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CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
TREATY OF GHENT OF 1814 WITH GREAT BRITAIN.
Page
Little settled by Jay's treaty—Mr. King, minister to Eng-
land—Made no treaty-Succeeded by Mr. Monroe-Proposes
a convention to Lord Hawkesbury-Rule of '56- Account of
it-Injurious to American commerce-Special mission of
Messrs. Monroe and Pinkney-Conventions with Lords Holland
and Auckland--Most favourable ever made-President rejects
it without consulting Senate Impressment-Account of it
Opinions of Foster, Mansfield and Chatham-Convention with
Lord St. Vincent-Chesapeake England offered reparation-
Refused to consider the affair in connexion with other topics
in discussion-Mr. Rose-Mission ineffectual-Orders in coun-
cil--Great sensation-Erskine arrangement--Unsuccessful
Erskine withdrawn-Mr. Jackson--His correspondence with
government-Dismissed-England expresses no mark of dis-
pleasure--Antedated decree--England refuses to repeal orders
-Declaration of 1812-War--Remarks on neutrality--Medi-
ation of Russia-Not successful--Peace of Ghent--No disput-
ed point settled--Peace--Policy of America--War of 1812,
good effect on national character,
1
CHAPTER II.
COMMERCIAL CONVENTION OF 1815 WITH G. BRITAIN.
Pitt first proposed a reciprocity of duties-- Introduced a bill
into Parliament in 1783 for that purpose--Failed--Eden's re-
marks--1790, date of navigation laws of this country--System
of protection still continued, though application altered--Ad-
ams, Clay and Gallatin negotiate a convention at London with
Robinson, Adams and Goulbourn--Points of laws of nations not
touched_Convention strictly commercial--East but not West
India trade regulated-Remarks on specie--Perfect equality
of importation duties and tonnage rates-Colonial possessions
give England great advantages-Theory of convention une-
qual--Still favourable in practice to U. States--No trade with
Indians allowed-Nor between respective territories on this
continent--Consuls--Adams minister to England--Bagot to
this country, ·
59
CHAPTER III.
COMMERCIAL CONVENTION OF 1818 WITH G. BRITAIN.
Commercial stipulations the same as those of 1815--Re-
newed for ten years--Impressment--Tone of British govern-
ment unfavourable at Ghent-Subject much discussed in 1818
-Propositions of England--Remarks--Parties could not agree
-Will never be adjusted by a Treaty--A question of sove-
reignty to the United States--British propositions in regard to
other maritime rights--Nothing settled--Gallatin and Rush
for United States--Robinson and Goulbourn for England -
Fisheries--Extent and boundaries regulated-Curtailed
American and British ground as to effect of war on Treaties--
Lord Bathurst's Letter defending British principle--England
renounced right to Navigation of Mississippi--United States
to certain portion of the Fisheries--Boundaries on the North
West settled--To the Rock Mountains-English anxious to
confine United States below the course of the Columbia, and
to divide the Navigation of the river, and the use of the har-
bour--Have ambitious projects in that direction--Possess an
accurate knowledge of the country by means of their hunters
-Americans and English have extended nearly across the
Continent--Rush, King, Gallatin and Barbour, ministers to
England --Canning and Vaughan to this country--Boundaries
- Proceedings on the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh Articles
of the Treaty of Ghent--Decisions and Reports of Commis-
sioners--Convention in regard to the North East--Advantages
to both parties from a settlement,
76
CHAPTER IV.
NEGOTIATION RESPECTING COLUMBIA RIVER.
Great distance of mouth of Columbia-Called Oregon-
Reason not given-Seat of a great empire-Rock Mountains
called the limits of the United States-Harbour of Columbia
very important-Fur trade and fisheries-Grounds of Ameri-
can claim-Discovery, examination and possession--Capt.
Gray enters the Columbia in 1790—Lewis and Clarke-Ac-
count of Astoria--Proposition of British commissioners in
1824—Not accepted-Boundaries in north-west remain unset-
tled-Convention of 1818 renewed for ten years—Sir A.
