o Canada, produced several
authentic papers; among others, the chart which M. Vaudreuil delivered
to the English commandant when he abandoned Canada. The Minister of
London maintained at the same time, that a part of the savages
situated to the eastward of the Mississippi were independent, another
part under its protection, and that England had purchased a part from
the five Irequois nations. The misfortunes of France cut these
discussions short; the treaty of Paris assigned the Mississippi for
the boundary between the possessions of France and Great Britain.

"Let us see the dispositions, which the Court of London has made in
consequence of the treaty of Paris.

"If they had considered the vast territories situated to the eastward
of the Mississippi as forming part of their ancient Colonies, they
would have declared so, and have made their dispositions accordingly.
So far from any such thing, the King of England, in a proclamation of
the month of October, 1763, declares in a precise and positive manner
that the lands in question are situated between the Mississippi and
the ancient _English establishments_. It is, therefore, clearly
evident, that the Court of London itself, when it was as yet sovereign
of the Thirteen Colonies, did not consider the aforementioned lands as
forming part of these same Colonies; and it results from this in the
most demonstrative manner, that they have not at this time any right
over these lands. To maintain the contrary, every principle of the
laws of nature and nations must be subverted.

"The principles now established are as applicable to Spain as to the
United States. This power cannot extend its claims beyond the bounds
of its conquests. She cannot, therefore, pass beyond the Natchez,
situated towards the thirtyfirst degree of latitude; her rights are,
therefore, confined to this degree; what is beyond, is either
independent or belonging to England; neither Spain nor the Americans
can have any pretensions thereto. The future treaty of peace can alone
regulate the respective rights.

"The consequence of all that has been said is, that neither Spain nor
the United States has the least right of sovereignty over the savages
in question, and that the transactions they may carry on as to this
country would be to no purpose.

"But the future may bring forth new circumstances, and this reflection
leads one to suppose, that it would be of use that the Court of Madrid
and the United States