The Rhode-Island Republican — Newport, R.I., 1810-01-03 00:00:00, page 2

and declare what would be acceptable ta him ;
but if Me. Smith could reach his mark;, if he
vould guess (for it amounts to this) what the
instructions of the new eavoy were, then Mr.
“Yatksoh would unfold the tr{m “object of his
mission’ ; he would condescend to open his
port folio ‘and expose his secrct. His con
duét in this particular s precisely as if a man
should say * I have netling to offer in behalf
of peacey nor can 1, indeed, say exactly what
1 will agree toj but you may go on proposing
~and if the President gives me enough for ‘it,
T will sell hiny & convention.”” Even admit
*ing that the President could have demeaned
bimsell to this specien of diplomatick
legerdemain; to this kind' of hide and seck
‘currespondence; wiat prospect did Mr. Jack
soin's actunal intimations hold out to him ?
government has ¢ simply prohibited their
trade altogether ?” Somd of . the Britivh
Lords ate well ‘convinced that América in
arms is no contemptible foe, and that it is
easier for Great Brituin to say she will pro
hibit the trade of this country entirely than
for her to do it. In truth, hr{s a swaggering
hoast, seemingly vindictive ; and British am.-
bassadours should be cautious how they in
dulge in these rude sallies, lest it might be
supposed that Great Britain has not yet forgiy
cn the Americans for conquering her.
The wide difference, so verv manifest, he
tween what Mr. Jackson rgpresents to be the
friendly disposition of his sovercign and the
'uapr'o'p‘_dm'u complexion of his own. senti
ments, is either positive proof of the un
fitness of the new envoy for the mission, or
conclusive evidence of his prevarication, It
is still hoped that the feclings of the - British
monax'c!\Lm ih favour af peace ; But Mr.
Jackson is certwinly lavolved 1n g disgraceful
dilemma ; for, if the kin;;_ and . his ministry
are dolhio_ug of reconciliation, then Mr. Jack
son is an inlxgl'opcr agent to effect it, and the
American administration is completely justi
fied in discarding bhim ; and, if the British
cabinet is not favourably dlsposed to an even
tual adjustment of differences, that Mr. Jack
son has officially averred in that respect, what
is hot true, and the Fovcmmcnt of the U,
States is equally justified.
In conclusion, Mr. Jackson confesses in his
Counci? upon any other terms than a substi
wition by compact of similar provisigns in
their stead § he wo% ncvur'c:ssc to u::iiu
win the Tveof a total and unqualified
iah&‘-ﬁ'ﬂg: all trade with ?c enemy ;
aud, essentially speaking, he would not con
wit 1o aban! v a single prominent feature of
Orders in Coun ¢ily was totally indifferent as
“to the form, but would by no means relin
quish the substance of them ; or, in other
words, if the United States would by com
pact accede to the provisions of the Ordery
which he says be true, divected to receive and
discuss pro%osals which the Secretary of
State might be authorized to make to him.”
Tn other words, he was to constitute himsel f
a tribunial for deciding upon the propositions
of the American government. He would
“ receive und discuss proposals,” just as the
war office or post office of the United States
would receive and discuss Ymposals for sup
plying the troops with provisions or for carry- |
tng the mails ; and the sum total of his in
structions saem to have been to ADYERTISE
the Secretary of State that Mr. Jackson would
thus ¢ receive and discuss proposals, and by
friutly intimating that he was authorized
« gventually” to conclude a convention, to
catice the President to bid up for a contract,
Mr. Jackson would not come out forthwith
instructed ¢ to propose to the government of
the Uuited States uny formal agrecment to be
substituted for that which His Majesty had
‘been under the necessity &f disavowing,” and
that, as'the Orders in Council, * it is matter
of indifference to Great Britain, whether the
Order in Council be continued or un arrange
ment by mutual consent substituted in its
room.” This, with his preceding observa-
areat degree of historical knowledge to as
certain, that in every war in which they have
Leen engaged, the Awmervican™ people have
been victorious, Their annals ave extremely
vure, unstained aa single act of injustice.
In the sight of God and Man, therefore, in
the two great points of equily and successful
valour, tgc I.bs ted States art.suicriour to G..
