Norfolk gazette and publick ledger — Norfolk [Va.], 1810-05-23 00:00:00, page 2

t
Of t* It.
.fcviraelldeli
= tka ltth.Uth ami 23d
*. a*d ot^ehe Unwrap fafc.
Ual a confer* n?*»iih the marquis Welles
the course
t of whir b 1 explained to him ful
hjeh 1 was instruc ted to re
.BBhMVH rWtT, and upon
wbtfhthe official intercourse between that minister
jfd the Atnarirnn government had been suspended.
Xord Wellesley’s reception of, what 1 said to him
we* frank and friendly ; and I left him with a per
seasons that we should- have uwraaee to be dissa
ttsded with the final course of bis government on
the sohjecte of oor conference.
Wo agreed in opinio* tbst this interview could
palp be introductory to a more formal .proceeding
on ftarpSrt; end it was arenidingly settled between
na that f should present an official latter, t» tb* ef
Act of my verbs! communication.
-« Having prepared such s letter, Irai/ied it my
sslf to Downing street a few d«yp afterwards, and
afehompanied tMi delivery of it to luid Wellesley
with tome explanatory observations, and which ii
iroot 1 presume necessary to trouble yon. You
will ffndecopy of thti letter enclosed, and will be
aWs w rolWt £ron» it the substance of the greater
pan of the statements and remarks whieh 1 thought
it my doty to make in the conversation above men
tioned.
{^A cdpy of the answer, received on the day of its
date, is inclosed."
:. SSt.f • - .... .
m
(COPY.)
Srtat Cjimbfiland Plan, Qd Jan. 1810.
Mt IjQiip—Is (be course of (lie official cnrre
spondenre,Vfbjcb has lately taken place between
the secretary of state and the United States, and
Mr. Ja<-k«o0„ bis majesty's envoy extraordinary and
minister' plenipotentiary at Washington, it has un
fortunately happen'd that Mr. Jackson has made u
n*mt«ry l sfould vtteive tlio ronmiauds i>f
tbs pr^Sidir.t to recast htt r seal, and that, in the
oAiti tititt tlie inter eurse between that minister
uid the Amei lean government should he suspendtd.
I sim quite sure, my lord, that f shall best con
sult your lordship's wishes and the respect which I
o«« in his majesty's government, Ly exernting my
dbty’pn ibis ••ccasion with perfect simplicity and
ess. , My Jiutnictinus, too, point to that
* 8* required ty the honourof the two g'-vern
*S_v*uite4 Ao the confidence which the
ff fptrrUius in the. disposition of his majes
ty's government to view rai its •.roe light the subject
twwhich ihey relate. With such inducements to
•Strluda frotn this communication every thing which
i( sot ItitimStelv connected with its purpose, and,
M thy other band, tu set forth with candour and
•ftpiir it ness the facts and considerammawhirii real
ly belong in tbs case, l should be unpardonable if
1 fatigued your lordship with uuuscessary details, or
•ferted any /eserye.
•iris known to your lordship that Mr. Jackson
arrived m America,, as the successor of Mr. Er
>kioe, while the disappointment produced hy the
disavowal of tbs aheugemeuiof the I0th#f April,
was yes recent, and w bile some other causes of dis
satisfaction, which had been made So associate
‘k*"“**Jves with that disappointment, were in ope
But your lordship alto kuoWns that his
btion hy the American government was mark
hy all that kindness and respect which were due
to tbe representative of a sovereign with whom the
United States were sincerely desirous of maintain
ing thu most fgieadly relations.
Whatever were the hopes, which Mr. Jackson’s
mission bad inspired, of satisfactory explanations
hud adjustments upon the prominent points of dif
ferenct bet ween the IWocountries, they certainly were
pot much encouraged by the conferences,rn which,
US fcr as hs thought proper, he opened to Mr.
Smith, sc.m after his arrival, the nature end extent'
of his powers and the views af bit govern me tit. Af
tit an experiment, deemed hy the government of
the .Unified StatOS to be sufficient, it appeared that
three conferences, necessarily liable to inismnrepti
•n «nd want of precision, were not likely to lead to
•ay practical conclusion.
