PERTAINING TO NEGOTIATION OF TREATY OF GHENT. 243 



The American commissioners at this meeting stated that, upon the 

 first and third points proposed by the British commissioners, they 

 were provided with instructions from their Government: and that the 

 second and fourth of these points were not provided for in their 

 instructions. That, in relation to an Indian pacification, they knew 

 that the Government of the United States had appointed commission- 

 ers to treat of peace with the Indians; and that it was not improb- 

 able peace had been made with them. 



The American commissioners presented, as further subjects con- 

 sidered by the Government of the United States as suitable for 

 discussion — 



1st. A definition of blockade, and as far as may be agreed, of other 

 neutral and belligerent rights. 



2d. Certain claims of indemnity to individuals for captures and 

 seizures preceding and subsequent to the war. 



3d. They further stated that there were various other points to 

 which their instructions extended, which might with propriety be 

 objects of discussion, either in the negotiation of the peace, or in that 

 of a treaty of commerce, which, in the case of a propitious termination 

 of the present conferences, they were likewise authorized to conclude. 

 That, for the purpose of facilitating the first and most essential object 

 of peace, they had discarded every subject which was not considered 

 as peculiarly connected with that, and presented only those points 

 which appeared to be immediately relevant to this negotiation. 



The American commissioners expressed their wish to receive from 

 the British commissioners a statement of the views and objects of 

 Greal Britain upon all the points, and their willingness to discuss 

 them all. 



They, the American commissioners, were asked whether if those of 

 Greal Britain should enter further upon this discussion, particularly 

 respecting the Indian boundary, the American commissioners could 

 expect thai it would terminate by some provisional arrangement 

 which they could conclude, subject to the ratification of their Govern- 

 ment. 



They answered that, as any arrangement to which they could agree 

 upon the subject must be without specific authority from their (xO\ 

 eminent, it was not possible for them, previous to the discussion, to 

 decide whether any article on the subject could be formed which 

 would be mutually satisfactory, and to which lliev should think 

 themselves, under their discretionary powers, justified in acceding. 



Tin- meet iug was adjourned. 



True copj ! 



Christopher TIi ghes, .Tun.. 



8t ' /■< tary of I.< gabion* 



The American f<» the British plenipotentiaries. 



(.1.1 m. Ootoler 13, 1814. 



The undersigned have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of the 

 note of the plenipotentiaries of His Britannic Majesty, dated on the 

 8th instant. 



Satisfied of the impossibility of persuading the world that the 

 Government of the United state- was liable to any well grounded 

 imputation of b pirit of conquest, or of injustice towards other 



92909 — S. D-., 170, 6] 8, vol 2 17 