Britain, Why, then, shoyld her minister
#unt’ them with the sneer that the FEnglish
None, that was at all comulin‘: the whole
political landscape painted by the new Minis
ter was barren and dreary. Although the
successour of Mr. Erskine would not affirm
posititively what his soverex would do, yet
he \'err' plainly designated wimt he would not
do. M: would not rescind the Ovdars ia
tions, furnished ncaﬂ({ a complete develope
nient of the nature and tendency of Mr. Juck-
Yon’s” mission. ¢« The total and unquali
fied intevdiction of all trade with the eneny,”
he contended to be corgpet in principle, de
clared it to be a doetrine which Great Britain
lettor of the 11th of October, that he is not
he had no new propositions to make, and that
his sovereign, adhering to the spirit of the
weal system, Mr. Jackson had nothing new to
offer, he did not even come prepared to make
an explamtion ; his siylc of correspondence
was supercilious, his predeminant temper ir
ritating, and the whole train of his logick re
nulsive to a good understanding between the
two countrics. ‘He was, to be sure, if that
would never cease to maintain, admitted that
then, indeed, His Britannick Majesty would
agree to substitute such compact for the Or
ders in Council. So far from this being a
repeal of the Orders in Council, it was a de
mand en the American government Lo ratily
them by law.
At this point of the discussions, the Presi
deut wouh* have ncted perfectly correct in re
linquishing all correspondence with Mr.
Yackson on the subject of reconciliation. G,
Britain was rcsoh’e& to maintain her anti-neu-
Wi B wichthe- Lot oo o
tem ﬁ';,vhkh : d authorities of
“then, was the use of 'pﬂ:ﬁﬂ‘ﬂoMl’-
Juckson ? Did he imagine that the Americun
government, in the pursuii of its l’;zht' _
would waste its time and its labour for a
musement, to frame propositions merely to
be reccived, and discussed, and rejected, by
him ! The gentleman has by this time dis
covered that be has undervalued the cabinet
of Washington, and committed his fame and
“is feelings (if feclings he has any,) to the
thorns of ridicule and the sterile heath of
contempt. i
But the American administration would
not be proveked into an early and abrupt re
jection of the hope of uceoramodation, even
}' through such an ungracious Minister as Mr,.
Jackson. The President and his councels
lors appear 1o have been determined to probe
‘Mr. Jackson more closely as to the object of
his mission, and to bring him strictly to the
test, in the expectation that he had still in
store the precious balm which was to heal the:
festering wounds of the nation. According
‘ly, Mr. Smith addressed to bim on the 19th
- of October, a very Jucid and mastgrly letter, the .
“commencement of which exposes the frivoli- ]
gy of the exception which Mr. Jackson had
| Pt N g " “
“taken to the prescription of written for ver-°
bal communications,. The reader must be
amused with theaukward and embarrassed ce
cape which the new envoy makes from the
perplexity of ignorance and hwmiliation which
he had presumptuously brought upon him
self. No additional weight can be given, by
“any remarks in this place, to the overwheln-.
ing arguments by which Mr. Smith de
monstrates the propriety of Mr. Jackson’s
presenting a formal explanation of the true :
" cause of the disavowal of Mr. Erskine’s ar
rangement, nor to the sapacity and just rea
soning with which the Seccretary of State
points out an untruth advanced by the Re
- presentative of his Britannick Majesty rela
tive to that explanation having been made in
L.ondon to Mr. Izinkncy ; nor any force ad
ded to the repulsion of Mr, Jackson’s insinu
ation that the govermment of the United
States had manifested no dissatisfaction at
the disavowal of the arrangemeunt.
It is in his letter of the 19th of October,
- Mr. Smith states, that Mr. Erskine % did pre
sent for his consideration the three condi
tiens” contained in the printed despatch of
Mr. Canning of the 23d of January ; but that
finding they were rejected, Mr. Erskine pro
posed others which others were accepted. It
is particularly recommended to the reader to
peruse two or three times, and with atten
tion, that part of Mr. Smith’s letter in ques
tion which immediately follows the state
ment ; it places the subject in so c¢lear a
Jight that it cannot be mistakem ; and,in a
specid manner, let this' expression of the
Secretary of State be remarked, viz : « That
he [ Mr. Eukine;‘had, or, at Jeast,that he be
licved he had sufficient authority to conclude
the arrangement, his formal assurances dar
ing our discussions were such as to leave no
room for doubt.” Upon this ground, thes,
the American government acted, namely ;
Mr. Erskine verbally suggested three propo
sitions which have since appeared to be the
theee conditions embraced in the despatch
from Mr Canning of the 23d of January, and
which were rejected by Mr. Smith : and,
when the late British Miuister proposed others
more consonant to equity and of course niore
agreeable, he gave fermal assurances to the
Secretary of State, that he was authorized to
make them the basis of the arrangement.
