163 

 FURTHER STRICTURES 



ON MR. RUSSELL'S REPRESENTATIONS AND ESTLAIATES. 



/. Navigaiwi of the Mississippi — Worthless to the British. 



In the joint despatch of the 25th of December, 1814, to the Se- 

 cretary of State, signed by all the members of the American mis- 

 sion at Ghent, a narrative was given of the circumstances, under 

 which the proposal had been made to the British plenipotentiaries 

 and rejected by them, of a stipulation, confirming the provisions of 

 the treaty of 1783, in regard to the fishing rights and liberties of 

 the people of the United States, and to the right of the British to 

 navigate the Mississippi. It was there stated, that after the Ame- 

 rican mission, in answer to the notification from the British, that 

 their government did not intend to grant anew the fishing liberties, 

 had asserted the principle,' that from the peculiar character of the 

 treaty of 1783, and ihe nature of those rights and liberties, no fur- 

 ther stipulation had been deemed necessary by the government of 

 the United States, to entitle them to the full enjoyment of all of 

 them; after they had sent to the British plenipotentiaries, on the 

 10th of November, 1814, a project of a tioaty, containing no arti- 

 cle or stipulation on the subject ; after the British plenipotentiaries 

 had, on the 2Cf/i of November, returned that project with alterations 

 proposed by them, one of which was a st-pulation that British sub- 

 jects should at all times, have access to the river Mississippi and 

 the free navigation of the river — to meet this demand, and to place 

 both poii-its beyond all future controversy, a majority of the mission 

 determined to offer to adnat an article confirming both rights. 



Nothing can be more clear and explicit than this statement that 

 the determination of the majority was taken after the 26th of Ao- 

 -vember. 1814. Yet directly in the face of it, Mr. Russell, in the 

 Boston' Statesman of 27 June, ufai'ms that at the mission meetings 

 of the 28th and 29th of November, " whatever might have been 

 *' said in relation to the Mississippi, on account of the alteration, 

 " respecting it, made in the Blh article of our project, by the Bri- 

 " tish plenipotentiaries, no nezv resolution -was there taken by the 

 " American mission to offer the navigation of that river for the fishing 

 " privilege. This offer was ma(5e on the 1st of December, in vir- 

 *' tue of'\he vote taken before the 10th of November, and which, 

 ■' although suspended, had not been reconsidered or cancelled." 

 And he adds, '' I am the more confident in this statement, as I dis- 

 ^' tinctly remember that when that offer was actually made, it was 

 -' unexpected by a majority of the mission. Mr, Bayard, in re- 

 '' turning home from the house of the British ministers, where the 

 " conference of the 1st of December had been holden, very expli- 

 '■' citly declared to Mr. Clay and to me, his dissatisfaction that this 

 '^ offer had been made without his having been recently consulted in 

 '■' relation to it. I dare, in regard to these facts, to appeal to (he 

 ^- recollection of Mr. Clay, in confirmation of my own" 



