The Freeman 1972 - The Ludwig von Mises Institute

620 THE FREEMAN OctoberUnited States did not greatly impressthe Spanish, particularlywhen these same British wereclinging to their own posts to thenorth in defiance of the treaty.In 1784, Spain concluded treatieswith Indians within the territoryof the United States. Moreover,Spain held onto a militarypost at Natchez which had beenacquired during the war but whichwas now within the treaty territoryof the United States. Spainalso made private agreements withAmericans· for the use of the Mississippiports and was working toundermine the allegiance of thosewest of the Appalachians to theUnited States. It was the positionof both Britain and the United.States that navigation of the MississippiRiver was free to all, butSpain did not recognize this position.Nor would Spain grant theright of deposit of goods in NewOrleans - a right essential to theeffective use of the Mississippitothe United States.The Mississippi and TradeOf course, the use of the Mississippiwas an absolute requirementfor the commercial developmentof the trans-Allegheny region ofAmerica. The expense of transportingfreight from the west tothe east overland was prohibitive;only lightweight cargo of veryhigh value could even be consideredworth transporting in thisfashion. Even so, settlers pouredinto this area in increasing numberin the 1780's from the olderstates despite the fact that, asmatters stood, they must eitherswitch their allegiance to Spainor be denied the opportunity ofdeveloping the country. John Jayconducted negotiations over aconsiderable period with the Spanishdiplomat, Diego de Gardoqui,but the United States had little tooffer and the Spanish little to fearfrom the continuation of the deadlock.Jay saw little hope for settlingthe dispute favorably to theUnited States by negotiation andwas entirely unenthusiastic abouta recourse to arms. "For," hesaid in 1786, "unblessed with anefficient government, destitute offunds, and without publick credit,either at home or abroad, weshould be obliged to wait in patiencefor better days, or plungeinto an unpopular and dangerouswar with very little prospect ofterminating it by a peace, eitheradvantageous or glorious."3Barbary PiratesNot all the difficulties of theConfederation were with Europeancountries; those people commonlycalled the Barbary Piratesalong the African coast of theMediterranean disrupted trade ina particularly distressing way.