cellency to revoke the before-mentioned Decree, in order to spare humanity so many miseries, and the whole World so much disgrace. God preserve Your Excellency many years. H. E. General Lecor. DON MARTIN DE PUEYRREDON. DECREE of the Supreme Director of the United Provinces of South America, relative to the Occupation of the Province of Monte Video by the Portuguese Forces.-Buenos Ayres, 2nd March, 1817. (Translation.) THE Day which is consecrated, by the public piety and gratitude, to the rendering of thanks to the Eternal Protector of the American People, for the brilliant successes which He has granted to the Arms of our Country in the Kingdom of Chile, is also the Day that should be chosen to explain to these Provinces the principles which have regulated my conduct with regard to the Court of Brazil, and to its Army, which has been making aggressions on the Eastern Bank of the Rio de la Plata. My apparent passiveness respecting a measure in reality hostile, has had no other foundation than the hopes which had been held out to me, that the Measure had for its object the prosperity and aggrandizement of this State. All my endeavours to penetrate the mystery, upon which our fortunes and our glory appeared to depend, have been unsuccessful. The necessity of tranquillizing the public mind, which was alarmed by injurious suspicions of my integrity and by seditious insinuations, have compelled me to proceed with less caution than I should otherwise have done, in eliciting this important discovery; nevertheless, although in the midst of much obscurity, I began to perceive that the high destinies of the neighbouring Court were not compatible with those of which the Argentine People had rendered themselves worthy, by their constancy, valour, and heroic sacrifices. To terminate this uncertainty, I was on the eve of dispatching an Extraordinary Mission to Rio de Janeiro, with proposals, founded on fixed bases, the refusal or admission of which would have enabled me to decide upon the good faith of that Government, and upon the final resolution which we ought to adopt. In this state of things, I received last night a Decree published on the 15th of February by General Lecor, the contents of which will shock all Civilized Nations; and which is as follows: [See Decree of General Lecor, Page 988.] The impression which the perusal of this Document created in my mind would have led to the severest measures, had I not felt that the dignity of the station which I occupy suggested to me other methods of giving the Portuguese General to understand how much he had been deceived, in imagining that the Supreme Government of these Provinces was capable of submitting to the insults he thus offered to the American People. My Measures, therefore, agreeably to this principle, will be for the present, and until the decision of the Sovereign Congress be known, those which I will now describe. In the first place: an Official Communication will be dispatched immediately to General Lecor, in the following terms: [See Letter from the Supreme Director to General Lecor, Page 993.] Secondly. The Extraordinary Mission to the Court of Rio Janeiro will be suspended, until it be clearly proved that the Negotiations which may be entered upon will be advantageous to these Provinces, and that they will have for their basis the National Independence, the evacuation of the Eastern Territory, and an entire conformity to the general opinion of its Inhabitants. Thirdly. All the Subjects of His Most Faithful Majesty residing in this Capital shall leave it, within 3 days, for the Guardia de Luran; they being assured of good treatment, so long as General Lecor, on his part, shall not carry into effect the threats contained in his Decree of the 15th of February, and their Property being respected, agreeably to the Law of Nations. Fourthly. The Officers from the Portuguese Army, who came in the Ship of War at present in this Port, shall immediately receive their Passports to return to the Place from whence they came. Fifthly. It being neither just nor politic, according to the idea which I have now formed of the pretensions of the Court of Brazil, that whilst it maintains Armed Forces in a part of the Territory of this State, we should not