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CONGRESS. 1
Our Relations with Spain.
COoncluded.J
*han*lativn eeMch tfceo mptmied a if die of the
2nd January 1816, Jr*m the Chevalier de
Unit, f the Secretary of State •
S!B—Since the I*si note I ban Ute honor to
nddrest you, under the da.e of the 30th De
cumber, I have receive I positive information
t‘i»t the expedition which the traitor Toledo
Vas preparing in New Orleans, against the
diminions of the king, rny master, ha* teen
atup-nded Until the arrival in that cty of two
• bodies of troops, 1000 men front Kentucky,
ahd 300 from Tennessee, commanded by two
American citizens, that wore u» be united in
twenty f.mr Jays torthe army of the insurgents.
2 abstain, sir/ from offering to you any
tattoos on a sUbjec* Os sue . high importance,
and to well estabJisJied Xam well persuaded
that his excellency the President Will easily
perceive that if the states of Kentucky# Tennes
see, a*.d Georgia, Con*inue as they do, allow*
Ing rlieir citisens to c >mmit hostilities against
A trl ndly power, notwithstanding the orders
he has issued for dispersing and disarming the
gang of deeperaitoea hyaded by Toledo, Hum*
ben, fiemufdo, Sorrier, Istri, Doctor
H tbinson, majors Eurie »nd Preire, and their
follow*rs t the king mv mas er, will have reu
aon to suspcC , that if those meetings are not
Authoris'd by the government, they uivat leal,
lobrated* All ’he assurances 1 may give to my
sovereign, of the friendly dispositions of his
excellency the President, will not suffice, when
compared with ;t.hd evident proof# I had the
honor to communicate to you in this and my
former note j particularly when his majesty Is
toed convinced of the reVairses end the aulho
t’xy of the frd Tal g overnment, observed in th*
'Whole Union- 1d > t not enter'ain any appre
hension of the result of the expedition of theie
ineemiianea The European wars being ter
minated, his lhajestr will be ab’e to difect all
Kis attention and his powerful, armies, to stifle
At once the grow :h of du* insurrection { but
«hc philanthropic heart of my sovereign, con-
XliUi'ca tlie character of the Spanidt nation, in
duce him te wish to re establish orilcr among
the seduced, rather by mildness than by the
force of arms, which cannot be effected with*
out the effusion of the blood of his beloved sub-
Iftc s. 'T.tin object cannot fail to be obtained
•t soon at the Mexican insurgents, and those
of (he Internal provinces, cease to be furnished
by Ihe citizens of this republic, with arms,
ammunition ami troops.
I shall never have the vain presumption to
offer you, or the wise magistrate that is at the
head of this administi-auon, any observations
on the consequences that might result against
tAe interest# of this republic by. the indepen
dence ofSpainish America. My wishes are
onty directed toequal yon In moderation and to
O- esiahlith, onthemos' firm and permanent
basis, the relations betwewi our governments
This sincere desire will, 1 hope serve as an ap*
elegy for me, while t take the liberty to pres
ent gn hypothecs an this note.
•’ 1 1 grant, for a moment, that all the Mexican
. empire erects itself into an independent state;
’ that it adopts the wise constitution of this con
federation T establishes a complete system of
„legislation; and finally, that it enjoys all the
’'' blessings of liberty, in the same full extents as
this republic. It i? beyond question that the
Climate of Mexico is more temperate than that
of the United States; and fruits more abundant, i
rich, and of a superior quality; and that pro
visions, labor, W 'o4, houses, -clothing, kc. are
in consequence of the climate, much cxeaper
than in this country. If this event should take f
Jlttc., do you nut think, sir, as 1 dt>, that so '
iftny alluring prospects, and so many evi
dent advantages, will deprive this republic
of the successive emigrations from Europe f
*' And, What is more, of a very considerable part j
of lhr tn «st useful and industrious inhabitants ;
of the confeuvTation; who would c#n y with )
them to Mexico their flour and saw mills, j
machines, manufacturers, their enterprssing i
genius, in a word, their general instruction, j
and all thri* means that actually promote and
Vivify the commerce of these States ? 1 flatter
myself that this event Will not happen ; but I
Am fudy convinced, that the consequences of
this hypothesis can be demonistrated almost
With a mathematical certainty; and that if
the citizens of Kentucky, Tennessee, Louisiana i
And Georgia, should reflect deeply on this sub- !
ject ftp hr mi giving *nv aid to these vag* .
