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1 7 9 o aspirations and desires of the West as did few other 1 7 9 4 eastern men, instructed William Carmichael, the American chargé d'affaires at Mad

Washington
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Pinckney
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Madrid

W. Carmichage rid, and William Short who

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Autograph of William Carmichael held a like position at Paris, to negotiate a treaty in which commercial questions, the Florida boundary, and the navigation of the Mississippi were to be determined. But the Spanish government named Gardoqui as its representative, he proved no more tractable than he had been in 1786, and the negotiations were broken off in January, 1794. It was evident that Spain was satisfied with things as they were and did not desire a settlement.

Autograph of William

Short

Washington had foreseen the failure of the mission and thought war not improbable. On the fourteenth of June, 1793, having learned that a vessel with several American citizens on board had just arrived at Philadelphia from New Orleans, he wrote to Knox: "It is of great importance that this Government should be fully informed of the Spanish force in the Floridas, the number of their Posts, and the strength and situation of each, together with such other circumstances as would enable it to adopt correspondent measures in case we should, in spite of our endeavors to avoid it, get embroiled in a dispute with that Nation. It would be too improvident, might be too late, and certainly would be disgraceful, to have this information to obtain when our plans ought to be formed. I desire, therefore, that you would cause in as unsuspected a manner as the case will admit, the above persons to be examined touching the above points, and what number of Troops have lately arrived at New Orleans; and commit the result to Paper. point you to the above as one source only of information. No reasonable expence should be spared to accomplish objects of such magnitude in times so critical." While Carmichael and Short were engaged in vain negotiations, Citizen Genet appeared in the United States and planned his filibustering expeditions against Florida

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and Louisiana, as already related. Although these expe- 1 7 9 4 ditions proved abortive, they had a good effect upon the 1795 United States and Spain. The former was roused to a realization of the seriousness of western discontent and

to a more vigorous attempt to conciliate the people of that section; the latter

Thomas Pinckney

Autograph of Thomas Pinckney

saw the danger of a forcible seizure of Florida and Louisiana by the men of the frontier. Both countries were thus brought into a frame of mind favorable to renewed negotiations and, on a hint from Spain, Thomas Pinckney, the American minister to England, was sent to Madrid November, to negotiate a treaty.

1794

Pinckney reached Madrid on the twenty-eighth of June, Pinckney's 1795, but, owing to the idiosyncracies of Spanish diplo- Treaty macy, he was not allowed to lay his propositions before the prime minister until the tenth of August. The condition of Spanish affairs was unusually favorable. Don Manuel Godoy, the favorite of Charles IV. and the real power behind the throne, had just concluded a treaty with France and thereby won for himself the title of "the Prince of Peace;" he was willing to justify the title by arriving at a settlement with the United States. It is also probable that he was anxious for American neutrality in case of war between Spain and England, a war made likely by the peace with France, and that he was influenced by news of Jay's treaty, the story of which will be told in the next chapter. Still the summer dragged away and Pinckney, thoroughly disgusted, demanded his passports. A satisfactory treaty was then negotiated in three days and signed at San Lorenzo. By its terms the northern October 27, boundary of West Florida, from the Appalachicola to the 1795 Mississippi, was fixed at the thirty-first parallel of north latitude as stipulated in the treaty of 1783 with England. Indian hostilities were to be restrained and the right of Americans to navigate the Mississippi was recognized

with the added essential concession that they might land The Right of their goods at New Orleans and transfer them to ocean- Deposit

1795 going vessels or vice versa. The markets of the world were now open to the settlers of the West; for half a century, until the advent of the railroad era, the Mississippi continued to be almost the only outlet for the products of the great interior valley. The acquisition of the right of navigation and deposit had economic and political consequences of far-reaching importance. Future disputes with Spain there were to be in plenty, but all immediate danger from intrigue and treason had gone by. The westward way for the star of empire had been smoothed.

