It would be superfluous to affect your sensibility by a detail of the multiplied injuries and outrages incessantly sustained by His Majesty's subjects in these ports; they have already been admitted by the President in his message to Congress, recommending the adoption of such measures as in their wisdom may appear best calculated to repress them, thereby offering to the King, my master, a pledge that His Excellency admits the necessity of indemnifying them as far as possible. It is, however, with great regret that I have to remark on the delay in carrying such urgent measures into execution, and that the injuries complained of have not been prevented by a due observance of the laws of nations, and of the existing treaty, which, by the Constitution, has the force of a law in all the courts, in consequence of its ratification by the President and the Senate.

WASHINGTON, January 16, 1817, SIR: I have just learned, with the greatest satisfaction, that the marshal of Baltimore has dispatched a boat with a picket of soldiers in pursuit of the pirate Mongore, which has been brought back to that port, in conformity to the orders which I had flattered myself would have been issued by the President. I shall lose no time in giving an account to His Majesty of the friendly dispositions manifested by this Government, and add the hope that this evidence of it will be the forerunner of sentiments calculated to remove every shadow of misunderstanding between the two governments.

I offer, &c.,
(Signed)

LUIS DE ONIS.

No. 5.

Don Luis de Onis to Mr. Monroe.

[Translation.]

WASHINGTON, February 10, 1817. SIR: In addition to the schooner Hipolita, which I informed you in my note of the 16th of last month had been captured by the pirate Jupiter, in the Pass of the Balize of New Orleans, at anchor, within musket-shot of the land, I have just received official notice of the capture by the same pirate of the Spanish brig called Reyna de los Angeles, proceeding from Campeche. This vessel was also at anchor in the Balize, very near the land, and with the pilot on board to ascend the river, but no consideration was sufficient to restrain that pirate in his injustice. I am informed that Commodore Patteson, in consequence of the reclamation made by the consul of His Majesty in the said port, has dispatched a vessel in pursuit of her, and there are appearances that

he will succeed in rescuing the prizes, and placing them at the disposition of their owners; but you cannot but know that if the perpetration of this crime go unpunished, as has been the case on other occasions, or if their escape is permitted, as has happened in Baltimore, with the captain and crew of the pirate Mongore, neither the vessels of His Majesty will be able to obtain the evidence which might be drawn from their declarations, in order to reclaim their property, nor the crimes discovered that they may have committed, nor the number of these robbers be diminished, who so highly compromit the neutrality of the Government, robbing indiscriminately the vessels of all nations, confident that all the harm that can happen to them is that they should be deprived of some of the proceeds of their piracies.

In proof of the solidity of these assertions, I ought to add, that at the time these captures took place at New Orleans, in violation of the territory of this republic, General Humbert, the chief of a band of robbers, armed and equipped, in the province of Louisiana, who had occupied Galveston, had arrived at New Orleans, to solicit provisions and munitions for that establishment. Not only have they been sent under the American flag, but the agent, M. de Souvinet, has bought a brig with the products of the robberies of these pirates, which are now deposited in the Bank of Louisiana, amounting to $180,000, as you will see by the annexed paragraph of the Gazette of New Orleans; and this vessel is preparing to carry more provisions and munitions to that establishment, and to take back to the United States the spoils of the Spaniards, which are not considered secure in that place.

In the port of Baltimore, the brig Peace, (Paz,) mounting 16 guns, commanded by Captain Stafford, well known for having before commanded the privateer schooner Maria, which was confiscated in Port au Prince, has been lately bought for the purpose of cruising against the Spanish commerce. According to information which I have received, the brig, called the Fourth of July, has gone out of that port with the same object, commanded by Captain Watkins, and armed by order of the famous Thomas Taylor, commissioner of Buenos Ayres; finally, the schooner Romp, whose outrages and piracies are of public notoriety, has again sailed for Norfolk, with the design of equipping there, to proceed again on her cruise.

I consider it my duty to make you acquainted with all these acts, which are in manifest contravention of the treaty existing between the two nations, to the end that the President, giving them the consideration which they deserve, may issue the orders that may appear to him best adapted to restrain them, until Congress determines to destroy them at the root, whereby the commerce of all nations may be secure. I renew, &c., (Signed)

LUIS DE ONIS.

No. 6.

Don Luis de Onis to Mr. Monroe.

[Translation.]

WASHINGTON, February 11, 1817.

SIR: When I had the honor to communicate to you, that in virtue of the orders which the President had sent to the marshal at Baltimore,.

the pirate Mongore had been detained and embargoed in that port, I had a right to believe that the marshal, as well as the attorney of the United States, would have caused the captain and crew to be immediately arrested, to take from them the declarations which public

vengeance, and the interests of Spain, as well as of this Govern[103] ment, required, to ascertain *the names of the vessels plundered by that pirate, the depository of the effeets, and the fate of the Spanish crews.

