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American claims o1 Frdace, prior to I807.- Al article ithe last humber of the North A- merlcan, throws some light on the subject of these claims:

 z The amount of the claims has been porten- tously overrated. They have been stated Oil the floor of the senate at 20tj millions of dollars. The instructions to general f'lnckney and his colleagues, stated them at fifteen millions; of this amount nearly four millions were paid uu- der the Louisiana convention Making this deduction and a fair allowance for exaggeration. three or four millions are probably the extent Iof what commission would award. It was the opinion of chief justice Marshall, expressed as one of the enyoys, that "if the enyoys re- nounced them or did not by an article in the treaty save them, the United Statesw would there | by become liable for them to her citizens From the beginning to the end of the neeocia- tion. France admitted the justice of the claims. and protessed her readiness 10 make indemnity to our citizens. This the American govern men declined to accept, becastse ibe Freisch coup led eih the recogntion of keir oaun claims un- der treaties with us. Our government proposed to buy of these French pFetensions to a very large sum of money, and it was unquestionabIy vast political object to be relieved from them. Fms OBJECT WIS EFFECTED SOLELY AND EN- n4RELy BY < REMuNER TON OF THESE CLAIMS. Napoleon Bonaparte who was at the head of the French government when this convention was negociated said at St. Helena. ..t the SUD- pression of the second article of the convention put an end to the privileges which France pos. sessed by the treaties of l77s, and admitted the Just claims which America might have made for injuries committed in times of peace.n

 Spain having in 1894, sought to eyade the obligation of certain claims for spoiiatons in her ports. on the ground that these were French Iacts, for which the United States had renounced indemnity, (and in this pretension Spain was backed by Franee0 Mr. Madison wrote to Mr. Pinekney thus:--

 ssThe claims from which France wasreleased. WERE ADMITTED BY FRANCE, and the RELEASE was for Dala,abie consideration. iss q f0rssspOndentreleQseof the Uaited States from eer- faia claims on thens.''

 The article thus concludes

 If something be not due 10 the claimants an- der this state of facts. the natural principles ol right are illusory, and the provision of the con stltuon is worthless. which pfeseribes that sspri. yate property shall not be taken for public use. without just compensatien.'' With what sense oi propTieiN can Americans complain of othe. fiatlons, when they will not do common justice to their own eitizeas-and are So lest to all the principles Of national honor2r