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OON after the beginning of hostilities with England, Crafty

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France saw that communication with her West Generosity
India possessions was likely to be cut off by the

powerful British navy and, therefore, opened the trade February 18,
of those islands to vessels of the United States on the 1793
terms that they were open to those of France; she hoped
thus to prevent the complete isolation of the islands and
perhaps to embroil the United States with England.
American ship-owners were overjoyed at their opportunity
to share in a rich trade that had hitherto been forbidden.
Hundreds of vessels, some of which were scarce fit to go
out of sight of land, were soon on their way to the French
islands. "Traders from Boston and Philadelphia vied
with each other in their eagerness to exchange quintals
of fish and barrels of flour for sacks of coffee and bundles
of hides." Some of the ships went home laden with rum;
some had their holds packed with sugar. Some brought
to New York and Philadelphia fugitives from the uprising
of the Santo Domingo blacks, while others carried the
island products to Europe.

Council

Instead of endeavoring to outbid France by making A British similar concessions, the British government issued an Order in order in council instructing British war-ships and privateers "to stop and detain all vessels loaded wholly or June 8, 1793 in part with corn, flour, or meal, bound to any port in France, or any port occupied by the armies of France as shall be most convenient, in order that such corn, meal,

1 7 9 3 or flour may be purchased on behalf of his Majesty's Government, and the ships be released after such pur

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1. THAT it fhall be lawful to flop and detain all Ships loaden wholly or in part with Com, Flour, or Meal, bound to any Port in France, or any Port occupied by the Armies of France, and to fend them to fuch Ports as fhall be moft convenient, in order that fuch Com, Meal, or Flour, may be purchased on behalf of his Majefty's Government, and the Ships be released after fuch Purchase and after a due Allowance for Freight; or that the Mafters of fuch Ships on giving Security, to be approved of by the Court of Admiralty, be permitted

chase, and after due allowance for freight, or that the masters of such ships, on giving due security, to be approved of by the master of admiralty, be permitted to proceed to dispose of their cargoes of corn, meal, or flour, in the ports of any country in amity with his Majesty.' As the coast of France was not blockaded, there was no warrant in inter

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to proceed to difpofe of thein Cargoes of Com, Meal, or Flour, in alse Ports of any Country an Amity with Elis Majefly.

Tar it fhall be lawful for the Commanders of His Majefly's Ships of War and Privateers that have, or inay have Letters of Marque against France, to feze all Ships, whatever be their Cargoes, that fhall be found attempting to enter any Blockaded Port, and to fend the fame for Condemnation, together with their Cargoes, except the Ships of Denmark and Sweden, which fhall only be pres vented from entering on the first Attempt, but on the fecond thall be fent in for Condemnation likewife.

III. THAT in cafe his Majefly fhall declare any Port to be Blockaded, the Commanders of his Majefty's Ships of War and Privateers that have, or may have Letters of Muque against Fran e, are herday enjoined if they meet with Slop at Se, which appear from their Papers to be defined to bach Blockaded Port, but to have failed from he Port of their refpective. Cotmtries befox the Declar ratio of de Blockade thall have eived there to Adva rife the in the rof, and to Admori. Ten to go to other Pons; but they are not to moleft them afterwards, unkis it thall apps ar that they have continued their Couf with intent to enter the Blockaded Port, in which Cake they fhall be fubject to Capuze and Condemnat.on: 11

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likewife all Ships, wherefoever found, that fhall appear to have failed from their Ports, bound to any Port which His Majefty fhall have declared to be Blockaded, after fuch Declaration fhall have been known in the Country from which they failed; and all Ships, which in the Course of the Voyage shall have received Notice of the

Blockade, in any Manner, and yet fhall have purfued their Courfe with Intent to enter the fame.

G. R.

Additional Instructions from King George III. to British War-ships and Privateers

national law for such an order; it appears that England, confident of her superiority upon the sea, was determined

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