You may consider what was my surprise on receiving positive information that the marshal has liberated the captain and crew of that pirate, that he has not proceeded to take from them any declaration, and has even permitted that the Mongore should go to sea again, under bond, to commit her piracies. The said vessel is yet in the river, stopped by the ice, and her captain, Barnes, very tranquil in his house, occupied in taking out of it, publicly, the effects plundered by him, which, it is calculated, exceed $80,000 in value, without any impediment being put to his proceedings by the authorities at Baltimore. It is extremely painful to me to interrupt your attention so often on such unpleasant subjects; but I should be wanting in my duty if I should delay to inform this Government of the manner in which the orders of the President are eluded in Baltimore, in order to heap injury upon injury on a friendly nation, and promote the revolution of its provinces. In vain will it be alleged, in order to cover this proceeding, that the laws are not sufficient to pursue, without positive evidence, those citizens who commit hostilities against Spain; the treaty which exists between the two nations is a law of the republic, and no tribunal can decline its observance. The proofs of its infraction cannot be more manifest or decisive; the Spanish schooner captured by this same vessel, which is permitted to go out to sea, is now in a port of this Union, the effects on board of the one and the other belonging to the King's vassals; the seamen, the log-book of the respective vessels, and the captain himself, ought to give all the evidence that justice requires, to decide; if these are not examined, on the equivocal pretext that they cannot be found, or that there is no evidence for proceeding against them, the consequence will be the continuation of an organized piracy for the robbery of all nations; that public vengeance will remain unsatisfied; and humanity exposed to all the horrors of such highway robbers.

I cannot do less than repeat my solicitation to the President, in the name of the King, my master, that the corsair Mongore may be secured, that the effects found on board may be deposited, as well as those which may have been already discharged from her, that the papers on board be examined, as well as the journals, crew, and captain, and that it be proposed to make all the investigations that would, under similar circumstances, be made in Spain, if a like case should occur to the United States, in order to prevent the damages and remedy their repetition.

I flatter myself that you cannot fail to find my solicitude just, and that the President will accede the more cheerfully to it, as it is agreeable to the sentiments of humanity and impartiality which characterize him, and to the desire which he has manifested to me to strengthen the bonds of friendship with my sovereign.

I renew, &c.,
(Signed)

LUIS DE ONIS.

No. 7.

Don Luis de Onis to Mr. Monroe.

[Translation.]

WASHINGTON, February 12, 1817. SIR: After my official letters of the 10th and 11th of this month were written, I received advice from Baltimore that Captain John Chase was now there, and that it was understood that he had left the command of the privateer Potosi, (alias the Spartan, of Baltimore,) and likewise that there were in that city more than thirty officers and sailors who had belonged to the said privateer, and who had come there for the purpose of claiming from the said Chase their portion of the prize-money from the Spanish ship Ciencia, of which they had taken possession at sea, in the manner you will see detailed in the declarations of four of the sailors of the said privateer, copies of which are inclosed.

This, without doubt, is a case which merits all your attention, as it is proved, in the most positive manner, that a certain number of American citizens had armed and equipped a vessel in Baltimore, had gone to sea in her, and had committed an act of hostility against Spain, contrary to the laws of nations and in violation of the fourteenth and of other articles of the treaty existing between the two nations; thus compromitting the dignity of the United States, which cannot but disapprove such conduct, and violating the rights of the King, my master.

The consul of His Majesty in Baltimore has, without loss of time, proceeded judicially against the before-mentioned John Chase by soliciting his arrest, and at the same time is taking measures to attach, in the hands of Mr. Didier, merchant, of Baltimore, twenty-odd thousand dollars, which it is known he has received from the said prize; but I see at once all the efforts of the consul will be in vain, unless this Government interpose all their authority, by giving the proper orders for vindicating their own dignity, which has been compromitted by the atrocious conduct of these bad citizens. I do not deem it necessary to repeat to you the many observations I have had the honor to make to you upon various occasions on occurrences of this kind; and I therefore limit myself to asking of you to communicate this case to the President, who, I ought to expect, will take such measures as he may think best adapted to the correction of this disorder, and for doing justice to the aggrieved party.

In confirmation of what I had the honor to state in my note to you of the 12th instant, I now inclose a list of the articles which Mr. Henry Didier, a merchant of Baltimore, has landed there, under the usual forms of the custom-house, from on board the American schooner Re

mittance, Captain James Rogers, from Aux Cayes, they being the same which had been plundered from the Spanish ship Ciencia, by the privateer Potosi, Captain James Chase, by whom they were transshipped on board the said schooner, and consigned to the above-mentioned Didier.

In consideration of these proofs I trust that you will be pleased to obtain from the President the necessary order to effect the delivery or security of this property, for the benefit of its lawful owners, and that you will have the goodness to advise me of the same for my govern

SIR: The session of Congress being within two days of closing, and the Senate having not given its assent to the bill passed by the House of Representatives, for the purpose of putting a stop to the armaments making in different parts of the Union, in violation of the laws of nations and of the treaty existing between His Catholic Majesty and this republic, I have considered it my duty to represent to you the injuries resulting from this delay to Spain, and likewise to all the nations of Europe, to the end that, if the President sees fit, he may be pleased to cause this subject to be taken into serious consideration.

SIR: In an official letter, under date of the 11th of last month, which I had the honor to direct to the Secretary of State, I represented to this Government that, contrary to my expectation, I had just received positive information that the marshal at Baltimore had left at liberty the captain and crew of the pirate Mongore, and had even permitted her to go to sea to renew her excesses, without having even so much as taken their declarations, which the public vengeance and the interests of both governments demanded. I dwelt on the great injuries which would follow to my nation, from the impunity and toleration which these highway robbers met with in this country; and requested that the President would give the correspondent directions for preventing this injury.

In my official letter of the 12th of the same month, I took occasion again to call the attention of this Government to the same subject, though in a different case, in consequence of having received advice