Aceordinsly.on the pth of October, Mr. Smith
•MpfUffi a letter to Mr. Jackson, in which, after
ststing the coif)se of proceeding which the Ameri.
cmn i^ajrwrssmwivt hed supposed itself entitled to ex
leci from bint, with regard to the rejected arrange
ment and the matters embraced hy it, and after re
whaf Mr. Smith believed to have pass
rir recent interviews relative to these sub
! intimated that it was thought expedient
ir turther discussions, on that particular oc
i should he in writing.
I mw I nrrf irom \fm
I .A.__1.
of'*h« It th of. the Mina month, that he received
thuintiaiMion (which, eartfully restricted ai it
to hove been wiRing to understand in
• general sense) with considerable sensibility. He
*■““£ without example
i step against whirh
—r>° --'5 «. eiolation in his
I rtf the most essential rights of a publick mi
ni*«f; at,a B*w difficulty thrown in the way or a
reatoraiisn of n thorough good understanding be
twneotbetwocuuair.es,
liiecd n«t remark to your lordship that nothin
of aBabii^ooU With propriety be said of a proceed
iM, in itself entirely reenter and usual, reouired by
^*** “f the discussions to which only it was to
|j».a manner perfectly de
able. Jlia government of
—IStaUs bed expected from Mr. Jackson
m explanation of the grounds of the refusal on the
fu»t nf his government to abide fcy *fh Eribiue'a
‘ ““ ‘ampnnied by « snlwtimiaordfiifli.
■ It bad been ml)cried from Mr,
lows, th*t he had no jiuwer
. _ /SMh dxpfauatioh ; t»r,.in the
l«rder»4a iwmuHi, to nffiw aaysabeti.
1"‘ "tr«.^t«ta affair of
tula for
Jf©f.
■MHIr'
.. 9__ CM*.
» -11,—,. .... . m*fi
• CMtWirMttoAe, husriag in view either so drfim
tiw* mint, or none that tAu IUUineb)e,cautd, under
ilcb circumstances and opo* such topick*. U rfn
turned, it would not be uiy to. liocwn; and I
iMjr rrttlte to MIHB» that the siibs-qunl written
correspondence has completely shewn' that they
could not have been otherwise tbau fruitless, and
that they were not too-soon abandoned for that more
formal course, to which from the beginning they
could only be considered as preparatory.
After remonstialing agtnnl the wish of the A
merman government to give to the farther disrnssi
on a written lortn, Mr, Jackson disposes himself to
conform to it ; and, speak'ng.in the tame lettet of
the disavowal of the arrangement, of April, he de
clares, that he was nr»t provided with instructions
to explain the motives of it ; and ha seems to inti
mate tbat explanations through him was unneces
sary, not only because it had already L*ro made
through other rhann-ls, but because the govern*
nient of the United states had entered into the ar
rangement with a knowledge “ that it it cmdii Wy
lead to the consequences that actually followed.”—
In the conclusion of the fourth paragraph of the
letter he informs Mr. Sooth, that the despatch of
Mr. Canning to Mr. Erskiue, “ which Mi. Smith
h-'td made the bosis ol an official correspondence
with the latter minister, and which had been read
to the American minister in London,” was tho on
ly despatch, by which the conditions were, pre
scribed to Mr. Lrskine lor the conclusion or an ar
nngement with the United States on the matter to
which it related.
Mr. Smiths answer to tins letter bears date the
19*° **f October t and I beg your houship’s p*nnis
sinn to introduce from it the following quotation :
“ Oi* stress you have laid on what you have
hern pleased to slate «s the substitution of the terms
finally agreed on' (in the arrangement of April on
the orders of council) “ far the terms first propns
ed (hy Mr. Krskitie) “ has excited no small degree
of surprise. Certain it is that your predecessor did
present for my consideration ibe same conditions
which uow appear in the present document—that he
was disposed to urge thun more Ilian the nature of
two of them (both palp tbly madmissit le, and one
more than merely inadmissible) could permit—and
that, on finding his first proposal unsuccessful, the
more reasonable terms, comprised in the arrange
ment respecting the orders in counril, wen adopt
K,‘ And what is there in (his to countenance the
conclusion you have drawn in favour of the right o|
hia Britannick majesty to disavow the proceeding?
