2G2 DIPLOMATIC CORRESPONDENCE. 



It wilj, of course, strike the Russian plenipotentiaries that by the ailoption of the 

 American article resp('(tin«>; navigation, etc., the provision for an exclusive fishery 

 of two leagues from the coasts of our respective possessions falls to the ground. 



But the omission is, in truth, immaterial. The law of nations assigns the exclu- 

 sive sovereignty of o^c league to each power off its own coasts, without any specific 

 stipulation," and thougli Sir Charles Bagot was authorized to sign the convention 

 with the specific stipulation of two leagues, in ignoriince of what had been decided 

 in the American convention at the time, yet, after tliat convention has been some 

 mouths before the wmld, and after the opportunity of reconsideration has been 

 lorced upon us by the act of Russia liersclf, we can not now consent, in negotiaing 

 (Ic novo, to astipulation Avhich, while it is absolutely unimportant to any practical 

 good, would appear to establish a contract between the United States and us to our 

 (lisadvantage. 



Count Nesselrode himself has frankly admitted that it was natural that we should 

 expect, and reasonable that we should receive, at the hands of Russia, equal measure 

 in all res'p(M-ts with the United States of America. 



It remains only, in recapitulation, to remind you of the origin and principles of 

 this whole negotiation. 



it is not, on our part, essentially a negotiation about limits. It is a demand of the 

 repeal of an oflt'eusive and unjustifiable arrogation of exclusive jurisdiction over an 

 ocean of unmeasured extent; l)ut a demand qualified and mitigated in its manner, 

 in order that its justice may be acknowledged and satisfied without soreness or 

 Inimiliation on the part of Russia. 



We negotiate about territory to cover the remonstr.auce upon principle. 



But any attemi»t to take undue advantage of this voluntary facility we must op- 

 pose. 



If the present "Projet" is agreeable to Russia w^e are ready to conclude and sign 

 the treaty. If the territorial arrangements are not satisiactory we are ready to ])Ost- 

 jioiie them and to conclude and sign the essential part — that whicb relates to navi- 

 gation alone, adding an article stipulating to negotiate about territorial limits here- 

 after. 



But we are not prepared to defer any longer the settlement of that essential part 

 of the question ; and if Russia will neither sign the whole convention nor that essen- 

 tial part of it, she must not take it amiss that we resort to some mode of recording, 

 in the face of the world, our ])rot(!st against the pretensions of the ukase of 1821, 

 and of eifectually securing our own intei-ests against the possibility of its future 

 oj>eratious. 



[Iiiflosuro IG.] 

 Mr. S. Caniihifi io Mr. G. Canning. (Received M.arcli 21.) 



No. 15.] St. PKTEiJSBUitG, February 17 {March 1), 1S25. 



SiK" l>y the messenger Latcliford I have the honor to send you the acconqianyiug 

 convention betv/een liis Majesty and the Emperor of Russia respecting the Pacific 

 0(;cau and Northwest Coast of America, which, accoi'dingto your instructions, Icon- 

 eluded and signed last night with the Russian plenipotentiaries. 



The alterations which, at their instance, I have admitted into the " Projet," such 

 as I presented it to them at first, will be found, I conceive, to be in strict couforuiily 

 with the spirit and sul)stance of His Majesty's ccmnnands. The order of the two main 

 subjects of our negotiation, as stated in the preamble of tlie convention, is preserved 

 in the articles of that instrument. The line of demarcation along the strip of laud 

 <m the nortliwest coast of America, assigned to Russia, is laid down in the convention 

 agreeably to your directions, uotwithstanding some difficulties raised on this point, 

 as well as on that which regards the order of the articles, by the Russian plenipo- 

 tentiaries. 



The instance in which you will perceive that I have most availed myself of the 

 latitude afforded by your instructions to bring the negotiation to a satisfactory and 

 ](rompt conclusion is the division of the third artich' of the new " Projet," as it 

 stood when I gave it in, into the third, fourth, and fifth articles of the convention 

 signed liy the ])lcnipoTentiaries. 



This chang(i was suggested by the Russian plenipotentiaries, and at first it was 

 suggested in a shai)e wliich apjxsired to me ol)jectional)le; but the articles, as they 

 are now drawn up, I huuibly conceive to be such as will not meet with your disa])- 

 pidli.'ition. The second i)aTagra])li of the fourth article had already appeared i)aren- 

 lliclically in the third article of the "Projet," and the whole of tlie fourth article is 

 liuiifed in its signification and connected with the article innnediately preceding it 

 by the first paragraph. 



