18 



right to independence, subject to violation on the day 

 of its ratification ? 



Could any reasonable man have believed that after 

 this formal avowal by the British government of their 

 intentions, and after their solemn denial of our right, 

 they would leave such of our fishermen as they should 

 discover in their waters unmolested? 



Was it not morally certain that the British nation 

 would act practically upon this determination of their 

 government, and would (should it become necessary) 

 resort to force to exclude the Americans from their ter 

 ritorial jurisdiction ? 



But says Mr. Adams, if the Americans were notified 

 by the British that they should not again grant this 

 privilege to them, the British were also notified by the 

 Americans, that they considered that privilege secured 

 by a title which could not be abrogated by war. 



Of what practical consequence was the American no 

 tice ? America claimed a right to use a beneficial privi 

 lege within the territorial jurisdiction of Great Britain, 

 the existence of which, Great Britain denied. Force 

 must settle all controverted questions which cannot be 

 settled by negotiation. Had an appeal been made to 

 arms, who had the advantage. The British were upon 

 their own shores, and within their own waters. We 

 should have been compelled to have sought the lion in 

 his den. Had we armed our fishermen we should only 

 have given an additional value to the prizes of the 

 British ships of war. The question must eventually 

 have been settled by a resort to open hostilities, and 

 under this peculiar advantage on the part of Great 

 Britain. She could have chosen her time, and might 

 and probably would have chosen it, when our army was 

 disbanded, our navy dismantled, our whole commerce 

 afloat, and when all the dear bought advantages of the 

 last war, experience, organization, discipline, and the 

 confidence arising from successful enterprise might have 

 been lost. 



The great object of treaties of peace is security. 

 Truces or armistices may be made for convenience, 



