CHAP. XV. UNITED STATES-Laws against the Slave Trade-Opening of the Session of Congress-Negotiations with England, France, and RussiaFinances of the United States-Quarrel with the Riccaree IndiansMEXICO-Deposition of Iturbide-Internal dissentions--Meeting of a Congress-Proposed Constitution of Mexico-Negotiations with the Spanish Commissioners-Dispute between the Town of Vera Cruz and the Castle of St. Juan de Ulloa-Consequences of that Dispute COLOMBIA-Santa Martha-Maracaibo-Porto Cabello Naval successes of the Spaniards-Capture of Moracaibo by the Colombians-Surrender of Porto Cabello Insurrections of the Indians -Insurrection at Pasto-Proceedings of the Congress of Colombia -Treaties with Chilé and Peru-PERU-San Martin resigns his Authority--Expedition against General Canterac-Victory of the Spaniards-Riva-Aguero declared President-Temporary occupation of Lima by Canterac-Dissentions between Riva-Aguero and the Congress-Reinforcements received from Colombia and Chilé Military Operations-Bolivar arrives at Lima, and is placed at the head of Affairs-His preparations for carrying on the War-RivaAguero taken Prisoner-CHILE—Discontent with the Administration of O'Higgins-O'Higgins and Rodriguez resign—A Junta appointed -General Freyre is named Director-BUENOS AYRES-Preliminary Convention with Spain-Misunderstanding with one of the English Naval Officers on the station-HAYTI-PORTO RICO. THE HE United States attested their sincerity in the abolition of the slave trade by passing a law, which made it piracy to be concerned in that traffic, and by instructing their ministers at the different courts to use their endeavours to induce all the powers of Europe to adopt the same measure. Vessels, fitted out for the trade, were to be condemned, though no slaves were actually found on board. The first session of the eighteenth congress of the United States was opened on the first of December. Mr. Clay was elected Speaker of the House of Representatives by 139 votes out of 181; and, on the following day, the President's message was read to the Senate and House of Representatives. That document contains detailed statements of the foreign relations and internal situation of the country during the year: and to it therefore we refer the reader [Vide Public Documents p. 183*]. The most important part of the message was that, which announced the views of the American rulers on the subject of the interference of the allied powers with the affairs of those regions, which had once been colonial dependencies of Spain. "We owe it to candour," said the president, "and to the amicable relations existing between the United States and those powers, to declare, that we should consider any attempt on their part to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety. With the existing colonies or dependencies of any European power, we have not interfered, and shall not interfere. But, with the governments who have declared their independence, and maintained it,and whose independence we have, on great consideration, and on just principles, acknowledged, we could not view any interposition for the purpose of oppressing them, or controlling in any other manner their destiny, by any European power, in any other light, than as the manifestation of an unfriendly disposition towards the United States. In the war between those new governments and Spain, we declared our neutrality at the time of their recognition; and to this we have adhered, and shall continue to adhere, provided no change shall occur, which, in the judgment of the competent authorities of this government, shall make a corresponding change on the part of the United States, indispensable to their security." that the French squadron, which blockaded Cadiz, had prevented an American frigate, on board of which was the envoy to the king of Spain, from entering the harbour; the other, that the American demands for indemnity in respect of the seizure and confiscation of American property during the war, had not yet been satisfied. The several claims of Great Britain, Russia, and the United States, with respect to the Western Coast of America, were in the course of arrangement by negotiation at Petersburgh: and in that negotiation, the United States maintained as a principle, "that the American continents, by the free and independent condition which they had assumed and maintained, were thenceforth not to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European power." This claim was scarcely less extravagant than that of the Russian Ukase. The northern Autocrat excluded every body but himself: the trans-atlantic republic would fain have excluded both him and every other more civilized European. The ambition of the United States, disguised under a veil of seeming humanity, was likewise strongly marked in a proposal, which their ministers made to France, Russia, and Great Britain, that, in all future maritime wars, the commerce both of belligerents and of neutrals should be unmolested, except when an attempt was made to break a lawful blockade. The determination of a part of the boundary between Canada and the United States, with respect to which the commissioners under the treaty of Ghent had disagreed, was the