abonds greedy of the aquisition of gold, and |
regard loss of the happiness of their country, I
they would unite themselves with the au- i
thonties of the king, my master, to punish \
■, ti«at gsng of perfidious traitors, that bide
themselves in these States, with the criminal
design of devastating their country:—4 hope,
air, vt>U will have the goodness to overlook
rhh aigression, to which 1 have been carried I
by my warm desire of strengthening the most
. perfect,..ndship between the two nstlons,
s and to inform bis excellency the President,
that the orders 1 claim in his caholic majes
ty’s name, directed to the trial aud punishment
of the ringleaders of those armies and tlie I
'prohibition of exporting arms, of any kind, i
.i from this country to the provinces, against my 1
sovereign’# authority, are of the greatest ini- ■
por’ance, and are supported by the existing
tres'y of friendship, limits, and navigation, J
be'ween Spain and tht United States, especi-}
ally the 16th article.
I expect, air, ycur answer to these impor- i
tant points, and I have the- honor to be, fee-!
&c> &c.
, »
The Secretary yf State to the Chevelier tie Onis, j
Envoy F.xt>'aordiuary and Minuter Pientpo- i
lentiaru of iJe Vathuitc Mijetii
Department of State, Jan 19 ISIS; j
Sir—-I Have tbe honor to receive your I
Utters ;f the 30th December and 2d of January, 1
#vi to «uomit the n to tht
You demand that your sovereign shad be put i
in pos esion of West Florida; that cert»i >pr- j
fioos, whom you have menuonrd, shall be ar
rested And tried on thech.rge oPpromoting
inpurrecthm in the Spanish provinces, and cx-.
'ltlng cirtrqfcs of tin United States of Join in it;
' ctid ib-fcdly, *bai the flag qf Ca foagtfi*. tho
Mexican Congress Bueno* Ayres a dythei re-
Vvriing province#, soull be excluded tfom ine
ports ■ f tn« Uni ed fltates.
On the re establishment of the r*-
larions between the Umied States ind op»«"
k was hop d that yon government, would not
have confine! its attention t* the otydtw m
whi h Spain alone, is intern <d, but h_ve ex
tended'it to tlie injuries of which the United
States have so long and aO jus ly complai' eih
with s view to shch repar ; tioo a* it migut now
be able to make The sdhjjcts, are, in their
nature, intimately Connected . in V)tne impor
tant circumstances, indeed, it is impossible to
separate them, since the* exposition of the
wrings of the United 8 a cs ass tds the proper
answer, in those instances, to the complaints
of Spam. Jr f, my duty »o bring tbes. wrongs
into view, that m yW, d fr y confiit!ere< * ai
provided for, in case your government has, &lT
am bound to presume, in Veiled you with adc-/
ouate powera for the P u T t "? e { ,r*i -
At a period anterior to"Vtheir of ti e circum
stances mentioted in your letter, * the United
States had sutteted great injury by the unlawful
secure and condemnation yjf ’heir vessels in the (
ptms of Spain., A treaty .providing an indemni
ty for those spoliations, wad agreed to and » gp d
by a Minister duly 4 amho izi d by ' each gov-, rn
mentj but i s ratifi ation though negotiated
and concluded in the presence ot ’he Spanish
government.* was as erwafds declined by it At
ah anterior period, too, the deposit at New Or
leans, st ptilaied by the treaty of '1795, .was sup
pressed. As the United States had done no in
jury to Spain, these acts ao hostile in their na
ture, and injurious in thei effects, exc’mdmuch
surprise, it had heen the onitorm object of this
government to make such armn. tmovts with
Spain, mperting the free navigation of the
Mississippi, and the boundaries, a* securing to
our otiaens the fuli enj lyiheiit of their rights,
would place the pi ac and friendship ol the two
countries on a solid and lurab c basis. W itb this
view it was sought \o obtain of rpain, at a fair
equivalent, the territory eastward of the Missis
sippi Overtures to this effect were ntade to the
Spanish government and rejected. Being renew
ed, the Minister of the United States was in
formed that Spain hadcqded Louisian i to France,
to whom he was referred for the acquisition of
such territory, in that quarter, as be might-be
Instructed to make. On the last Very important
event, the suppression of the deposit at New-
Orleans, a special mission was instituted to
France and Spam, the object of which was to
avert, by amicable n.gaciaton and arrangement,
.he calamities of war. Affairs had, more espe
alally by this act of violence and hostility, reach
ed a crisis, which prec.ueUd the idea of tempo
rary paliatives. A compr.h -n.vive and perma
pent arrangement had become indispensable, of
which. It was presumed, the governments of
France and Spain would be equal ty sensible.- ,
The cession of Louisiana by France to he Unit
ed Staten, was the immediate consequence of
this mission, with such a desi ription of ns boun
daries by the treaty. as* it was presumed, would
leave no cause of controversy with Spain.
