[ Doc. No. 116. ] 3 The steady efforts of his Majesty’s Government have hitherto been fortunately successful in the accomplishment of both these ends: and wbde Europe, during the last rive wears, has passed through a crisis of extraordinary hazard, without any disturbance of the general peace, his Majesty'' Government has the satisfaction oi thinking that it has, on more, than one occasion, been instrumental in reconciling differences which might other wise ha\i- led t<> quarrels, and in cementing union between friendly powers But if ever there could be an occasion on which it would be painful m the British Government io see the relations of amity broken oil’ between two friendly States, the, occasion is imibmbtedly the present, when a rupture is apprehended between two great powers, with both of which Great Britain is united bythech s; with om m’ nhich she is engaged in active alliance; with the other nt which she is joined by commnm interest, and by the bonds of kindred. \or would the grounds oi diiferenee on the presenlpccasion, recon He the friends and well-wishers of the differing parties. Io the misfortune of an open ruptur n 'tween them. When the conflicting intercuts of two natio :s ar" v opposed, on a pa-- ticulai is to admit of no possible compromise, th * sword may be required tp cut the khat which reason is unable to untie. When passions have been so excited on both sides. that no common standard •; j islice can be found, and what one party insists on.aa a right, the other denounces as a wrong, prejudice may bt come too headstrong yield to the voice of wpmy. and those who can agree on nothing else, mt ' consent to .a1 ide the fate of arms, and fo allow that the parly which shall prove the weakest in die w; r, shall be deemed to have been wrong in the dispute, But in the present case, there is no question of national interest at issue between France and the United States; In the | rest nt case, there is no demand of juisxice made by one party, and denied by the other. Th ■ iis put d claimsof Imeflca on France, which were founded upon transactsw-- in the early part of the present cemury. and were for many years in litig < lion, have at length been established by mutual consent, and are admitted by a treaty concluded between the two Governments. The money due by France has been provided by the Chambers, and has been, placed at disposal ol the French Government, for the purpose of being paid to th" United States. But question? have arisen ^between rhe i ' •Givithiiipiik in the ; cs< of those transactions, affecting on both sides the feelings m national honor, and it is on this ground that the r ■' itibnS between the par ties have >r the mom mi suspend'd. and are in danger of being m 1' serion sly in t err u pted. In this state of things, the British Government is I sd to think that the go >d < Gices oi a third power, equally the friend of France and of the United States, and prompted by considerations of the highest order, most earnestly to wish for the continuance of peace, might be useful in restoring a go understanding between the two parties, on a footing consistent with the nicest feelings of national honor in both. The undersigned has therefore been instructed by his Majesty’s Govern ment, formally io tender to die Government of the United States, the inedi alion of Great Britain, for rhe settlemem of the differences between die United States and France: and to say that a note, precisely similar to the present, has been delivered to the French Government by his Majesty’s
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