Spoliation claims.
Bonaparte declared, in 1810, that no trade would be allowed with the allies of
France in which
France herself was forbidden to participate.
In the ports of
Spain under French control, of
Holland, and at
Naples, a large number of American vessels and a great amount of American property were seized; also at
Hamburg, in
Denmark, and in the
Baltic ports, it being alleged that many American and many British vessels were employed in bringing British produce from British ports under forged papers seeming to show that the property and vessels were American, directly from the
United States.
The seizures were, therefore, made indiscriminately, and a vast amount of bona fide American property was thus lost.
The seizures at
Naples were particularly piratical, for the ships were lured into that port by a special proclamation of
King Joachim Murat.
These spoliations constituted the basis of claims subsequently made upon, and settled by,
France and
Naples.
The only country in
Europe into whose ports American vessels might enter with safety was
Russia.
The War of 1812-15 wiped out all American claims for commercial spoliations against
England.
Those against
France,
Spain,
Holland,
Naples, and
Denmark remained to be settled.
Gallatin, at
Paris, and
Eustis, at
The Hague, were instructed to press the subject.
William Pinkney, former ambassador at
London, appointed in
Bayard's place as minister to
Russia, was also commissioned to take
Naples in his way, and to ask payment for American vessels and cargoes formerly confiscated by
Murat, the Napoleonic sovereign.
The restored
Bourbon government demurred.
The demand, they said, had never been pressed upon
Murat himself, and they disclaimed any responsibility for the acts of one whom they regarded as a usurper, by whom they had suffered more than had the
Americans.
Notwithstanding an American ship-of-war—the
Washington, seventy-four guns—and several armed sloops were in the
Bay of Naples,
Pinkney could not obtain any recognition of the claims, and left for
Russia.
