ch colonies as
England had acquired by conquest during the Napoleonic wars; then, in
1806, they prohibited the foreign slave-trade; and finally, March 25,
1807, enacted the total abolition of the traffic.[9]

67. ~Concerted Action of the Powers, 1783-1814.~ During the peace
negotiations between the United States and Great Britain in 1783, it was
proposed by Jay, in June, that there be a proviso inserted as follows:
"Provided that the subjects of his Britannic Majesty shall not have any
right or claim under the convention, to carry or import, into the said
States any slaves from any part of the world; it being the intention of
the said States entirely to prohibit the importation thereof."[10] Fox
promptly replied: "If that be their policy, it never can be competent to
us to dispute with them their own regulations."[11] No mention of this
was, however, made in the final treaty, probably because it was thought
unnecessary.

In the proposed treaty of 1806, signed at London December 31, Article 24
provided that "The high contracting parties engage to communicate to
each other, without delay, all such laws as have been or shall be
hereafter enacted by their respective Legislatures, as also all measures
which shall have been taken for the abolition or limitation of the
African slave trade; and they further agree to use their best endeavors
to procure the co-operation of other Powers for the final and complete
abolition of a trade so repugnant to the principles of justice and
humanity."[12]

This marks the beginning of a long series of treaties between England
and other powers looking toward the prohibition of the traffic by
international agreement. During the years 1810-1814 she signed treaties
relating to the subject with Portugal, Denmark, and Sweden.[13] May 30,
1814, an additional article to the Treaty of Paris, between France and
Great Britain, engaged these powers to endeavor to induce the
approaching Congress at Vienna "to decree the abolition of the Slave
Trade, so that the said Trade shall cease universally, as it shall cease
definitively, under any circumstances, on the part of the French
Government, in the course of 5 years; and that during the said period no
Slave Merchant shall import or sell Slaves, except in the Colonies of
the State of which he is a Subject."[14] In addition to this, the next
day a circular letter was despatched by Castlereagh to Austria, Russia,
and Prussia, expressing the hope "that the