"WAR FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF OUR EXTREME RIGHTS WOULD BE NOT ONLY IMPOLITIC BUT ALMOST SINFUL" PEEL (Sir Robert, 1788-1850, Prime Minister 1834-1835 and 1841-1846, from 1830 2nd Baronet)

Important Autograph Letter Signed to Lord ASHBURTON (Alexander Baring, 1774-1848, Politician and Financier, President of the Board of Trade) saying that he writes to him "immediately and I will write to you without reserve on the subject on which I have this day hear from you. Before your return to England I agreed with Aberdeen that we ought to mark our entire satisfaction with your conduct and our approbation of your Treaty, by conferring the rewards usually conferred after successful public service. I expressed my opinion that the measure of the Reward should be such as to convey the most unequivocal indication of our satisfaction at the same time that it should not betoken undue exultation on the part of this Country at the termination of its differences with the United States. It is my sincere opinion that this would not be advantageous either to the public interest, to the Government or to you. The distinction is to be conferred on a special occasion and for a special public service. We must put out of view your high position in respect of private and public character and station in the Country and consider what is that distinction which shall effect the objects which ... ought to be reconciled, namely, to give a decisive proof of complete approval of your conduct, and satisfaction with the result of your labours and to avoid the indication of too much rejoicing at our escape from difficulties. The concessions made to the United States were ... most wisely and prudently made, the manner in which they were made was becoming your own character and the character of the Country you represented. War for the maintenance of our extreme Rights would be not only impolitic but almost sinful. Still however we cannot deny that we have made concessions if not of real interests, yet apparent ones, if we look at the letter and spirit of former diplomatic engagements and compare what we relinquish with what we retain. I cannot therefore think that it wold be wise to be too exulting ... I entertain this opinion, not from grudging reward to you, not from undervaluing your services, but with reference to great public interests and to the position of this Country in relation to the United States and to other Countries ..." he continues with the proposal that he is "raised to the Rank of Viscount, coupled with that distinction which was specially instituted for the Reward of public Civil Service the order of the Bath, would be a fitting Reward ...", he says that this was the reward "conferred upon Lord Melville, Lord Sidmouth, Lord Exmouth, Lord Beresford and very recently upon Lord Hill. The widow of Mr Canning received the same distinction ...", he tells him that recently he had heard "very confidentially the Lord Hill wished for an Earldom as the reward of (I think) 14 years service a Commander in Chief. I declined a compliance with that request and in consequence ... he was raised to the rank of Viscount. I mention these things only for the purpose of showing that that Rank in the Peerage has been very frequently ... specially appropriate to the reward of very eminent public service ..." he continues about the Order of the Bath before saying that "The time has not gone by for the Ratification of the Treaty would be the fitting one for conferring the Reward ..." and he assures him of his appreciation of "both the pure motives which induced you to undertake the mission and of the pubic service you have rendered by the conduct & termination of it ..." and he ends with the hope that he will "permit me to advise the Queen to confer on you the distinctions which I have suggested ...", 6 sides 4to., Drayton Manor, 16th October trimmed close to text, dust mark along horizontal fold, both without loss

The Webster–Ashburton Treaty, was signed on 9th August 1842 by United States Secretary of State Daniel Webster and British diplomat Alexander Baring, 1st Baron Ashburton. It was a treaty resolving several border issues between the United States and the British North American colonies (i.e. the region that became Canada). Signed under John Tyler's presidency, it resolved the Aroostook War, a non-violent dispute over the location of the Maine–New Brunswick border. It established the border between Lake Superior and the Lake of the Woods, originally defined in the Treaty of Paris in 1783, reaffirmed the location of the border (at the 49th parallel) in the westward frontier up to the Rocky Mountains defined in the Treaty of 1818, defined seven crimes subject to extradition, called for a final end to the slave trade on the high seas, and agreed to shared use of the Great Lakes. The treaty retroactively confirmed the southern boundary of Quebec that had been marked by stone monuments by land surveyors John Collins and Thomas Valentine in 1771–3.

Item Date:  1842

Stock No:  39501      £975

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