Mannah River, it was reported that Kent's Island, in that river, had been occupied by the French. In bringing this report confidentially to the attention of the French minister at Washington, Mr. Frelinghuysen, who was then Secretary of State, adverted to the fact that Liberia "was founded by negro settlers from the United States," and that, "although at no time a colony of this government, it began its career among the family of independent states as an offshoot of this country, and as such entitled to the sympathy and, when practicable, the protection and encouragement of the United States." On the occasion of recent diplomatic disputes between Liberia and Great Britain, "this relationship of quasi-parentage had, said Mr. Frelinghuysen, been recognized. It was not thought possible that France could seriously intend to assert a claim to territory so notoriously in dispute between those two powers, where no French right of possession had before been recognized by either; but it was thought proper, said Mr. Frelinghuysen, to state, provisionally, that the United States would consider a French claim to territory in the Mannah River as threatening the integrity and tranquillity of Liberia, and also to intimate "the firm conviction and expectation" of the United States that, in view of its "intimate relationship" to Liberia, "any assertion of claim to any part of Liberia, as defined by conventional limits, and any enforcement of a settlement of alleged grievance, which might take place without the United States being allowed an opportunity to interpose their good offices to arrange the matter, could not but produce an unfavorable impression in the minds of the government and people of the United States." Mr. Frelinghuysen, Sec. of State, to Mr. Roustan, French min., Aug. 22, See, also, Mr. Frelinghuysen, Sec. of State, to Mr. Lowell, min. to It appears that the French government, in reply to a complaint of the "The weakness of Liberia and the difficulty of maintaining effective sovereignty over its outlying districts have exposed that republic to encroachment. It cannot be forgotten that this distant community is an offshoot of our own system, owing its origin to the associated benevolence of American citizens, whose praiseworthy efforts to create a nucleus of civilization in the dark continent have commanded respect and sympathy everywhere, especially in this coun try. Although a formal protectorate over Liberia is contrary to our traditional policy, the moral right and duty of the United States to assist in all proper ways in the maintenance of its integrity is obvious, and has been consistently announced during nearly half a century. I recommend that, in the reorganization of our Navy, a small vessel, no longer found adequate to our needs, be presented to Liberia, to be employed by it in the protection of its coastwise President Cleveland, annual message, Dec. 6, 1886, For. Rel. 1886, vii. "As mentioned in your note of February 3, 1886, to Mr. de Freycinet, "It is not, therefore, apparent how, in view of these declarations, the French government has been able to ratify in 1883 the treaty of 1868, nor to decree in 1885 the annexation of the villages which were recognized in 1883 as part of Liberia. "The relations of the United States government with Liberia have not changed. It still feels justified in using its good offices in her behalf. These have been repeatedly exercised and its moral right to their exercise admitted by Great Britain in 1843 (see House Ex. Doc. No. 162, first session Twenty-eighth Congress, vol. 4, 1843-44), and again in 1882, 1883, 1884, in the controversy concerning the northwestern boundary of Liberia, and by France in the answers of Mr. Waddington in 1879, and of M. Ferry in 1884, above referred to. We are unwilling to believe that it is now the intention of the French government to act inconsistently with the spirit of these declarations. "You are requested to lay the facts proving the validity of the Liberian title to the territory in question before the French government, accompanied by such observations as may seem, in your discretion, best calculated to promote the end in view, namely, the recognition of Liberia's right. If it be impossible to obtain this, a definite declaration in regard to the line dividing French and Liberian territory may be made, which will fix a boundary such as France and all the powers can recognize and respect." (Mr. Bayard, Sec. of State, to Mr. McLane, min. to France, No. 209, March 22, 1887, For. Rel. 1887, 289, 291.) November 3, 1891, and January 26, 1892, the French legation at Washington notified the Department of State, conformably to Article XXXIV. of the general act of Berlin, of the conclusion of various treaties with chiefs of the Ivory coast between the San Pedro and Cavally rivers, for the purpose of establishing French protectorates over their dominions. Mr. Blaine instructed the American minister at Paris to say that the United States did not accept as valid or acquiesce in these protectorates, so far as they might relate to territory pertaining to Liberia westward of the San Pedro River, unless it should appear that she was a consenting party to the transaction. Mr. Blaine added that the President was "so firmly convinced that the just rights of independent Liberia will be duly respected by all, that he is indisposed to consider the possible contingency of such expansion of the territorial claims of other powers in Africa as might call for a more positive assertion of the duty of the United States." Mr. Blaine, Sec. of State, to Mr. Coolidge, min. to France, No. 2, June 4, These views were duly communicated to the French government July 13, It seems that the Liberian "hinterland" was in 1892 under the sway of a "In consequence of the action of the French government in proclaiming a protectorate over certain tribal districts of the west coast of Africa, eastward of the San Pedro River, which has long been regarded