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events, of our ability to resist, alone, the now very formidable Military Power of England; and our having been able, without any Foreign assistance, and after she had made such an effort, to obtain Peace on equal Terms, will raise our character and consequence in Europe.. This, joined with the naval Victories, and the belief that we alone can fight the English on their element, will make us to be courted as much as we have been neglected by Foreign Governments. As to the People of Europe, publick opinion was already most decidedly in our favour. I anticipate a settlement with Spain on our own Terms, and the immediate chastisement of the Algerines. Permit me to suggest. the propriety of despatching a Squadron for that purpose, without losing a single moment.

I have little to add to our Publick Despatch on the subject of the Terms of the Treaty. I really think, that there is nothing but nominal in the Indian Article, as adopted. With respect to precedent, you will find two, though neither is altogether in point, viz. the Article of the Treaty of Utrecht, and the latter part of the Article of our Treaty with Spain. You know, that there was no alternative between breaking off the Negotiations, and accepting the Article; and that we accepted it, only as provisional, and subject to your approbation or rejection.

The exception of Moose Island, from the general restoration of Territory, is the only point, on which it is possible that we might have obtained an alteration, if we had adhered to our opposition to it. The British Government had long fluctuated on the Question of Peace: a favourable account from Vienna, the report of some success in the Gulf of Mexico, or any other incident, might produce a change in their disposition; they had, already, after the Question had been referred to them, declared that they could not consent to a relinquishment of that point. We thought it too hazardous to risk the Peace on the Question of the temporary possession of that small Island, since the Question of Title was fully reserved; and it was, therefore, no Cession of Territory.

On the subject of the Fisheries, within the jurisdiction of Great Britain, we have certainly done all that could be done. If, according to the construction of the Treaty of 1783, which we assumed, the right was not abrogated by the War, it remains entire, since we most explicitly refused to renounce it, either directly or indirectly. In that case, it is only an unsettled subject of difference between the two Countries. If the right must be considered as abrogated by the War, we cannot regain it without an equivalent. We had none to give but the recognition of their right to navigate the Mississippi, and we offered it. On this last supposition, this right is also lost to them; and, in a general point of view, we have certainly lost nothing. But we have done all that was practicable in support of the right to those Fisheries

1st, by the ground we assumed, respecting the construction of the Treaty of 1783-2d, by the offer to recognize the British right, to the Navigation of the Mississippi-3dly, by refusing to accept from Great Britain, both her implied renunciation of the right of that Navigation, and the convenient Boundary of 49°, for the whole extent of our and her Territories, west of the Lake of the Woods, rather than to make an implied renunciation, on our part, to the right of America, to those particular Fisheries.

I believe that Great Britian is very desirous of obtaining the northern part of Maine, say from about 47° north Latitude, to the northern extremity of that District, as claimed by us. They hope that the river, which empties into the Bay des Chaleurs, in the Gulf of St. Lawrence, has its source so far west as to intervene between the head waters of the River St. John's and those of the streams emptying into the River St. Lawrence: so that the line north from the source of the River St. Croix, will first strike the heights of land which divide the waters emptying into the Atlantic Ocean (River St. John's) from those emptying into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, (River des Chaleurs,) and afterwards the heights of land which divide the waters emptying into the Gulf of St. Lawrence, (River des Chaleurs,) from those emptying into the River St. Lawrence; but, that the said line never can, in the words of the Treaty, strike any spot of land actually dividing the waters emptying into the Atlantic Ocean, from those which fall into the River St. Lawrence. Such will be the foundation of their disputing our Claim to the northern part of that Territory; but, feeling that it is not very solid, I am apt to think that they will be disposed to offer the whole of Passamaquoddy Bay, and the disputed Fisheries, as an equivalent for the portion of Northern Territory, which they want, in order to connect New-Brunswick and Quebec. This may account for their tenacity, with respect to the temporary possession of Moose Island, and for their refusing to accept the recognition of their right to the Navigation of the Mississippi, provided they recognize ours, to the Fisheries.

That northern Territory is of no importance to us, and belongs to The United States, and not to Massachusetts, which has not the shadow of a claim to any land north of 45°, to the eastward of the Penobscot River, as you may easily convince yourself of, by referring to her Charters.

I have the honour to be, &c.

The Hon. James Monroe.

ALBERT GALLATIN.

MESSAGE from the President of The United States to Congress, in relation to the Progress made by the British and American Commissioners under the 5th Article of the Treaty of Ghent. 6th February, 1822.

To the House of Representatives:

I TRANSMIT to the House of Representatives a Report from the Secretary of State, on the subject required by the Resolution of that House of the 22d ult. with the Documents which accompanied that Report. JAMES MONROE.

Washington, 6th February, 1822.

Report of the Secretary of State.

Department of State, Washington, 5th February, 1822.