The mission thus succeeded in a very import
ant object, bat there w« r * others, of a similar
Character,|which remained to be adjusted. The
differences with‘«pain still existed, and to them
was added, a circumstance, of much interest pro
ceeding from the acquist tou of Louisiana, the
unsettled boundaries of the provin e, which
were now to be established with Spain. Under
the influehce of the same policy, the special mis
sion was ordered, soon afterwards, to Madrid,
to invite a negotiation, for the arrangement of
all these important concerns Spain still held
| territory eastward of the Perdido, which, by her
cession of Louisiana, and its transfer to the Unit
cd States, was separated from her other domin
ions, and lay, exc: p* on the side of th ocean,
1 exclusively within ortr limits Ihe importance
1 of this territory to Sp an, in consequence of hese
events, in any view which might ue taken of it,
seemed to be mueh diminished, if not entire ,y
lost, while in certain vietys, of which it was sus
j repnble.it proved highly injurious. There was
danger that the continuance of a Spanish colony
j there, might produce jealous, ana variance be.
j tween the two nation* On the other hand, the
i United States had a- quired territory westward
i of the Miaaksippi, adjoining the provinces *of
Spain, whiwtVi* was slipp std, she migut be
desirous of obtau»ing.- ‘By mutual Cessions of
territory, in quarters most donvenunt to each
other, and by an interval between their
possessions, to rem*fo vacant, the danger of col
lision might be avqs/ d, and the, f under
standing more .jUieser vtd. By ten.
dering justice likewise of the Unit
ed Statrs, their Citixena wSiila be contented, and
j their government be better Cnab ed to control
I their conduct beyond their limits. Here then
; seemed to be a fair ground so amicable com
promise between the parties An opportunity
was presented f>r terminating every difference,
and securing their future harmony, without loss
or sacrifice, by either. On the result of this mis
sion 1 need not enlarge 1 shall remark only,
that the friendly, policy that produced ir,-w as not
feciproca’ed by your government ; it was per
haps not folt ; It was certainty disregar.
i ed. 'Every proprsiuon of the Ameican Minis
-1 lets, having these objects in view, was rejected,
and pone made in return by your government.
1 This conduct of your would have
justified H it did not inv he. the most decisive
| measures on the part of the united, states. The
i retUvil to make reparation for pteceeding inju
ries or to surrender any portion of the erritor,
| in the possession of Spain, ro.which they onsi
. de ed their title indisputable, -*t“to except fair
. and liberal propositions for the accommodation
| of these differences, or to make a proposition of
I any kind for the purpose, left the United States
| perfectly free, topursße such ca*-*e, as in their
! judgment a just regard to the. honor, rights, and
| interests , f the na ion might dictate. In the
I c .ndition of Spain, there was nothing to excite
' apprehension of the consequences, whatever
, might be th* course decided on Os this, the
! well known slate of’.he Peninsula, at the time,
‘and since, and of the Spanish provinces in A
i merica, afford . mple proof The friend y poii
i cr which the United States have since pursued,
j is the more con-picuoos; from the consideration,
that your government has inflexibly maintained
th* unjust and hostile attitude which iv then as
: surhed, and has even ajlded new injuries and in
‘ aolts to those of which 4 iute already compiain
«d | refer, in this iartev remark td the breaches
of he neutrality of Spain, wliivbher government
permitted, It it did. io« auithoiise. by Brnnh
tro psj and British agents, in Florida, and thro
that province,* with the I reeks and other Indian.
.. U,f lu.wiih l.r»3i itritain. to the
ti uco, tn imi«.v —T- _ - ' )-
great injury offoe. United States. It is under
these circwrstandt* that you have m. de the de
mands above recked, to which 1 will now pro
ctrd to give a more particular reply. '
You require that apaio shall be put into pos
session of VVesrt-F.onda, as an act oi justice, be
fort of the light of foe par ka to it
is entered on ’ ■ ••
It is known to yoor government, that the
United States claim by cession, at a fair equiv
alent, the province of Louisiana, as it was held
by France prior to the treaiy 0f!763, extending
from the River Perdido, on ihc eastern side of
the Missisippi, to the Bravo, or Grande, on the
western. 'I o the whole tenitory within those
, lim ts, the United States consider their right
es-.ab ished by known facts, and the fair
interpretation of treaties In a like spirit may
he United States demand the surrender of ail
the territory above discVibed now in the occupan
cy oi Spain as a aondition to the commencement
1 at any negotiation for the* adjustment ol ditie
rem es. Wfo nwe consider how long your go
vemment has maintained what is deemed an *iv
just possession; more especially, whon we re
collect that the injuries beiore leecivcd are still
" unredressed, and that others have been since
• endered, there can be, it is piesumcd, but one
opinion, as to the ot this gov*
drnment in acquiescing* in it. but Why restore
;his province to SpMn, if it is the intention of
your government; to make the tine to it, in ion
necion with otherdifierenees, a.subject of ami
cabe negocia ii n and arrangement ? May not
such negocia ion be entcreo into, as well while
it is in the occupancy of the l)iuud States, as
if it were in that cf Spain ?