oppose them, on our part, by other Forces, which may restrain their hostile operations, and place us in a situation to act more vigorously in case of necessity; I have determined that, besides the assistance lately sent to various Points of the Eastera Territory, additional aid of every description shall be dispatched thither; of which intention General Lecor has already been informed, in reply to a Complaint made by him upon this subject. To these Measures, and to others which I do not think proper to make public, will be added all those which can conduce to the objects already mentioned; and I trust that the valour and patriotism of all good Citizens will dispose them to those sacrifices that they may be called upon to make, in consequence of an unfortunate Rupture, which it is, I declare, my desire to terminate by every means in my power, which the progress of events and the glory of the Country will permit. Buenos Ayres, 2nd March, 1817. JUAN MARTIN DE PUEYRREDON. JUAN FLORENCIO TERRADA, Secretary, ad interim. INDEX. 997 A. ACCESSIONS to Treaties. See TREATIES. ACCOUNTS. Financial, Commercial, &c. See GREAT BRITAIN, UNITED STATES, &c. ACTS of the British Parliament. Foreign Trade between The United .... Page 549 ....1812, 1813, 1817. 486 ....of....do.........Pensions of certain Officers..... ACTS of the Congress of The United States. .... of....do.... ACT of....do....... 1806, 1807, 328, 329 Tonnage Duties upon Foreign Vessels. January, March, 1817. 757 Enlistments in the Service of Foreign Belli- 5th June, 1794. 339 ... of........do.......................Navigation of The United States. 1st March, 1817. 758 Circular respecting do. 29th Sept., 1817. 950 of.. .do.........Return of Discriminating Duties upon Bri- .... of....do.... .... of....do.. ....of....do.... Trade in Plaster of Paris..3rd March, 1817. 760 Deposit of the Papers of Foreign Vessels with Foreign Consuls.......3rd March, 1817. 760 vice of Foreign Belligerents. 3rd March, 1817. 839 See also CONSTITUTION, DECLARATION, DECREE, LAW, Order, ORDINANCE. ACTS OF ACCESSION to Treaties. See TREATIES. ..... (ADDITIONAL) to Treaties. See TREATIES. ACT OF CESSION of The Empress Queen of Hungary and Bohemia. ADDRESS. See SPEECH. REPORT. MESSAGE. 84 AFRICA. Exportation of Gunpowder, Arms, &c. to, prohibited. Bri- Page AMELIA ISLAND. See FLORIDA: AMERICA. Exportation of Gunpowder, Arms, &c., to certain Parts of, Provinces of South America. See BUENOS AYRES. See also SPANISH AMERICA. ANUND ROW GUICOWAR. Treaty with Great Britain. Defensive Alliance.....Baroda, 21st April, 1805. 209 ARMS, AMMUNITION, &c. Exportation of, to Africa, to the West ARTICLES, ADDITIONAL, &c. See TREATIES. AUBAINE. DROITS D'. See DROITS D'AUBAINE. 1817....140, 731, 732 AUSTRIA. Note of the Four Powers to France. Diminution of the Paris, 13th March, 1817. 956 Note of the Five Powers to Treaty with France, Great .Vienna, 13th May, ĺ817. 748 Annexes. ..Act of Cession of The Empress Queen of Hungary and Bohemia ..1748. dinia.. ....... Convention with Prussia. Fortress of Mayence. ..1748. 75 12 12 2 82 82 S4 Carlsbad, 10th August, 1817. 761 B. Entrance of the Portuguese Troops into the. Paris, 16th March, 1817. 954 ....1816, 1917. 989 .2nd March, 1817. 995 do.....Decree of the Supreme Director of Buenos Buenos Ayres... Ayres.... Page BARBARY STATES. Declaration of the Bey of Tunis. Exception of Bardo, 19th October, 1817. 819 BAVARIA. Convention with The Netherlands. Abolition of the BERAR. Rajah of. Treaties with Great Britain. Brussels, 26th August, 1817. 746 .... BERMUDA. Foreign Trade between The United ...do....do..... BHUNGA SING. Agreement with Great Britain. 1st July, 1812. 486 1st April, 1806. 225 BHURTPORE. Rajah of. Treaties with Great Britain. Friendship and 1803, 1805. Alliance the Commander-in-Chief of the Spanish American of the Five Powers....... Paris, 13th March, 1817. 956 Paris, 28th August, 1817. 818 between The United States and various Na- See UNITED STATES. BOURBON. Commercial Relations with the Mauritius. Ordinance of ....... BRAZIL. See PORTUGAL. BUENOS AYRES. Proclamation of the Portuguese Commander-in- Monte Video..... Decree of do. Peace... .Nov. 1816. 982 Punishment of Disturbers of the of the Republic..Buenos Ayres, 14th Feb, 1817. 983 |