M“Kenzie sees the Pacific in 1793, but mistakes the river-
Great project of the English in regard to their fur grounds-
Their empire founded in commerce,
· 119
CHAPTER V. .
TREATY OF 1819 WITH SPAIN.
Napoleon releases Ferdinand from Valancay-Letters of
Napoleon and Ferdinand--Erving attempts a negotiation with
Cevallos- Various delays practised by Spain-Burlesque
blockade of part of South America---Pizarro--Grants of land
in Florida to Spanish subjects-Treaty of 1819 negotiated at
Washington between Adams and de Onis-Grants of land, an
evasion of it-Forsyth sent to Spain-King refuses to ratify
treaty-No reason assigned—Warm correspondence-Vives
sent to this country-No authority to ratify-Demands expla-
nations as to privateers and recognition of South American
provinces United States extremely dissatisfied-Refuse ex-
planation or discussion-European powers endeavour to per-
suade Spain to a ratification-Refuse, on account of unwil-
lingness to have South America acknowledged--Policy of
England, France and Russia-Design on Cuba-Delays again
practised by Spain-Statement of the grant to Alagon, &c.-
Include best part of Florida-Spain, at length, ratifies- And
cancels the grants-Vives complains of Forsyth's letter of pro-
test-Nelson, minister to Madrid-Anduaga to Washington-
Piracies in West India seas- -Vexatious and disgraceful-Spain
unable to protect her own coasts—President proposes to Con-
gress to pass a law, authorizing blockade of Cuba--Rejected
--Dangerous measure-Navy very active and successful in
suppressing piracies-Everett, minister in Spain-Tacon in
U. States-Negotiations with Spain next in importance to
those with mother country-Mississippi-Floridas-Louisiana
-Indemnity of $5,000,000, to U. States-Spain in a state of
decay-Diplomatic intercourse for the future, probably of
slight moment,
129
.
CHAPTER VI.
CONVENTION OF NAVIGATION AND COMMERCE OF
1822 WITH FRANCE.
American and Ottoman Legations only asylums in Paris in
1814-Restoration of Bourbons led to slight suspension in
intercourse-Crawford-De Neuville-France unwilling to
make a Commercial Convention-Great advantages from state
of Trade-French commerce once very extensive-Gallatin
-State of Trade causes great uneasiness in United States-
Convention--Throws freights into American vessels-Claim
under 8th article of treaty of Louisiana-Extraordinary-Ac-
count of that business—First employed by France to delay
Convention, then to resist Claims-Diplomacy simplified in
modern times-Executive men now more important-Argu-
ment on the claim under the Louisiana treaty-Remains with-
out settlement-Brown, Minister-Menou, Chargé,
170
CHAPTER VII.
ACCOUNT OF THE CLAIMS ON FRANCE AND NAPLES.
Very perplexing though important subject-Difficulty began
in 1778–French in 1793 captured American vessels—First
class of claims-Embargo at Bordeaux-Convention of 1800-
Claims of two governments respectively renounced—United
States responsible to their own citizens—Convention of 1803
- Second class of claims-French credit very bad-Conven-
tion of 1803 defective on subject of claims-Livingston in-
structed to negotiate an additional one-France declines-
Claims amount to from 8 to 11,000,000 dollars-Continental
system-- Third class—History of those claims-French govern-
ment have never answered statement of American government
-Paid every body in Europe-Refuse even to liquidate-
Seek to couple them with business of Louisiana-Nothing in
fact done since 1816—Naples-Pinckney sent to that court in
1816—Discusses the claim with the marquess di Circello--
Long letter-Vindicating the principle of the demand— Cir-
cello refuses the application-Denies that Naples is responsi-
ble-No other European government gone so far--Nothing
more done,
191
CHAPTER VIII.
RELATIONS WITH PORTUGAL.
Trade in Mediterranean, exposed to Barbary cruisers, first
led to diplomatic intercourse-Humphreys sent to Lisbon in