167 



- a' ? f/ ' Par^grap^' V which we should reserve all our rights, 

 « fK . i T^ iT ^^^^"^^ ^"^ instructions. Mr. Bayard said 



that rather than differ among ourselves, he would agree to sub- 



- t.tute Mr Clay's paragraph, instead of the proposed article, and 

 this was ultimately assented to by us all." 



Mr Russell has taken infinite pains to fasten exclusively upon 

 me, the imputation of being the only asserter of this doctrine, that 

 from the peculiar character of the treaty of 1783, and from the 

 be n"h '';/f ".^ "^^'^^ ^"^ liberties, they had none of them 

 t,^P H^ A^^ '^' T'^* '"^ """^^^ "« "^^ stipulation to pre- 

 se ve hem. And it is this doctrine, which in the calmness of his 

 urbanity he styles the dream of a visionary 



nlnnr'^'?^^ °^''!' ^«hould have claimed the credit of having been 

 luTihVn ^""""'T '^ '^'' P^'"^'P'^- I ^^«"I^ tiave been mU 

 he^ no^e of i7k'k "'^"f' ''^' ""^^'^ ''''^ ^^ ^» ^^^^^tin, it in 

 ll ul ^^^ INovember, 1814, at Ghent, signed by them all, 



tent! th'"' gone through life with the credit, and havefeft to po 1 



ilZ IT.fT ^^ ^''™- ^"^ ^^^h ^» eq^^J share in this 

 assertion But Mr. Russell has effectually disclaimed all his portion 

 ot t and Its consequences. He has represented it as, on the part 



fLJi /r'L''''-^'' ^^^.^>^'^;?^'ti-^ «f the British ri.ht to the na- 

 mfmb " f k' ^.^^^.^^^^PP^- f^^ '^y^ he does not recollect that any 

 member of the mission, except myself, appeared to be a very zeal- 

 ousbeJieverinthatdoctrme. I thank Mr. Russell for that concession. 

 ;. rlT '^:^^^.^'7^^t"e o^ has been successful result in the asser- 

 h Tn on l T^'P ' to preserve the fishing liberties, 1 ask no more 

 ed it u- r?h 'V" ^^^f ^^^"^ ^^^y country, for having assert- 

 ill^ T '^""^ c«"\^§"es who are y^i willing to bear the 

 imputation not as a pretext, but with sincerity of heart, and as very 

 zealous believer, in it. But were every other living member of 



!nin i r^K '""^'A^f T'^ ^\^ 'P''^^ °^ ^"^y^^^ ^^««^ the tomb to 

 ^oin with them and declare, that they a..«meJ this principle only 

 in the spirit of compromise, and as a pretext, but that they con- 

 sidered i( only as the dream of a visionary, I would answer-the 

 dream of the visionary was an honest dream. He believed what he 

 afhrmed and subscribed. And, I might confidentlv add, it has saved 

 your fisheries. Nor should I need other pioof/than the negotia- 

 tions with Great Britain since the peace, and the convention of 



1818. 



I would further observe, that if the principle was assumed by 

 the minority in the spirit of compromise, that spirit was much mori 

 strongly manifested by the majority, and particularly by me, in ac- 

 cepting this substitute, instead of the article proposed by Mr. Gal- 

 latin. I shall assuredly never deny, that from the time when the 

 T . Plenipotentiaries notified to us, that their government did 

 no intend to grant the fishing liberties without an equivalent, I 

 felt an inexpressible solicitude for their preservation. I have al- 

 ready remarked that this notification was made in terms so indefinite, 