You demand nox*. that Mr. Toledo, and
others, whom you triention. Charged wab pro
muting revolt in foe Spanish provinces, and
exciting citixens of the United Staves to join (
in tv, shall be arres ed and tiled—fodir troops
disarmed arxidismissed.
You intimate that troops are levying in Ken
tucky, Tennessee, Louisiana, and Georgia,
for foe invasion of the Spams! ( rovtfices, of
whom one*thousand are liom Kentucky, and
three hundred from Tennessee, to be com
‘roanded by American ctuxens; but you do not
staie a. what points these men an colleced or
by Whom commanded i and an tothe forces said
to be raised in Louisiana and Georgia, your
communication is still more indefinite. The
information recently obtained by this depart
ment, from persons of high consideration, is ot
a very different character. It is stated foal no
men are collected, nor is there any evidence of
I an attempt or design to collect any in Ken
: tncky, Tennessee cr Georgia, for the purpose
* stated ; snd that foe force said to be assembled
I under Mr. Toledo is very inconsiderate, and
i composed principally ol Spaniards and french*
men- if any portion of il consists of ciuicn#
of the United States, iheir" conduct is unau
thorised and illegal This farce is not within
foe settled parts of Louisiana, but in the wil
derness, between the. settlements of the United
States ana Spain, beyond the actual operation
of our laws. hayt# to request, that you
have the goodttess'to state, at what points in
Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and Louisiana,
any fore/ is collected, the number in each in-
Stance, and by Whom commanded. If such
force is collected, or collecting, within the
Uplted Siates, for foe purpose suggested, or
Other illegal purpose, it will be dispersed, »nd
the partita prosecuted, according to law.
This government is under" »w obligation, nor
has il foe j*ower, by any law or treaty, to sur
render any inhabitant of Spam or the Spanish
provinces, on the demand of the government
of Spam i n»r is any such inhabitant punish
able by foe iawsol the Uniu d States for ucis
| Committed beyond their jurisdiction, the case
|of pirsies alone excepted. Tins is a fnndu
j menial law of our sysieih. Lis n i, however*
Confined to us Lis believed to be the laws
, ut all civihxed nations, whore not particularly
varied by treaties- . .J
In reply to your third demand, the exclusi
on ol the flag of the revolting provinces, 1 have
to observe, that in consequence of the unset
tied stale of many countries, and repeated
changes of he ruling authority in each, there
being, at foe same tune* several competitors,
and each party bearing i tß appiopm e flag,
the President thought it ‘proper, sonic time
past, to give orders to the collectors not to
make the flag of any vcsstl a criterion or con
dition of its admission into the ports of the
United States. - Having taken no part in the
differences and Convulsions which havedis
;tn bed those countries, it is consistent with
the just principles* as it is wish foe interests
of the Uni>ed States* o receive .he vessels of
all countries into their ports, to whatever par
ty belonging, and under whrtever flag sailing,
pirates excepted, requiring of so» m only the
payment of tlie duties, and obedience to the
laws, while under their jurisdiction t without
adverting to the question, whether they had
fiommiticd any violation of the allegiance or
aws obligatory on form in foe countries to
'which they belonged, ei h*r in assuming such
flag, or in any other respect.
In the difference? which have snbsisVu be
tween Spain and her colonies, the United
Siates have' observed ail pn.pci respect
to their’ friend.y illations with Spain-f They
took no moitsures to indemnify ihemselyes for
losses and injutiea; none t > guard against j
foe occupancy of the Spa nish tern ory by the j
British lorces in the late war, or to occupy the
temjoiy urwhich the United Sates consider
their title pood, except mfoe iris aticeof VP'esi-
Plorida,a;.d ix dial insiaiice umit-r aircpuistAli
ces which made then* interposition as much an
act dfaccmmodstion to the Spanish authority
there, as of security to tIK mseives.. They have
also prolubiufd their citizens from taking any ,
part in the war; and the mi.sbittm's of the eol- 1
lonies, & other foreigneis dopnected with them, :
Tom n emiting men in the Unit. d States lur ■
that purpose The {proclamations which have
been issued by the Governors cf h - s’ates and
<erri'ories, h' iustae.ce*»rli e Frcsideui, and
I t lie Proclainaiion lately issued by it • President
himself, a-c not unknown io jour guverniaeiu.
