Chapter 10

THE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS

Early overtures towards peace by the United States 409

Castlereagh refuses to entertain the project of abandoning impressment 410

Russia, in 1812, suggests negotiations for peace under mediation of the Czar 411

United States accepts, but Great Britain refuses 412

Great Britain, through the Czar, offers a direct negotiation, 1813 412

The United States accepts, and names five commissioners 413

The original instructions to the American Commission, 1813 413

Reduced, 1814, through pressure of the war 414

Confident attitude of Great Britain at the opening of the negotiations 415

Hostile spirit in Great Britain towards the United States 415

The instructions to the British Commission 416

The demand on behalf of the Indians 417

Faulty presentation of it by the British Commission 418

British claim concerning the Great Lakes and boundaries 419

Discussion of these propositions 419

Reasons for British advocacy of the Indians 421

Final reduction of British demand for the Indians and acceptance by American Commission 423

Concern of British ministry for the opinion of Europe 424

News received of the capture of Washington 424

Sanguine anticipations based upon reports from Cochrane and Ross 424

The British Government suggests the _uti possidetis_ as the basis of agreement 425

The American Commission refuse, and offer instead the _status ante bellum_ 426

News arrives of the British defeat on Lake Champlain 426

The political instructions to the commanders of the New Orleans expedition, to be communicated for the satisfaction of the continental powers 427

Urgency of the European situation 428

Dangerous internal state of France 428

Consequent wish of the British ministry to withdraw Wellington from Paris 429

He is pressed to accept the American command 429

Wellington thus brought into the discussion of terms 430

He pronounces against the basis of _uti possidetis_ 431

The British ministry accept his judgment 431

The _status ante bellum_ accepted by Great Britain 431

Subsequent rapid conclusion of agreement 432

Terms of the Treaty 432

Signed by the commissioners, December 24, 1814 434

Despatched to America by a British ship of war 435

Ratified by the United States, February 17, 1815 435

Gallatin's opinion of the effect of the war upon the people of the United States 436

INDEX 439

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.