Mr. Erskine did not tell Mr. Smith (nor does
Mr. Smith say hé did, and Mr. Jackson him.
self does not epenly assert it) that the three
conditions first suggested were the ouly ones
whigh his instructions contained. T'he Sec
retary of State made no enquiry in that res
pect. It was none of the Secretary’s busi
ness. It was for Mr. Erskine to look to it
that he did not disobey the Orders of the
King his master. Mr. Smith was treating
with the British accredited Minister ; & Min
ister with a full general power to act for the”
Dritish government. Mr. Erskine never
shewed his instructions to' Mr. Smith, as Mr.
Jackson' admits ; but merely in a verdal way,
as any man, in making a bargain would do,
proposed them experimentally. He did pre
cisely what an individual does at market ;
when he could not make the arrangement,
(ory in other words purchase what he wanted)
at one price, he gave another. If he disobey-,
ed his instructions, that, as Mr. Smith very
{':;tly remarks ; “ I 8 a question essentially:
ween him. and his government.” Mr.
Ecskiné hitnséll in'his letter to Mr. Smith,,
asserts wnrescrvedly, that % he conceived he
had confornred to His Majesty’s wishes ; and:
to the spirit, at least, of his instructions.” To
this opinion he adhered to the last moment:
of his remaining in the United States ; and:
the only revolution that appears te have tlkenl
place in'his mind in velation to the subjeet,
was a painful conviction, occasioned by the
disavowal, ¢ that he had formed an erroneous
judgment of His Majesty’s views and :
tion,® which is an observation that MrR
kine makes in his Jetter of the 14thr of Aug.
m!bt&mmyof;nu. and which isa se
vere reproach on British mment ;
fnllghhuﬁhg, that although thcmmtht
of Mr. Jackson's predecessour justified the’
arrangement, yet that it was neither the
“ vigw” mb“m#orm British
Miaistry t arrangement on reasond
bie terms ohod:Ln been entered into. -
To the testimony of Mr. Erskine, apd to'
the reason ‘of the case, is added the explicit
declaration of Mr. Smith, that the rircum
stance that the despitch of the 23d of Junua
ry from Me. Canning to Mr. Erskine was the
only one which authorised him to propose
conditions, * wag for the Srst time made
known" to.the government of the U. States
by Mr. Jackson himself, in his letter of the
1 ith of October : « And (Mr. Smith comtin
ues) I need hardly add, that if that despatch
had been communicdted at the time of the
tor if it bad been known that the
mm contained in it, and which. were
at first presented by Mr. Erskine, were the
only ones on which he was authorized 1o make
an arrangement, the arrangement would not
have been made.”. There is no duplicity in
this language ; it denies all kihowledge of the
real nature and extent of Mr. Erskine's in
structions ; and avers, if they had been
known to be such as Mr. Jackson asserts
theni to be, no compact would have been
made. It will be seen in the conclusion by
what a fecble sophism the new envoy attempts
to evade the force of this fact.
[To be- continued.]
It may be assumed then, that if Mr, Ers
kine really had a power, his not preducing it
does not affect the right of our government
to complain of the disavowal. How then was
this fact 7 Had Mr. Erskine a power distinct
from his letter of credence as resident minis
ter ! A power as here understood, is an au
thority given by one governsment to a certain
persony to treat with anathery; on matters in
difference. "The form of the ﬁ:\ is imma
terial, provided the authority iccn really
giveuw The despatch of January did give
such authority, and is to all intents and pus
poses a power. So Mr. Jackson himself con
siders .it. He says in a letter of the 4th of -
Noveinber, speaking of Erskine’s arrange
ment, “ Indubitably his agreetent would
ncyvertheless have been ratified, had not the
insteuctions [by which he mecans the des- .
patch ] which in this case, took place of a full
hower been violated.” Indeed the thing
speaks 00 plaialy for itsel{ to need the ard (s'
this or eny authority (o establish it. Mr.
