HHH 



I 



814 



recently conquered their national existence, marked the conduct of the United Stiitea* 

 Gdvrrnment durinjj tlic nefjotiatiuiis of the 'IVfaty (it (iliciit in ISII, They persistently 

 refused to rcen^ni/e a riili' of iuUrnational law, wiiicli im diie would now (lis|iiiie, and 

 wliioli was, however, fully adinitted by some of the I'nited Slati-s' representatives at 

 Ghent, that war abroj^ates all treaties between belliu;enMts. 



Henry Clay, one ot those representatives, at iJlieiit, answered in the followin<» 

 manner, the proposition of tlie Hrilisli rienipotentiarics, w!io desired to include the 

 fisheries in that Treaty as appears iu the dupiicalo lultera : The Fisheries and the 

 Mississippi. By J. Q. Adams. 1*. 11 injinv: — 



" bi imswfT til till' ili'(l;iiiiiinii luiuli' I'V till' Hrilisli ririiiiinti'!iti;uii's rcspcrtiiif,' the iisliorios, the 

 uiiili'rsi;,'iuil ^I'liiti'il .siiitrs' llcpivsi'iitativrs n'rcniiiu in wli.it |'ii>Mi| in llif Cniilciciu f nf llir '.Uh of 

 Aiifjust L'iin (inly .static iliiu tlicv iiii' ii"t ;nuliipii/.cil to liriii;,' iiiin iliNiiissiuii iiiiy cil'MJir ri^iiils or lilnT- 

 tii's wliicii till' I'liitcii Slutts liiivc lioM'toloic L'lijovi'cl ill iilalioii iln rclo. J-'nuii linir imUuc iiml tioni 

 tlio jiociiliar L'liHnictor ol' tlu' Tiualy oi I"S.!, Iiy \\iurli llicy wcru it'coj;iii/i'd, no luitlicr stipiilalioii ims 

 bi'i'U (U'oiiu'tl uuccisuiy by the tiovuriuucnl ul' tliu UaUtd tjlutcs, to euuilu iLum tu the lull fujuyuicut 

 of all of thorn." 



In order to fully understand the views entertained by the British and American 

 plenipotentiaries, a few e.xtraets from the corre.spondence between Ameriean diplomatists, 

 puldislied from Ibll to 1822, and contained in tiio book of Mr. Adams, will show the 

 course adoiited at Ghent by himself and his eollea^ues. 



(K.xtracl from I'rolor /l of Conference iield 1st December, 1814, at Ghent, paj!:e45.) 



" Till' .Vmcrioan I'lt'iii]H)tt'iitiaries iilso pio]iosi'il llu' I'ollowiii;,' miii'inimiiit to Arti( Ic A'l II, viz. : 

 'Tlif iiilialiilaiits ol' tlic I'liiii'd States shall roniiimc to enjoy the lilicrty to take, <h'y. ainl cure tisli, in 

 places infliiii the uclitsii-f jiin.^'liiliuii i-f lirmf Jlriliiiii, as seeMivil hy tiie t'oiiiier 'rnaty of I'eaee ; and 

 llu! navigation of the llivei- .Mississippi, uiihin the exiliisive jiiiisiliclioii of the I'niteii Siale.s, ahull 

 remain free and open to the .sulijeet.s of (ireal lintaia, in the maniiji' seemed liy the said Treaty." 



The follnwinj;; is the answer made by tlie Hriiisli Plenipotentiaries : — 

 (Kxtraet from Protocol ot Couferente, lOtli l)ecend)er, l!SN, (ilient, page 4G.; 



" His Britannic Majesty nirrees to enter into nejjotiatioii «itii the I'liited .'states of America 

 rcspectini; the terms, conditions, and iej,'ulations, under wiiieli the inhaliitaiits <if ih(' said I'liited .States 

 shall h.ive the hlierty of lakiii;,' lisji on certain p.uls of the coast of .Newfoundland, and other His 

 liritannic- .Majesty's dominions in .North .\aienca. and of dryiii'^' and ciiriii;,' lish lu {\iv unsettled hays, 

 harbours, and creeks, of N(jva Scotia, .Mau'daleii I.'-l.uids. .md l.alirador, a.s sti|julated in the latti'r ]iart 

 of the llird .\rliile of the Treaty of 17s;i, in consideralioii of a fur e(piivalciit, to Ijc a:,'iei'd ii[K)U 

 between His .Majesty uud llie said L'uiled Siales, and granted by the .said United Slates lor such 

 liberty as albresuid. ' 



Tlie .American Plenipotentiaries replied as follows: — 



(Kxtraet from American Note alter Cuiit'ereiicc, of \2l]\ December, 1814, page 49.) 



" For iho purpose of nieetin;,' vvliat they lielieved to \nf the wi.shes of the nritisii (loveninient, they 



proposed llie insertion of an Article which should, n-vn'^ui/.i- the riv'lit of (ireat liritain to the navii,'atioii 

 of that river, and that of the fiiilcil Sl.ites to a lilicrty in certain lisheiii's, which the iiritish Cioverii- 

 nieiil considered ,is ahioi;aled hy the war. To such all .\rtiide, which they viewed a.s merely dcelaratory 

 the uiidcrsiLriii'd had no ohjectiiai, and have otl'eied to accede. They do not, however, wuut any uuw 

 article on either of those .suhjccUs ; tlii^y have olfercd to be silent With repu'il to both." 



Tiie British note of the 22nd of December contained the following declaration: — 

 (Extract from Britisii Note of 22iid December, [lage oU.) 



"[.So far as rcL'ards the subslitulion proposed liy the undcisiiined, for the last claii.se of the Vlllth 

 Article, n.s it was olfeied solely with the hope of allaiuiiij; the object of lIu' aiiiendmeiil tendered by 

 the American l'leni|poteiitiaries at the Coiilerence of the l,st instant, no dilliculty will lie made iu 

 willidrawini; it. The uiidersij,'iu:d, refeniiiL,' to the declaration madi! by them at the Conference of the 

 ulh of .Vii^'u.st, that the pnvilej,'es of lishiiij,' within the limits of the I'liitish SovereiL;nly, and of using 

 the Iiritish territories tor |,urposes connected with the lisheries, were that (Ircat liritain did not illteud 

 to y:iaiit without eipiivaleiit are not de.sirou.s of iiilroducing any article upon the .subject.] " 



And the Americans thu.« replied :— 



(Extract from the American Note, 2jth December, 1814, pages 54, 55.) 



" At the first Conference on the Sth of Au^'ust, the JJriti.sh I'lenipotcntiarieii liad notified to us 

 that the Hrilish (loveriinicnt did not intiiid, heiicet'oiiii, to allow to the ]i(!ople of the United States, 

 without an eiiuivalciii, the liberty to tish, dry and cure lish, within the c.tiliisive I'.ritish jurisdiction, 

 8li|c,ilaled in their favour, by the latter pari crf the Illrd Aitiile of the Ticaty of Peace of ITSii. And, 

 in iheir note of the I'.'lh of .VuLiu.st, the Iiritish I'leiiipolenliaiies had clemanded a new .slipuhition to 

 securu to British subjects tiiu rij^hl of luvi^'ating the Mi.'jiiissippi : a duiuaud wliich, uulus.^ warranted 



