^6 



our claim to the liberty as to the fisheries, recognised by the trea- 

 ty of 1783. 



You will perceive by the correspondence that the 9th article 

 was offered us as a sine qua non and an ultimatum. We accepted 

 it, not without much hesitation, as the only alternative to a rup- 

 ture of the negotiation, and with. a perfect understanding that our 

 government was free to reject it, as we were not authorized to sub- 

 scribe to it. 



To guard against any accident which might happen in the trans- 

 mission of a single copy of the treaty to the United States, the Bri- 

 tish plenipotentiaries have consented to execute it in triplicate : 

 and as the treaty with the British ratification may be exposed to the 

 same danger, the times for the cessation of hostilities, the restora- 

 tion of captures at sea, and the release of prisoners, have been fixed, 

 not from the exchange of ratifications, but from the ratification on 

 both sides, without alteration by either of the contracting parties. 

 We consented to the introduction of this latter provision, at the 

 desire of the British plenipotentiaries, who were willing to take a 

 full, but were unM'illing to incur the risk of a partial ratification, as 

 the period from which thegpeace should be considered as concluded. 



We are informed by them that Mr. Baker, their secretary, is to 

 go out to America with the British ratification. 



We have the honour to be, very respectfully, sir, your most 

 humble and obedient servants, 



JOHN qUlNCY ADAMS, 

 J. A. BAYARD, 

 HENRY CLAY, 

 JONATHAN RUSSELL, 

 ALBERT GALLATIN. 



Extract of a letter from Jonathan Russell, esq. to the Secretary of 

 State, dated Ghent, 25th December, 1814. 



*« My necessary occupation, at this moment, in aiding my col- 

 leagues to prepare our joint despatches, puts it out of my power to 

 furnish you with any details or observations exclusively my own. 



" As, however, you will perceive by our des})atch to you of this 

 date, that a majority only of the mission was in favour of offering 

 to the British plenipotentiaries, an article confirming the British 

 right to the navigation of the Mississippi, and ours to the liberty as 

 to the fisheries, it becomes me, in candour, to acknowledge, that I 

 was in the minority on that question. I must reserve to myself 

 the power of communicating to you, hereafter, the reasons which 

 influenced me to differ from a majority of my colleagues on that 

 occasion ; and if they be insufficient to support my opinion, I per- 

 suade myself they will, at least, vindicate my motives." 