subject of amicable negotiation between the two governments: as were also the pretended claims of the citizens of the United States, inhabiting the banks of the rivers and lakes that empty themselves into the St. Laurence, to enjoy the navigation of that river to the ocean. Against France there were two subjects of complaint; one, 26. Of this sum, the Customs had The state of the finances was flourishing. On the 1st of January 1823, there was a balance in the treasury of 4,237,427.55 dollars. The actual receipts during the three first quarters of the present year amounted to 16,174,035. produced 15,019,392-74 dollars; public lands, exclusive of Mississippi stock, 657,505.73; dividends on stock in the Bank of the United States, 350,000; arrears of internal duties and direct tax, and incidental receipts, 102,726 15; répayment of advances made in the war department for services or supplies, prior to the 1st of July, 1816, 44,410-64. The receipts of the treasury during the fourth quarter were estimated at 4,270,000, making the total esti mated receipts during the year, 20,444,035-26; and, with the balance in the treasury on the 1st of January, 1823, forming an aggregate of 24,681,492-81. The expenditure, during the three first quarters of the year, amounted to 11,422,847-30, viz. civil, diplomatic, and miscellaneous expenses, 1,510,735-14: military service, including fortifications, ordnance, Indian department, revolutionary and military pensions, arming the militia, and arrearages prior to the 1st of January, 1817, 4,383,715. 62; naval service, including the gradual increase of the navy, 1,776, 989-37; public debt, 3,751,407 17. The expenditure during the fourth quarter was estimated at 3,894,559 74, viz. civil, diplomatic, and miscellaneous charges, 489, 704-11; military service, including fortifications, ordnance, Indian department, revolutionary and military pensions, arming the militia, and arrearages prior to the 1st of January, 817,899,449-93; naval service, including the gradual inerease of the navy, 726,776-46: public debt, 1,778,629-24. Thus, the total expenditure of the year was 15,317,407-09 dollars; leaving in the treasury, on the 1st of January, 1824, an estimated balance of 9,364,055-77, from which how . ever were to be deducted certain appropriations, amounting to 2, 897,086-47 dollars. The only interruption of tranquillity in the States of the Union occurred on their western frontier. In the month of June, a misunderstanding arose between a trading party, and the tribe of the Riccaree Indians, in consequence of which the latter attacked the traders and killed several of them. A military detachment immediately proceeded against the offending tribe and destroyed their village. In describing, in the history of last year, the discontent which the proceedings of Iturbide excited in Mexico, we mentioned that the popular dissatisfaction terminated in the deposition of the emperor. It was produced by the arming of the provinces against him; he himself ascribed it to his reluctance to plunge the country into the horrors of civil war. The congress had been assembled in Mexico: and, at an extraordinary meeting of that body, held on the 19th of March, this adventurer, who found himself without a stay, either in popular favour or military zeal, signified his willingness to resign the power which he could no longer keep. "I accepted," said he, "the crown with great reluctance, and acquiesced only through a desire to serve my country. But from the moment I perceived that to retain it would serve as an excuse or pretext for an intestine war, I determined to abdicate. I did not conclude on this course sooner, because there was no generally recognized body to represent the nation; and I considered that any step taken by me, unless there was, would have been both useless and injurious to the country: there now exists one, and I accordingly abdicate. My presence in this country would be always a pretext for disturbances; and projects, of which I might never have thought, might be attributed to me. In order, therefore, to remove suspicion, I will leave this country, and direct my steps to a foreign one. Ten or fifteen days will be sufficient to regulate my domestic affairs, and to take the necessary measures to conduct my family and myself away." The only request he made was, that the government would discharge certain personal debts which he had contracted towards private friends. This they readily engaged to do; as well as to replace to private individuals, the convoys of money seized by him on their way from Mexico to Vera Cruz. They likewise granted to Iturbide himself, the yearly sum of 25,000 dollars, on condition that he should reside in Italy. He was subsequently conveyed to Europe with his family, in an English vessel, at the expense of the Mexican govern ment. General Victoria, reputed to possess very superior talents both as a soldier and a statesman, was at the head of the government which succeeded Iturbide. His authority and that of his two associates Bravo and Negretto was merely temporary and provisional, until a regular constitution could get established. After the lapse of a few weeks, some discontent began to appear, on account of