Is any tning more common in puhhck negotiations,
thun to brgm with a higher demand, and, that fail
iug, to oesrend to a lower ? To have, if not two
sets of instructions, two, or more than two grades
ol propositions in the Same set of instructions t to
begin with what is the most desirable, aud to end
witb what is found 10 he- admissible, in rase the
more desirable should not be uttaio*Ue ? This must
be obvious to every understanding, and is confirmed
l>y urn versaL experience.
u W hu t are the rea? and entire instruction? given
to your predecessor, is a question essentially be
tween him ant his government. That he had, or
at least that he believed he had, sufficient authori
ty 1° conclude the arrangement, bis formal assur
ances during oor discussions were such as to leave
no room for doubt. His subsequent letter of the
15ih June, renewing his assurances to me, ‘that
the terms of the agreement so happily concluded hy
the recent negotiation will be strictly fulfilled on
the part of bis majesty,' is an evident indication of
what his persuasion then was as to his instructions.
And with a view to shew what his impressions have
been ever since the disavowal, I must take the li
berty of referring you to the annexed extracts (see
C.) Irom bis official facts of the 31st July aadof tbs
14th of August.
*ne declaration, that the despatch from Mr.
Canning to Mr. Erskine of the 23d of January is
the only despatch, !>y which the conditions were
prescribed Mr. Erskine for the conclusion of an ar
rangement on the matter to which it relates, is no*
lor the first time made to this government. And I
need hardly add that, if that dispatch had been com
municated at the time of the arrangement, or if it
had been known that the propositions contained in
it, ho<I which were at first presented by Mr, Er
skine, were the only ones on which he was autho
rised to make an arrangement, the arrangement
would not have teen made."
I suppose, my lord, that it was impossible to dis
claim lor the American government, in more pre
rise and intelligible language that is found in this
quotation, all knowledge of Mr. Erskine’s instructi
ons incompatible with a sincere, honourable and
justifiable belief that he. was, as be professed to be,
tully authorised to make the agreement in which be
undertook to pledge the faith of bit iiiajest)'* govern
ment. Yet in Mr. Jacksou’s next letter (of the 23d
October) to Mr. Smith, be says—“I have chert lore
no hesitation in informing yon that bis majesty
was pleased to disavow the agreement, concluded
between you and Mr. Erskine, because it was in vi
tiation oj that gentleman's instructions, and altoge
ther without authority to subscribe to the terms of
it. These instructions I now understand by your
letter, as well as from the obvious deductions which
I look the liberty of making in mine of the 11th
iustant, were at the time m substance made known
to you. No stronger illustration therefore can be
given of the deviation from them which occurred
than by a reference tv the terms of your agreement.”
Your lordship will allow me to take for granted
that this passage Cannot be misunderstood. Its
direct and evident tendency is to fasten upon the
government uf the United States an imputation
most iqjurpmt to its honour ond veracity. The
charge, that it had all along been substantially ap
prised, hftwtver it might affect to be igoorant, of
the instruction* which Air. Erskine’s Arrangement
waaaeid to have violated,- had before l>ee(i insinu
ated; hut if is hero openly made, In |pply, too, to a
paper, in which the cootruiy is formally declared
b) ilit sliciil srps of tlfw Aimrican government.
This harsh accusation, enhanced by the tone of
the letter in which it Appeared, was in all respects
as ex;t»*>cdinary as it was offensive, ft took the
'Shapeer: an ihtvrencc from fact* and asseveration*
rW%ch necessarily Jed to the opposite conclusion.
fit was prefer! id as naantwer to k claim of explana
tion, which. Mr. Jackson professed not to hi autho
to Offer at *11, Wot With
ftm fcimtelf as to convert expla
*mU* 11 **nnnd, riot only
without p»eoi,and Of asst! prm.f. bet ogqiost aU
cqloorot probability. llroold scarcely have hoe*
«4f#ar«d under any coavu uoo that it **t Hereto*
ay® the com which Mr. Stukfoo wee to main taro;
for fait intjetlj’t governmentJtort disavowed Mr.