as the southeastern boundary of Liberia, I have felt constrained to make protest against this encroachment upon the territory of a republic which was founded by citizens of the United States and toward which this country has for many years held the intimate relation of a friendly counselor." President Harrison, annual message, Dec. 6, 1892, For. Rel. 1892, xiv. "More recently, negotiations between the Liberian representative and the French government resulted in the signature at Paris of a treaty whereby as an adjustment, certain Liberian territory is ceded to France. This convention at last advices had not been ratified by the Liberian legislature and executive. "Feeling a sympathetic interest in the fortunes of the little commonwealth, the establishment and development of which were largely aided by the benevolence of our countrymen, and which constitutes the only independently sovereign state on the West Coast of Africa, this government has suggested to the French government its earnest concern lest territorial impairment in Liberia should take place without her unconstrained consent." President Cleveland, annual message, Dec. 4, 1893, For. Rel. 1893, vii. December 9, 1892, Mr. Coolidge, American minister at Paris, transmitted to the Department of State a copy of the convention signed on the preceding day between France and Liberia for the settlement of the boundary question. (For. Rel. 1893, 296-298.) "By the terms of this act, the boundary line of the respective possessions of the two countries shall be established by the thalweg of the Cavally River. France gives up the rights acquired by her from old treaties concluded on various points of the grain coast and recognizes the sovereignty of the Republic of Liberia over the coast to the west of the Cavally River; the Republic of Liberia abandons on its side all pretentions which it could put forward to the territories of the Ivory coast situated east of said river." (M. Develle, min. of for. aff. to Mr. Coolidge, American min., Feb. 21, 1893, For. Rel. 1893, 299.) See Mr. Foster, Sec. of State, to Mr. Coolidge, No. 145 (confid.), Jan. 16, 1893, MS. Inst. France, XXII. 450; Mr. Gresham, Sec. of State, to Mr. McCoy, No. 26, March 20, 1893, MS. Inst. Liberia, II. 273; Mr. Gresham, Sec. of State, to Mr. Langford, June 23, 1893, 192, MS. Dom. Let. 431; Mr. Gresham, Sec. of State, to Mr. Payne, No. 43, Sept. 9, 1893, MS. Inst. Liberia, II. 280. Mr. Coolidge, minister to France, with his No. 112, Jan. 13, 1893, transmitted to the Department of State a map relating to the boundary. (MS. Desp. from France.) The convention of Dec. 8, 1892, was ratified by the Senate of Liberia, Jan 12, 1894, with certain objections and suggested amendments. (Mr. Uhl, Act. Sec. of State, to Mr. Eustis, amb. to France, No. 183 (confid.), March 6, 1894, MS. Inst. France, XXII. 621.) It was approved by the French Chamber of Deputies without discussion July 10, 1894. (For. Rel. 1894, 225.) As to the exchange of ratifications, see Mr. Olney, Sec. of State, to Mr. Heard, No. 37 (confid.), Feb. 23, 1897, MS. Inst. Liberia, II. 317; Mr. Sherman, Sec. of State, to Mr. Heard, No. 39, May 17, 1897, id. 319 (enclosing copies of promemorias expressive of interest in Liberian independence, exchanged by the British embassy and the Department of State, March 8 and March 13, 1897); same to same (confid.), May 17, 1897, id. 319; same to same, No. 10, May 25, 1897, id. 320, acknowledging the receipt of Mr. Heard's No. 52 B of April 15, 1897. Mr. Sherman, May 21, 1897, acknowledged the receipt of a note of Sir Julian Pauncefote, British ambassador, of the same day, conveying information as to a law passed by the legislature of Liberia, during the session of 1896-1897, directing the executive to form as soon as practicable a commission, in concert with France, to delimit the frontier between Liberia and the contiguous French possessions. (MS. Notes to Great Britain, XXIII. 626.) XXV. MADAGASCAR. § 856. As to the treaty between the United States and Madagascar of 1881 and the treaty between France and Madagascar of December 17, 1885, see Mr. Bayard, Sec. of State, to Mr. Robinson, consul at Tamatave, May 12, 1886, 117 MS. Desp. to Consuls, 571. The treaty between the United States and Madagascar of 1881 gave the former power no right or ground of intervention in disputes between Madagascar and France; and, so long as no discrimination was made against the commerce of the United States, there appeared to be no ground to complain of the action of France in converting Madagascar into a French colony and treating the treaties between Madagascar and other powers as nullified. Mr. Gresham, Sec. of State, to Mr. Morgan, Jan. 16, 1895, 200 MS. Dom. As to the eventual annexation of Madagascar by France, with the acquiescence of the United States, see For. Rel. 1896, 117-119, 121, 122, 124-127, 129, 132–135; For. Rel. 1897, 152–157. XXVI. MEXICO. 1. RELATIONS, 1825-1848. § 857. President J. Q. Adams's message of February 8, 1827, transmitting the Mexican treaty of July 10, 1826, with the accompanying documents, is printed in 6 Am. State Papers, For. Rel. 578. President J. Q. Adams's message of April 25, 1828, containing “a treaty of amity, commerce, and navigation between the United States. of America and the United Mexican States," signed February 14, 1828, is in 6 Am. State Papers, For. Rel. 952. "In 1825 Mr. Poinsett was dispatched as minister to Mexico. He was instructed to bring to the notice of the Mexican government the message of the late President of the United States to their Congress, on the 2d of December, 1823, asserting certain important principles of intercontinental law in the relations of Europe and America. The first principle asserted in that message is, that the American continents are not henceforth to be considered as subjects for future colonization by any European powers. The other principle asserted in the message is, that whilst we do not desire to interfere in |