the delay of the executive authorities in the completion of that great work. On the 5th of June, Brigadier don Antonio Lopez de Santana published at San Luis Potosi, a plan for forming an army, to be VOL. LXV. called "The Protecting Army of Mexican Liberty." The avowed objects of his scheme were, to strengthen the guarantees of popu lar liberty, to hasten the convocation of the congress which was to prepare the political constitution of the state, and to protect the provinces in their design of constituting confederated republics. The brigadier, stigmatizing, as enemies of liberty, all persons opposed to his scheme, had caused himself to be declared general of the army, and arrested all the officers who opposed his measures. These disturbances were soon quelled by the prudent firmness of the authorities; and the pretext for them was removed by the meeting of the congress on the 31st of October. The consideration of the plan of a constitution was referred to a committee; who, in their report, proposed the scheme which they conceived to be the best adapted to the circumstances and feelings of the country. Fifteen states, constituting the Mexican empire, were to form a federal republic, governed by a congress and president. The congress was to be composed of a senate, to which each state should nominate two senators, and a chamber of deputies, who should be distributed among the provinces according to their population. The general powers of congress were, to sustain the national independence and security, and to provide for whatever regarded foreign relations; to main-> tain the independence of the states among themselves: to preserve the federal union, regulate limits, and settle differences between two or more states; to support the equal distribution of duties and taxes among the states; to admit new states: to regulate annually the general expenses of the nation; to [R] ́establish the contributions to the general expense, their proportions and sources; to examine the accounts of the finances given by the executive power; to regulate external and internal commerce; to contract debts; to acknowledge the public debt, and fix the means of consolidating it; to declare war; to appoint the armed force by land and sea, and to fix the quota of the respective states; to organize the national militia, reserving to the states the nomination of the officers; to approve treaties; to concede to the executive extraordinary powers; and to make laws necessary to carry the consitution into effect. The duties and prerogatives of the president were, to put in execution the general laws; to name and displace the secretaries of the cabinet; to name officers of the government and interior; to declare war, when authorized by a decree of the general congress; to dispose of the land and sea forces, of the acting militia, and of the local militia within the territory; to appoint officers of the army, navy, and active militia, and to give discharges and furloughs to the military; to name, with the approbation of the senate, diplomatic agents and consuls; to direct foreign negotiations, and execute treaties previously approved of by congress; to have the right of objecting to the laws within ten days, and of suspending their execution until the decision of congress; to issue decrees for the better fulfilling of the constitution and laws; and with the advice of the secretaries, to pardon delinquents or commute their punishments. The Roman catholic religion was to be protected by the state, and all others were to be prohibited. Subordinate to this general cen tral government, each province was to have a particular government of its own framed upon similar principles. In the mean time, commissioners had arrived from Spain, for the purpose of concluding a treaty with Mexico. The first meeting between them and the Mexican representatives took place in Vera Cruz on the 28th of May, when they respectively produced their commissions, and agreed that their future meetings should be held at Xalapa. They accordingly assembled in that city on the 12th of June, when the Spanish commissioners read a long letter explanatory of the disposition of Spain towards Mexico. In the sitting of the 14th, D. Guadalupe Victoria called on the Spanish commissioners to declare explicitly the views of the Spanish government on the recognition of the independence of Mexico, in order that a definite reply might put an end to the idle reports, among the common people, concerning the sinister views of the mother country. The Spanish commissioners replied, that they could give no stronger proof of the disposition of their government to recognize the independence of Mexico than the fact, that they had offered suitable conditions and guarantees, and had clothed their commissioners with the necessary authority to act on the subject. On the 18th, Victoria inquired of the commissioners, if they were disposed to enter into a provisional treaty of commerce: They replied, that, in exercise of the authority vested in them by their Government, they were disposed to conclude a treaty of commerce under such conditions as would operate to the mutual advantage of both countries. The negotiations were protracted from |