Erahine’s arrangement. according to Mr. Jackson's
own representation. without any reference to the
knowledge wbirb this accusation impaled to tbe
government of tbe United States ; and it need not
be stated that no allusion whatever was Blade t# it
by Mr. Secretary Canning, in those informal ro«j
tnunicatiuiii to me whutwMr. Jackson has menti
oned. ft was not, moreover, to have been expect
ed that, 10 the apparent stale of Mr. Jackson's
powers, and in the actual posture of his negotiation,
he would Htk ju irritate where he could not arrange,
and sharpen disappuuumnt ly studied and unpro
voked n.dgnlv.
J he course, which the government of tbe United
States adopted on this painful occasion, was surh
as at ones demonstrated u sincere respect for the
pul.he character with which Air. Jackson was in
veMeJ, and a due sense at its own dignity. Mr.
Jecksous conduct had hit a feeble hope that fur
ther intercourse with him, unproductive of good as
it must l,c, might still be reconciles Ida with the ho
nor ol the American government. A fair opportu
nity wus accordingly presented to him of making it
so, by Mr. Smith’s letter of the 1st of November,
of which 1 beg leavo to inscit tbe concluding para
graph
I abstain, sir, from rn-Ling any particular atii
madveis on* on several irrelevant and improper al
lusions in jour loiter, not at uli comporting with
the piolfssed disposm in to adjust in all amicable
manner the different es unhappily su1 sistmg between
the two countries, hut u would be improper tii
ronrluue the few o! Serrations, to wbirb 1 purposely
limit mjeell, without adverting to jour repetition
ot a language, implying a knowledge on the part of
this government, that the uisti unions ol voor pre
de'-i-iur dpi not authorise the arrangement formed
1 y him. Alt» r lire explicit and peremptory asseve
ration, that this eoveinimnt had no such knowledge,
and that with such knowledge no such arrangement
would have been entered into, the view, which you
again prescuted of the su’ jrct, makes it roy doty to
appiizc you, that surh msin atinns are inadmissible
iu. tbe intercourse ot a foieigu iuii> tier with a go
vrriiinibt that understands what it owes to itself.”
Whatever was the sense, in which Mr. Jackson
had used tbe expressions to which the Ameriian
govt rntiienl took exception, he was now aware ol
the sense in which they were understood ; and. cob
sequently was called upon, if he had been nusappre
hended, to say so. IIis expressions conveyed eu
Injurious raeauiug, supported moreover by the c«n
text ; and the notice taken of them bad not exceed
ed the bouuds ot just admonition-. To have ex
plained away even nn imaginary affront, woobi
have been n» degra lationi; but when an occasion
was thus offered to quailfV re <1 and severe imputa
tions upon the government to wliich he was acr-re
dited, it could scarcely be otherwise than a duly to
take immediate advantage of it.
Such however was not Mr. Jackson's opinion.—
He preferred answering tbe appeal, which had been
made to hitn,. by reiterating with aggravations the
offensive lHsinuairofl. He says, in the last para
graph of his b-tter of the 4th ol November to Mr.
Smith—“• You will find that, in my correspond
ence with you, I have carefully avoided drawing
conclusions, that did not necessarily follow from the
premises adranerd bp me ; and least of all should l
think of uttering an insinuation where l was unable
to substantiate a fact. 'Fufacts, sneb at I have be
come acquainted with them, I have scrupulously
adhered. In so- doing I must continue, whenever
tbe good faith of hit majesty’s government it railed
in question, to vindicate its honour and dignity, it
the manner that appears to me best calculated for
that purpose.” -
I u tnifty my ford, there could be but one reply.—
Official intercourse tvilli Mr. Jackson could no lon
ger be productive of any effects that were not rather
to be-a . oided than desired ; and it was plaiuly im
possible that it should continue. He was, therefore,
informed by Mr. Smith, in a letter of the 8th of
'November, which-recapitulated the inducements
to this unavoidable step, that no further communi
cations would he received from him ; that t>'e neces
sity of this determination would without delay be
made known to his government ; and that, in the
meantime, a ready attention would be given to any
communication, affecting toe interests ol' the two
nations, through any other channel that nngbt be
substituted.