THE Secretary of State, to whom has been referred the Resolution of the House of Representatives, requesting of the President of The United States, such information as he may possess, in relation to the progress made by the Commissioners under the Vth Article of the Treaty of Ghent, in ascertaining and establishing that part of the Boundary Line between The United States and the British Provinces, which extends " from the source of the River St. Croix to the Northwesternmost head of Connecticut River," how much of the abovementioned Line has been actually surveyed, whether a Map, duly certified, has been returned of any Survey made, and whether the Commissioners of the two Governments have had any Meetings within a Year past; has the honour of reporting to the President, that those Commissioners have, in the course of the Year, had Meetings at New York, from the 14th of May to the 9th of June, from the 1st to the 14th of August, and from the 20th of September to the 4th of October; at which last Meeting, a difference of opinion upon two Points having occurred between the Commissioners, they adjourned, to meet again on the first Monday of April next.

Copies of the Journals of the Board at their Meetings, and a part of the Arguments of the Agents of the two Governments on the Questions submitted to the Commissioners, have been received, and are at this Department. No authenticated Map has been returned, the reason of which is shewn in a Letter from the Agent of The United States, of the 14th of October last, and a Letter from the Commissioner of 20th November, Copies of which are herewith submitted, and which exhibit the progress of the Commission, until the time of their last adjournment.

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS.

Mr. Bradley (Agent of The United States under the 5th Article of the Treaty of Ghent) to the Secretary of State.

SIR,

Westminster, 14th October, 1821.

I HAVE the honour to inclose a Copy of the Journal of the proceedings of the Commissioners under the 5th Article of the Treaty of Ghent, at their Meeting, which I recently received from the Secretary of the Board. I have also the honour to forward by Mail the last Argument of the British Agent, in reply to my Answer to his first Argument, which completes the Arguments growing out of the British Claim.

The Copy of the Claim and first Argument on the part of The United States has been heretofore forwarded. The Answer of the British Agent, and my Reply thereto, are so voluminous that the Secretary has not yet been able to furnish Copies. The delay, however, is principally occasioned by the absolute necessity of making Copies for the Commissioners, by whom they are required for the purpose of framing their Opinions and Reports, as directed by the Treaty.

Permit me to observe, that the Copies which have been furnished to the Department of State are intended merely for the purposes of earlier information. The difference of opinion which has taken place between the Commissioners, in respect to the North-west angle of Nova Scotia, and the North-westernmost head of Connecticut River, has rendered necessary fair Duplicate Copies of all the Proceedings, Arguments, and Documents, and these are now making for each Government, in a shape proper to be submitted to a Foreign Power. This is, of course, a work of much labour, as there are, in addition to the Reports, Proofs, and Arguments, nearly 40 Maps made by the Surveyors who have been employed under the Commission; but they will be completed before the Close of the Session of Congress, and, when delivered, together with the Opinions of the Commissioners, to the respective Agents, agreeably to the 8th Article of the Treaty, I shall have the honour to place in your possession those belonging to the Government of The United States. I have, &c. The Hon. J. Q. Adams.

WM. C. BRADLEY.

Cornelius P. Van Ness (Commissioner under the 5th Article of the Treaty of Ghent) to the Secretary of State.

SIR,

Burlington, 20th November, 1821. THE Commissioners under the Vth Article of the Treaty of Ghent have disagreed in opinion on the principal Points submitted to them, aud will make their Separate Reports to the two Governments, conformably to the provisions of the Treaty. The Documents, consisting of the Reports and Maps of the Surveyors, and the Arguments of the Agents, besides various other Papers, Copies of which are to accom

pany the Reports of the Commissioners, are very voluminous; but the necessary Copies are preparing with all practicable dispatch, and will probably be ready in the month of March next.

The Reports of the Commissioners, with the accompanying Papers and Documents, therefore, will be received at Washington about the 1st of April next, but, at any rate, during the approaching Session of Congress. The Agent of The United States, I presume, has furnished you with a more detailed statement of the situation of the business of the Commissioners.

I intend to proceed to Washington myself in April next, for the purpose of closing my Accounts, which cannot very well be done without my personal attendance, and which cannot be finally done until the Papers are completed. I have, &c.

The Hon. J. Q. Adams.

C. P. VAN NESS.

MESSAGES from the President of The United States to Congress, respecting a Letter of Jonathan Russell, late one of the Plenipotentiaries of The United States, at the Negotiation of Ghent; with Remarks thereon, by the Secretary of State.-4th and 7th May, 1822.

(1.)

Washington, 4th May, 1822.

To the House of Representatives of The United States:

In compliance with a Resolution of the House of Representatives, of the 19th of April, requesting the President "to cause to be communicated to the House, if not injurious to the publick interest, any Letter which may have been received from Jonathan Russell, one of the Ministers who concluded the Treaty of Ghent, in conformity with the indications contained in his Letter of 25th of December, 1814," I have to state, that, having referred the Resolution to the Secretary of State, and it appearing, by a Report from him, that no such Document had been deposited among the Archives of the Department, I examined and found among my Private Papers a Letter of that description, marked "Private" by himself. I transmit a Copy of the Report of the Secretary of State, by which it appears that Mr. Russell, on being apprized that the Document referred to by the Resolution had not been deposited in the Department of State, delivered there "a Paper purporting to be the Duplicate of a Letter written by him from Paris, on the 11th of February, 1815, to the then Secretary of State, to be communicated to the House, as the Letter called for by the Resolution."

On the perusal of the Document called for, I find that it communicates a difference of opinion between Mr. Russell and a majority of his Colleagues, in certain transactions which occurred in the Nego,

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