.. Sparks said was not there. Inc
disclosures of the last few years make 1t certain
that Jay was right. Either Mr. Sparks did not see
the @entire" correspondence of Vergennes, or his
examination of that correspondencewas not so care
full as he boosted that 1t was Mr. Bancroft obtained
transcripts of most important letters between the
French Minister and his subordinates. Some OF
them were used in the last volume of his history,
and all of them were placed by our distinguished
countryman at the disposal of Countde Circourt,who
published them in 1876 in his Historic de Faction
commune de la France ct de PAmerque pour flnde-
pendence des Etats Unis." Ghe disclosures en-
braced in these letters are confirmed by documents
recently published in the " Life" OF Lord Shell
burne by his grandson. Lord Edmond Fitzmaurice
Mr. John Jay has made an effective display OF all
this new evidence. as well as the older testimony
1t seems to us conclusive The elder Jay was per-
10 1na1 pa1 hat
object of vergennes was to confne the United
States to narrow strip of seaboard cutting us OH
from the Mississippi and the Lakes. restricting us
TO territory south of the Ohio and excluding us from
the fisheries. 1t was no part of the French plan
that America should ever be allowed to become too
prosperous or powerful and there were valuable |
possessions on this continent which. 1t seemed TO |
Vergennes might better be used in adjusting the |
French interests in Europe than left in the hands OF
revolted colonsts lie had little respect Tor the
Americans. A" 1t behooyes u.s. he wrote to Luzerne
to leave them to their illusions to do everything
we can to make them fancy that we share them,
and unostentatiousy to defeat any !atteinpts 10
which these illusions may carry them II our CO.
pperation is requiredn 1t may be that he thought
better of their capacity when he discovered that
their Commissioners had penetrated his design
and dsre yardng the instructions of their own Gov
eminent by an exercise of discretion as happy as 1t
was bold and brilliant, had matured treaty when
overturned the most carefully arranged plans OF
astute European dplomatists. The treaty, says the
author of the valuable monograph we are now re-
viewing. a" ended the schemes shared II not inspired
by Spain for depriving the Americans of the west
ern and northwestern territories and OF the New
foundland fisheries. and of compensation to Spain
for her services and losses by securing her ascend
ancy on the Mississippi. 1t ended the game OF
PLAYING into the hands of English Ministers against
America on these points and on the loyalists, and
40 establishing claim to concessions in return. 1t
ended all hope of establishing In America the bal
ance of power principle which obtained in Europe;
enabling England and Spain to hold in check the
new Republics and it presented that Republic
triumphant diplomacy as in war. magnifcently
endowed and the future mistress OF the Western
Continent"
Mr. John JAYS address, as now published, con-
tans in the form of an appendix large amount OF
matter-more than a hundred pages-supplementary
to what was read at the anniversary meeting. In
this additional matter will be found selections from
the newly disclosed Vergennes correspondence.
JOHN HOWARD PAYNE A Biographical Sketch OF
the Author OF Home Sweet Home" with Nara
tive OF the Removal OF his Remains from Innis 10
144. Washington: George A. Coolidge.
4 The account of the removal of Paynes remains
from Tuns to America. at the cost of Mr.. W. w.
Corcoran. and their interment in Oak Hill Gene
terry at Georgetown, is the principal subject of this
deliberately made volume, the biographical sketch,
although it fills about half the whole number OF
pages really serving an introduction to the
record of the recent transfer and the ceremonies
connected with it. Mr.. Brainard, who knew Payne
In Washington during the latter part of the actors
life. has given q few personal "reminiscences; but
the greater part of the biography is either unac-
kno uedged abridgment of Mr.. Gabriel Harrson's