TUiSoofidnrt, undef sutfo tircHtustapces, c*>4
at such a time, is of a character too ottriked to
bv' mistaken by the impartial, world.
W bat will be the final result of the civil wu>
which preavils between Spain and the provitu
ces in America, is beyond (be reach of human
fnrpaifirht. It has already existed nino
and with various success, sometimes
ly prevailing, and then the other. In some of 1
the provinces, the success of the revolution u* f
jieocs to have given to their cause more stahiU
ity than in others All that your government
had a right to claim of the United States, was,
that they should not interfere in the Contest, or
promote, by any at live service, 'the success of
the revolution, admitting that |hey continued ’
to overlook the injure received fnom Spain, and
remain at place. This right was common to
the colonists. With equal justice might they
claim, that we would not interfere to their
disadvantage: that onr ports, should remain
open to both parties, as they were before the.
commencement of the struggle; that our h«i
regulating commerce with foreign nations
should not be charged to tlieif fojurvOPa
these principles the United States have Sfetfef.
So much 1 have thought proper te state, w*
specting the relations existing between the U.
States & Spain. The restoration of the diplomatic
intercourse between our governmenlsjforms ait
epoch which eftnnot foil to be important to
both nations It it does not produce a result
to their future friendship & good tin.
derstunding, to your government will the fad.
ure be imputable. The United States have
at all times been willing to settle their
differences on just principles and conditions,
and they still are. Os this I informed you in
my letter of the sih of May, as 1 likewise did
Mr. Cavellos, in a letter of the 17th of July.
It will be very" satisfactory to the PresU
dent, to find that your government entertalnd
now the same is disposition, and haa gtved
you full power to conclude a treaty for these
purposes.
1 iiave the honor to be, with great
ation, sir, your very obedient servant.
(Signed) MONROE.
From a London Paper, '
KOSCIUSCO.
From M. H. M. Williams’s Narra
live of Events in France.
A Polish regiment, forming a part
of the advanced guard of the Russian
army, after expelling the French
from Troyes, marched upon Fontain
bleau. The troops were foraging in
a neighboring village, and were about
to commit disorder which would have
caused considerable loss to the pri
soners, without benefit to themselves;
such as piercing the banks, or forcing
the sluices of some fish-ponds- While
they were thus employed, and their
officers looking on, they were aston
ished (o hear the Word of command,
bidding them to erase, pronounced In
their own language, by a person in
the dress of the tipper class of pea
sants ; they ceased their attempt at
further spoliation, and drew near Ihe
stranger. lie represented to the
troops the useless mischief they were
about to commit, and ordered them
to withdraw. The officers coming up
were lectured in their turn, and beard
w ith the same astonishment (lie laws
of predatory warfare explained to
them—“ When 1 had command in the
army of which your regiment is a
part, 1 punished very severely such
acts as you seem to authorize by your
presence; and it Is not on those sol
diers, but on you that punishment
would have fallen.” To be thus tur
cored by a French farmer, la their
own language, in snch circumstances
and in such terms was almost past en
durance. They beheld the peasants
at the same time taking off their bats
and surrounding the speaker, as if to
protect him in case of violence; whilst
the oldest amongst their own soldiers,
anxiously gazing on the features of
the stranger, were seized with a kind
of involuntary trembling. Conjured
more peremptorily, though respect
fully, to disclose bis quality and his
name, Ihe peasant drawing his hand
across bis eye to wipe off a starting
(ear exclaimed, with a half stifled
voice, *•! am Kosqiusco!” The
movement was electric. The sohiiert
threw down their arms, and falling
prostrate on (he ground, according to
the custom of the country, covered
(heir heads v itli sand. It Wi the
prostration of the heart. On Koseir
j. usco’s return to bis hrfuse ill the neigh
borhood of this scene, he found aßus
sian military post established to pro
tect it. The Pmperor Alexander
having learnt from M. delaHarpe,
that Kosciuscq resided in the country,
! ordered him & guard of honor, and the
1 country around his dwelling escaped
; all plunder and contributions. KoS
! ciusko had withdraws some years
i since from (be guilty world of Bona
parte to cultivate a little farin, reject
ing every offer which was made him
by.Napoleon, who had learnt to