Erkine then had a powcr, and establishcs the
conclusion, before stated, that his not pro-|
ducing it does not affect the d&t to com
plain of the disavowai. * This coqdmb. can
uot be evaded, unless there ave some particu
lar circumstances to take this case ms the
general principle of the erdinary cases of this
And it indy be said that ia_this case, if opr
government had demanded a sight ‘d&f
power, they would at the same time have'
seet the instructions v&m blende.!
with the power ; and so have kpown that Mr.
Erskine could not have made the arrange
ments he did make.
(7o be Continued, )
T will preface this enquiry with but one re
mark. 1f the not demanding a sight of Mr.
Evskine’s power, takes from our govermmnent
the right to compluin of the disavowal, the
same circumstance of course would justify the
disavowal. It is strange, and true as it is
strange, that the King of Lngland does not,
though his advocates here do, defend the dis
avowal on any such ground ; nor does he nor
his Minister pretend that we have no right to
complain, en any such ground. Neither of
them allege that the arrangement was dis
claimed because Mr. Erskine was not requir
ed to produce his power. That hanghty mon
arch disdains maling a defence for himself
heanness to makemﬁm, in order to incul
which our own resentatives have . the
pate our government. ¥ His ground is, not the
contemptible cavil that the power was not
r‘rod,uccd ; ‘but that his instructions were vio
ted ; and his Minister adds the further in
sulting ground, that oar government knew it.
But to proceed to the question :«Ff Mr.
Erskine reully had a power, surcly it was as
binding on his own government, as if he had
shewn it ; and it gave to our government the
same rights as if he had shewn 1. 1t does not
lt¢ in the mouth of his Bri:annick Majesty to
say, true 1 gave Mr. Erskine the power, and
true you made the arrangement with himy on
the faith of that power ; but as you did not
demand the production of it, I will not abide
by the arrangement. In the ease put by Mvr.
Potter, if the agent who sold him the Spesk
cr’s estate, really had a power, I believe, the
Speaker would not disaffirm the conveyance,
on the cavil that the power had not been ex
hibited to Mr. Potter : it would be dishon
ourable in the Speaker to attempt such a
thing ; and were he to attempt it, perhaps
there is no man who would chastise the at
tempt with more opprobrious names than Mr.
Potter himself,
The Senate passed a resolution approving
of the President’s conduct ; and it is before
the House of Representatives for concurrence.
It passcd the Senaie without debate : it is or
posed in the House on two grounds ;=ene is,
that our government had no right to complain
of the disavowal ; the other that the explana
tion contzined mno insult. It is said we have
ro right to complain of the disavowal, because
Mr. Erskine had not produced, and was not
required to produce his power to make the ar
rangement. The fact is adwaitted that he was
not required to produce his power, and that
our goveinment was satisfied with his word
that he had a power. The auestion then is,
does this circumsiance take from our govern
ment the right of complaiing of the disa
vowal ?
Reflcctions on the Proceedings of our Go
" wernment with Fackson, the British
Minister.
~ “'THE President complained of the disa
votwval of the arrangement made with Erskine,
and required an explanation. The explana
tion, instead of apology, offered an insult, for
which Jackson was dismisged. *
Political Piscellany.
For the REruBLICNN.
BOSTON, PEC. 20.7
. French Teulon Fleet,
Capt. Shearman has arrived at Philadelphia
in 30 days from Lisbon, and informs, that on
the 15th Nov. advices were received therc
from Lord Collingwood, stating the Frenech
Toulon Fleet of 16 sail of the line; to have
passed the Streights of Gibraltar ; and that
his lordship not being in force to engage it,
had despatched cutters with information of
the fact, in hopes to be so reinforced as to be
able to attack. KL |
Capt. Ockington, artived yesterday from
Lisbon and confirms the above mteßligence.
We are sorry to learn thet the sloop In
dustry, Fairbanks, of Fuirficld, (Con.) from
New York for Washingten, (N. C.) with a
cargo “of dry goods, went #shore about ten
days since on Ocracock Bar, and immediately
went to pieces. The crew and passengers ail
took to the boat, but such was the violence of
the surf that it filled with water and upset,
and every perspn was drowned except a sailor,
who saved his life by getting on a trunk which
floated to the shore with him..
