57 



Mr. Gallatin to the Secretary of State. 



Ghent, 25th December, 1&14. 



SIR : The treaty which we signed yesterday, with the British 

 ministers, is, in my opinion, as favourable as could be expected, 

 Under existing circumstances, so far as they were known to us. 

 The attitude taken by the State of Massachusetts, and the appear 

 ances in some of the neighbouring States, had a most unfavourable 

 effect. Of the probable result of the Congress at Vienna, we had 

 no correct information. The views of all the European powers 

 were precisely known, from day to day, to the British ministry. 

 From neither of them did we, in any shape, receive any intimation 

 of their intentions, of the general prospect of Europe, or of the 

 interest they took in our contest with Great Britain. I have some 

 reason to believe that all of them were desirous that it might conti 

 nue. They did not intend to assist us ; they appeared indifferent 

 about our difficulties, but they rejoiced at any thing which might 

 occupy, and eventually weaken our enemy. The manner in which 

 the campaign has terminated ; the evidence afforded, by its events, 

 of our ability to resist, alone, the now very formidable military 

 power of England ; and our having been able, without any foreign 

 assistance, and after she had made such an effort, to obtain peace 

 on equal terms, will raise our character and consequence in Eu 

 rope. This, joined with the naval victories, and the belief that 

 we alone can fight the English on their element, will make us to be. 

 courted as much as we have been neglected by foreign govern 

 ments. As to the people of Europe, public opinion was already 

 most decidedly in our favour. I anticipate a settlement with Spain 

 on our own terms, and the immediate chastisement of the Alge- 

 rines. Permit me to suggest the propriety of despatching a squad- 

 rou for that purpose, without losing a single moment. 



I have little to add to our public despatch on the subject of the 

 terms of the treaty. I really think, that there i? nothing but nomi 

 nal in the Indian article, as adopted. With respect to precedent^ 

 you will find two, though neither is altogether in point, viz. the 



article of the treaty of Utrecht, and the latter part of the 



article of our treaty with Spain. You know, that there was 



no alternative between breaking off the negotiations, and accepting 

 the article ; and that we accepted it, only as provisional, and sub 

 ject to your approbation or rejection. 



The exception of Moose Island, from the general restoration of 

 territory, is the only point on which it is possible that we might 

 have obtained an alteration, if we had adhered to our opposition 

 to it. The British government had long fluctuated on the question 

 of peace : a favourable account from Vienna, the report of some 

 success in the Gulf of Mexico, or any other incident, might pro 

 duce a change in their disposition ; they had, already, after the 

 question had been referred to them, declared that they could not 

 consent to a relinquishment of that point. We thought it too ha- 



