Bisbee daily review., 1918-12-15
First Treaty With Great Britain Was Concluded by Commis soners of Congress Before American Constitution Had Come Into Existence the First President Had Been Elect ed; Ben Franklin Our Greatest Statesman
CNew York Sum


 a belligerent was a party reduces strictly to the following;
 The peace of Paris, after the revo- lution.
 The peace Of Ghent. with Great Britain. after the war of 1912.
 The peace of Guadalupe Hidalgo with Mexico. iR 1S4S.
 The peace of Paris after the war with Spain.
 Of some pertinence, however, are the peace treaties forced on us by the Barbary pirates, 1796-97, and by us on them 20 years later; and the peace convention with France made in 1900 Technically in the latter case, we had not been at war, even though our frigate Constellation had captured the French frigate Insurgente and had destroyed another. La Vengeance. And it seems worth while to review the circumstances of the Geneva ar bitration with Great Britain.
 Our Independence Recognized
 Our peace with Great Britain after the Revolution was concluded by com missioners of Congress under the art icles of confederation. and of course before an American president or con stitution existed. Washington simply was commander-in-chief The provis- ional treaty was signed at Paris, No vember 30. 17S2, the definite treaty September 3, 17S3, General Washing tion having declared cessation of hos tilities in January, 17SS.
 The American commissioners in the first conference were John Adams, Franklin. Jay and Henry Laurens; in the second the same without Laur- ems. The four main questions in beth were the boundaries of the United States, fishing rights off Newfound- land. the payment of private debts Of American citizens to British and com pensation by the United States to British loyalists (Tories) whose prop erty had been confiscated by the col onies during the war.
 It is unlikely that there will ever be an American peace commission Of greater ability than this one. Frank lin. our representative at Paris, had won for the struggling colonies the invaluable friendship and aid of the French government. John Adams was to be president. Jay to be chief jus tice of the United States supreme court. Laurens was a former presi- dent of the Continental congress. and he had been sent to Holland to ne gotiate a commercial treaty during the war, but falling into the hands of the British, had been imprisoned in the Tower of London for 15 months
 Dispute With France Ended
 Our convention of peace, commerce and navigation with France, which September 30 1900, ended war that was not a war. was negotiated Tor the United States by Oliver Ellsworth William Richard Davie and William Vans Murray. The quarrel, on the French side, was a legacy from the directory of Napoleon's first consul ate.
 The change in the French govern rnent made possible a reconciliation without formal progress into war. By the convention France recognized the rights of neutral vessels and prom jsed indemnity for her navy's depre dations. Denepding on what historian you read. Americas success in the conference was mainly the work ol Ellsworth or that of Murray
 John Adams, federalist, was presi dent at the time The vice-presidenl was Jefferson.
 Two of President Adams commis sioners, Ellsworth, who had just re signed the office of chief justice, anC Murray. who had been Washington minister to The Netherlands, were strong federalists. Davie, Enghsf born, a former governor of NoTf Carolina and a veteran of the Revolu tion. seems to have been free lance in early politics. The scene or th' convention was Paris.
 The Barbary Negotiations
 The original treaties with the Bar bary Powers were made in the clos ing years of the Eighteenth century The United States did what the Euro mean nations were doing, as matte of course, signed agreements to pa. blackmail tribute money, in return 10 immunity for our commerce in tn Mediterranean. These agreement were handled on the American sid by American consuls or their depuue as agents plenipotentiary They ar interesting documents. with an Orient al efrorescence added to the torma ity of all the older diplomatic phras ing. Our president, in preamble, most distinguished among those wn profess the religion of the Messiah, and for his people the hope is uttered may the end be happy"
 Later. we tired of piracy and blaeA mail. American squadrons attende to the Rarbary coast, and betwee 1sO5 and 1915. when Decatur finall made the whole, thing sure. treatle were made with -the Deys and B' shaws-
 The Ghent Commissioners
 The peace of Ghent was conclude December 24. 1874. The United State commission appointed by Presiden Madison. who was Jeffersonla democrat-republiean. included Joh Quincy Adams. then our minister Russia; James A. Bayard. ex-Unite States senator; Henry Clay. speake of the house: Albert Gallatin. ex-se retary of the treasury. and Jonatha -sr,