20 READJUSTMENT AFTER WAR 



Rush reported at London. Under such favor 

 able conditions the negotiations that were in 

 tended to define the results of the war pro 

 ceeded to a conclusion in the treaty that was 

 signed at London October 20, 1818. 



This convention fell far short of what the 

 Americans had hoped for. Its omissions were 

 almost as significant as those of the Treaty of 

 Ghent. In particular, there was no reference 

 to the right of search and impressment. This 

 subject had naturally been put first in impor 

 tance of the long list on which Rush was in 

 structed to seek an agreement. His efforts 

 revealed at the very outset, so far as the funda 

 mental principle at issue was concerned, the 

 same hopeless impasse that had existed for 

 twenty years. Great Britain stood absolutely 

 immovable on her right to search foreign mer 

 chantmen on the high seas for British seamen; 

 the United States declared categorically that 

 she would never admit the right of any foreigner 

 to muster the crew of an American vessel on 

 their own ship. In view of this unpromising 

 antagonism on fundamental principle, the ne 

 gotiations made a degree of progress that was 

 highly significant of the conciliatory spirit on 

 both sides. Castlereagh freely conceded that 