The president has been pleasad to direct th it 1
should make known tins necessity to his majesty's
government, and at the same tune request that Mr.
Jackson he recalled. And I ain particularly in
structed to do this in 8 manner that will leave no
doubt of the nndimintshed desire of the United States
to unite all the means the best calculated to esta
blish the relations of the two countries on the solid
foqdations of justice, of friendship, and of mutual
interest, J am further particularly instructed, my
lord, to make his majesty’s government sensible,
that, in requiring the recal of Mr. Jackson, the U
nited States wish not to be understood as in auy de
gree ‘Obstructing communications which may lead
to a friendly accommodation, but that, on tbe
contrary, they sincerely retain tbe desire, which
they have constantly professed, to facilitate so
happy an event, and that nothing will he more
agreeable to them than to find the minister, who
has rendered himself so justly obnoxious, replaced
by another, who with a different character, may
carry with him all the authorities and instructions
requisite for (he complete success of his mission, or
if the attainment of this object through my agency
should be considered more expeditious, or otherwise
preferable, that it wrill be a course entirely satisfac
tory to the United States.
These,instructions, which I lay before vnui lord
ship without disguise, require nocommrut.
Before 1 conclude this letter it may be proper ve
ry shortly to advert to two communications, re
eaieed by .Mr. Sectrtaiy Smith from Mr. Oakley
after the correspondence with Mr. Jackson had
ceased.
The first of tbese communications (of which 1
•m not able to ascertain tbe dale) requested a docu
ment, having the effect of a special passport, or
safeguard, for Mr. Jack§nn and bis family, during
their fnUk«r#t«y in the United States. This appli
cation was regarded as somewhat singular, but tbe
. .Wirttitywai dotWfeei**
femished. The mtbni as*
signed
fXrited tome surptlza. 1
have troubled _
'ip, in conversation, with
a few remark*,'
upon oqabf
lL“7>7fh
jrtkf
ion “ had already _
must grossly insulted
by lb* inhabitant* at Ha
Ton, in the unprovoked
» -«- tuv viij'iovoncu
language of abuse held byjhem to several officers
bearing the king’s uniform; when those officer?
wrre themselves violently assaulted and put in mi
nt mint danger.”
1 am Bivrn 10 understand, my lord, mat me m
suJl, here alluded to, was for the first time l.rought
under the n<>tire of the American government by
this paper ; that it had, indeed, been among the ru
mours of the day that some unbecoming scene had
t.ken place at Hampton or Norfolk, between some
«>f.< ers belonging to the African* triple »htt .on.*
of the inhabitants, and that it took its rise in thi
indisrretioHof the former; that no attention to the
rirromstance having been railed for, and no enquiry
having been made, tbe truth of the ease i3 unknown;
but that it was never supposed that Mr. Jaclsoft
himself, who was on board the frigate, h id beep
personally insulted ; nor is it yet understood jij
what way he supposes that he was so, J atu au« '
thorised to add, that any complaint or represrntati
on on the subject would instantly have received e* ’
very propei attention. •
I he other communications (of which the suhr
stance was soon afterwards published to the Ame
rican people, in the form of a circular letter from
■ ir. Jackson lei the British eonsuls.ip the Unit-d
States) seems to have been intended S3 a justificati
tM ol Ins conduct in that part rtf his correspond
denra, which had given umbrage to the Amtricaij
government. This paper (bearing date the IdtU
•' November)is not very explicit ; but it would ap
pear 10 Le calculated to give rather a new Torni to
the siataai.-ms, which Mr. Jackson had suffered the
government of the Umt-d Slates to view in anotbir
light, until it hud bo.rhnire but to art upon the . b
vious and natural interpretative of thefii sanction
ed by himself.
