Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-04-03

J OOlQte0 LOTU ltLutl UCi o. A44iAAAS'
to France especially to make separate
treaties with France and spain.
/ AS the whole of the year 1882 was
TO be devoted by the tired ana worn
| out belligerents, England, france,
Spain, Holland and the United states,
| in trying to make treaties, separately
or together, by which each was striV-
ing to outwit it's neighbors or allies,
let us examine more mlnutely the de-
sires, motives, aims, ampltlohs anu
methods OF each of these countries ID
| America and Europe, and their condl-
| ton at the beginning OF the year liez.
| In America, with the exception OF
! New York, Charleston, and few otner
posts on the Atlantic coast, the Whoie
i of the mainland of the United thirteen
| Colonies. by the beginning OF l7o2, was
lost to England.
The Spaniards, under General Gal
yez had overrun West Florida, cap
tured the Bahamas, Isle of Providence,
and Minorca lin the Mediterranean
| and aided by the French fleet, were
laying bitter siege to Gibraltar, with
| apparent hopes OF success.
The French fleet had captured the
| islands of Grenada, the Grenadines,
| St Vincent, Dominica, st. Christie
| pher. Nevis and Monserral, in the
West Indies, while Admiral Sifferin
| "a second Nelson) held the English
| in the Bay of Bengal, at bay.
England had taken from the French
and Dutch, St. Lucia, Essequibo and
Demmerara, and many other places
in the East and West Indies.
Such were the chief territorial
| changes resulting from the war. But
many other questions were to be con-
sidered in the treaty making of this.
year 1892 What should be the rights
| of American and French fishermen on
the banks Of Newfoundland? What
of the Loyalsts in America? What of
| the debts due from Americans to the
| English, contracted both before and
during the war? What should be the
| commercial relations Of the different
| countries?
| The Armed Neutrality" (meaning
| Freedom of navigation for fll; that
, free bottoms made free goods, that
| paper blockades were void unless sup
| ported by force') which had been pro-
claimed by Catherine of Russia 26th
of February, 1880, because England
insisted on visiting neutral ships, and
| confscating all their warlike NUM-
tions, at her own sweet will, which
Armed Neutrality Coalition" had
been accepted by Russia, Prussia,
| Denmark, Sweden, Holland, France,
Spain, the two Sicilies, and Austria.
England had also, by her opposition
TO the partitioning of Poland, by Rus
sia, Frederick the Great, and Austria,
completely alienated their sympathy,
thus practically leaving her without
an ally in all Europe. England was
also suffering from defeats by France
and Spain in the West Indies and In
dia; also by their preventing her from
succoring or aiding her besieged forces
at Gibraltar; also by the recent sur
| render OF CORVALLIS, and the conse-
quent and expected entire loss of her
American colonies; also by the stagna-
ton Of trade, therefore the misery of
her people at home, by want of funds
to continue her great wars; by the
bitter and constant warfare of her
most distinguished statesmen, against
the Infamous conduct of the wars by
North and Germaine. Englands sit
uation at ibis time may be best under
stood from the statement made by Os-
| valid, with the utmost frankness, to
|
was absolutely necessary to England;
but 1T the allies made eXhorbitant
demands on England, then the
war would become a struggle
for life and death on the part of Eng
land; our enemies may now do what
they please with us; they have the
ball at their feet, and we hope they will
| show their moderation and magnanim-
| ity."
Could anything show more clearly
| than the expression of Oswald's to
Franklin the decentralization, the hui
initiation of England at this critical
! period; of Frances cunning diploma
ey, because she was the upper dog in
the fight? The arrogance of Spain, be-
I cause for once she was the winner of
great battles by land and sea? But the
tide was about to turn in England's
affairs
| France, from the beginning to the
| close OF the Revolution, was ruled by
Louis XVI, with Count de Vergennes
as her prime minister one of the most
distinguished and polished diplomats
in Europe. When the Americans
showed their good fighting qualities
! by compelling Burgoyne to surrender
at Saratoga in 1777, France deemed it
best to make a treaty with them in
1878, not SO much 10 gain for America
her independence. but to humiliate
Great Britain, to establish a rival pow
er across the Atlantic, but not too pow
erful, that at the peace making France
should be paramount, because of her
/ great power, her treaties with Spain
and the United States, the Secret Ar
! ticle" in the treaty with the
United States, and being fully cogniz-
ant of the instructions given to her
/ commissioners to depend on France
/ alone for advice and assistance in max
/ ing her treaties. and not to conclude
one without her sanction, by her own
desires to gain additional territories.
| and not to divide the fisheries except
| between France and England, to have
SPANS desires fully consummated, and
above all, that France should hold the
balance Of power in Europe"
Spain, from the beginning to the
close of our war, was ruled by King
| Charles III, With Count De Florida as
| her prime minister Her desires and