El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-09-03
Former Treaties OF Peace.
Dallas News.

During the 122 years of its existence
| the United States government has ne
gotiated six treaties of peace. The
facts in each cas- Q are recalled with pro-
| fit and interest in view of the fact tn at
the seventh negotiation is about to
open. The first treaty was with Great
Britain following the revolutionary
war. The provisional treaty which
| recognized the indepe ndence of the
United States was signed in Paris on
| the 3Oth of November, 1882. This was
is known as the de6nitive treaty OF
peace, which was also concluded at
Paris on Sept, 3. 1888. and ratified by
the continental congress Jan. IA, 1884.
The British commissioner who signed
the treaty was the celebrated David
Hartley, one OF the most eminent of
British scientists and scholars of that
day, while the United States was re-
presented by John Adams, Benjamin
Franklin and John Jay.
In 17eS, just 100 years ago, we had
two sea fights with France, though war
was not declared, and President Adams
averted further trouble by sending q
| commission to Paris in 1900 which sue
ceeded in making q treaty that has
lasted to the present hour. Our COM
missioners we're Chief Justice Ellsworth
of the United States supreme court,
William r. Davie, governor of North
Carolina, and William Vans Murray,
who was then United Stated minist ,r
to Holland. History seems to have
specially remembered only the first of
these names outside of this one public
service.
Several treaties of peace were made
with the Barbary States, the final and
effective one being with Algiers in De-
cember, 1916, after Decatur's bonn bard
ment of that city. That treaty settled
tribute to the Barbsry corsairs.
Our treaty with Great Britain follow
ing the war of 1912 was concluded at
Client, Dec. "a, 1914. The peace com.
mission met in September, the commits
sioners on our part being James A.
Bayard, Albert Gallatin, John Quincy
| Adams, Henry Clay and Jonathan
Russell, and several times the negotia-
tions were broken off because of the
excessive demands of Great Britain,
but after three months OF discussion,
both sides being DESTROYS of bringing
about q peace, the terms were finally
agreed upon. The cause of the war.
the British claim of right to search,
was not even mentioned 10 the treaty,
strange to say. The treaty decided no
substantial point except that the war
enOuiO cease. IN tnlS cOnnecClOn IL Is
noteworthy that the battle of New Or
leans was fought two weeks after the
treaty was signed. Had there been
cables in those days there would have
been no battle of New Orleans and
Gen. Jackson would never have been
president of the United States. AS a
matter of fact, it was not until Februa-
ry that the news of the treaty reached
the United States.
The last treaty made by us with a
foreign country was that negotiated
with Mexico, following the war with
that nation, which began in 1916 and
ended in 1913. Our commissioner on
that occasion was Nicholas p. Trist, a
clerk in the state department, in whom
President Polk had great confidence.
That treaty WAS concluded at Quereta-
70, Mex, Feb. >, 1913. Its negotiation
extended over a period of about five
months.
Besides these six peace treaties many
other understandings of friendship and
amity have been brought about from
time to time. Treaties can not be con-
summated quickly, as will be seen from
the above historical data. The nego-
tiations about to open with Spain do
not promise to be an exception to the
rule. Spanish diplomacy and an over
bearing disposition will be met at every
turn, but there is prospect for a long
sitting by the commission. unless it
comes to the point where we shall have
to draw the line promptly between
trifiing and common official decency.