It was nevera!jerted to Mr. Jackson („* this p 'L
per seems to suggest) that he had rtated, that the
turee propositions, in Mr. E-skine's original in
structions, were submitted to Mr. Smith hv that
*ent -man; or that he had staled it »s made known
,o him by Mr. Canning, that the ms!ruction-to Mr.
r.rskine,containing thus- three conditions, waa ths
on.y one from which his nuthc-mv was derived for -
toe eon lusion of an arraj>grment%n the matters to
which it related. • ■
The objection was, that he had ascribed to-tW
A merican government a knowledge, that the propo
sitions, submitted to its consideration by Mr. Ers
l.me, wpre tndisprnstble conditions ; and' that ha
did so, even alter that knowledge hud been distinct
ly disclaimed, and he had been made to pereeive that
a repetition of the allegntidn could not be suffered..
I willingly have jour lordship to judge, whether
Mr. Jacksons coiiespondenre will bear any other
construction than it in fact rereived ; and whether,
supposing it to have been erroneously construed, bis
l iter of the-tih of November should not have cor
r-cted the mistake, instead of confirming and esis
blishicg it.
As an explanation, this paper was even worss
than nothing.— It had not the appearance of an, ut
tempt to rectify misapprehension. It sought tw
put the American government in the wiong, by aft.
suming that what had- given- so much umbrage
ought not to have given any.' It imported reproach,
r.iihtr than explanation. It kept out of sight the
r al offence, and introducing a new and insufficient
oue in its place, seemed to disclose no other wish,
than to withdraw from the government of the U
nited States the ground upon which it had proceed
ed. Its apparent purpose, in a word, was to fix a
charge of injustice upon the past, not to produce a
beneficial effect upon the future. In this view, and
in this only, h was perfectly consistent that if'
should announce Mr. Jackson’sdeteruuaatton to re- '
tire to Nrw-Yotk.
1 «r uine wi*n tms pap«»r was presented wiH not
nnve escaped yoor lordship's observations. It fol
lowed the demand, already mentioned, of a safeguard
for “ Mr. Jackson, his family and the geutlemeit
attached lo his musion a demand which cannot
be regarded, especially if wa look to the induce
menisto which it was referred, as either eonrilia
tory or respectful. It followed, too, the letter of
the 4th of November, which, had explanation been
intended, ought undoubtedly to have contained it,
but which, in lieu of it, contained fresh matter sf
provocation. It was itself followed by the publica
tion of its own Fubstance in another garb. On th«
very day of its date, when Mr. Jackson, if he meant
it as an explanation, could not be justified in con
clading that it would not be satisfactoiy, it was *
moulded by him into the circular adflfrss to which
I have before alluded ; and immediate $teps appear ,,
to have been taken to give to it, in that shape, the*1'
almost publicity. I have no wish, my lord, to
make any strong remarks upon that proceeding.—
It will be admitted that it was ■ great irregularity ;
and that, if Mr. Jackson bad hern particularly an
xious lo close every avenue to reconciliation be
tween the American government and himself, bn.
could not have fallen upon a belter expedient.
I have nuW only to add, my lord, the expression*
of my own most ardent wish that, out of the inci
dent which bat produced this letter, an occasion
may be made to arise, which, improved as it ought
to be, and I trust will be, by our respective go
vernments, may conduct them to cordial atid JasU
ing friendship. Thus to endeavour to bring gooj
out of evil, would be worthy of the rulers of tw«
nations that are only in their natural position wbe*
they are engaged in offices of mutual kindness,
and largely contributing to the prosperity and bap-jf
pincss of each other.
I b-cve the honour to be,
' the highest consideration.
My lord,
\oui lordship's most o’bf humble servlL
(S'gneit) WM. PINKNEY."
The most noble
The Marquis Wellesley, &c. IfC. .
f«r>ign Office, March
Sir—The Inter which I had,the hor^Tlo r
ceive from yotfunder data of Sd'January, together1*
with the additional paragraph received oa ths S4th
January, has been laid before the king.
The several conferences which I have lWTil with
you respectin^tbe transactions to which your letter