On the 4th of this instant, a hunting party
of the Osage tribe, consisting of Gve men and
four women, crossed the Missouri tiver, from
the fort, to the northeast side ; they were sur
prised by a party of the loways, who killed
one man and two women, and another man is
missing, supposed to be killed soitie distance
from their camp.’ Next morning Capt. Clem
son, with a detachment of fifteen men, Doc
tor Murray and myself, were conducted to the
fatal spot, by one of the party who had escap
ed; we found one Indian and two women
butchered in a most horrid ma‘ngr; we bu
ried the dead and returned. On the following
day a Missouri l:itdir.q ﬁl"mm the Dowa)"‘ village,
called gver the river for.a canog at the garn
son ; o'vnc ofthe ﬁ&d“pﬂy“ﬂ\cw hinig, and
said he shot and chased him in the attack,
upon which he flashed his gun 1t him oo the
.sand bar. * Captzin Clemson sent for the Mis
souri Indian, and interrogated him closely,
suspecting him as a spy; he said he bore
flag from the loways to the Osages, acknow
-1 the guilt of the former in the mur
der of one mhe latter, récently qp the Biue
river; he stid it was the wish of the Jov -
ays to cover the grave of the desl with pre
sents, and be at peace ; the orde; -
ed him to the Guard house, waigag for. fu:-
ther information to save his life. . Bhere is
war on all sides with the Todisus amang vher.-
selves, and we are informed, mﬂl‘m
now on the river wlhr&m this, and w¢
~doubt their triendship to the vhite people.
PP St e
Arrived ship William & Henry, Hudson,
from Newportyin 13 days. On Saturday last.
in lat, 35, 20, long, 75, 50, the William &
Heary fell in with the wreck of the sloop The
tis, Taber, from Ncw Bedford for Savannah,
and took off’ from it, the Captain, and Messrs.
A. I. Taber, Braddock Gifford, Amos Killey,
and Thomas Snow, being the only survivors
out of 34 souls, who were on board that ves
sel. The Thetis had sailed from New Bed
ford on the 16th Nov.—about 7 o’cleck in tie
evening of the 23d, being then in‘lat-,& 8,
long. 67, 30, it blowing a gale, the sloop was
upset by the sudden shifting of the wind, or
what is commonly termed a white squall—
-22 of the persons on hoard were washed from
the vesscl, and instantly met a watery. grave :
the Captain and cleven others, however, clung
to the wreck, which lay in the same situation,
upon her beam ends, for 48 hours, during
which time two out of the twelve who had ad
hered to the wreck, perished through the sc
verity of the weather, being unable to sustain
the hardships to which they were exposed.
After much exertion and peril the survivers
succeeded, by cutting away the rigging, in
righting the vessel ; but she was still full of
water and scarcely rising above its surface.
In this dreary condition they continued until
the 7th day, when a sea struck the wreck, and
swept nine out of the ten into the sea: Capt.
Taber, who was amongst those washed off,
fortunately regained the vessel,as did likewise
three others, but the other five sunk from
their view and were seen no ‘morel. These
unfortunate men, after being a second time
thus providentially saved, eor:tinued upon the
wreck for ten days Jonger, being in all seven
tcen days from the time the sloop upset ; du
ring which time they subsisted upon raw po
tetoes and some wine——when they were fortu
nately discovered and taken ol by Capt. Hud
son, {rom whom, and the passengers on board,
they received the most kind and Lumane at
tentian. Ameng the persons who perished,
were Messrs. Nathaniel and Samuel Proctor,
and Samuel Wing, merchunts : the rest of
the persons lost; were mostly artizans, whe
were going to Georgia te work during the
winter : nincteen of them we understand Lave
left famil:ds in New Bedford.
. Eavact of cnocher letger from the same pince,
% 'There has been another killed a
few miles above MMQ%T.
said to be done by the :%ﬂ every iu
formation I cen recsive, ,ﬁ..t,qhul can
51 do not hesitate 1o nﬂ. with a very
nm all the 1 .rl ‘oo the Mis.-
:ﬁ»m“'h present time ina stile wir,
%
ST. LOUIS, MISSISSIPPI TRRRITORY, NOV. 2.
Extract of a letter from Mr. Ravid Robinson,
dated Fort Osage, Nov. 8, 1809, .
. BY THE MAIL.
DISTRESSING !
CHARLESTON, (S.¢.) DEC. 13.
NEW-YORE, LEC. 23,