The Sun.
London, England, 1809-12-27 00:00:00

" I am, with great truth and respect,

Sir, your most obedient humble Servant,
(Signed) "F. AtICKSON.
" To -, his Majesty's Consul,
L*3 This overture is on the affair of the Chesapeakis

ARRIVAL OF THE DUCHESS.

Extraa of a Letter to the Editors, dated Elkton, (Md), No;

vember zo:

" The Duchess of Baltimore (Mrs. Jerome Buo-
naparte,) attended by Col, Tousard, with the young
Prince, are now at this place, on their wayto honour
the city of Philadelphia with their august presence.
You have been accused of announcing to the public,
upon insufficient authority, the creation of the Duchess
and Prince, by the Emperor Napoleon, but no doubt
of the fact is entertained in this quarter. Cu]. Tou-
sard is now attending them in his 'and their Official
.character."

[\We Understand the Duchess aud Prince have
arrived in this city.]—Edit. Jour.

ArEitto,;N coahisk.

O,PENING or 'ME SESIONS, Nov. VI.

THE PRESIDiNriS VIESS+GE.
. . •

" Fellow Citizps of the Senate, and of the House' of
-Kepreseutatt Yes,
, .
At-the Pe'rie.: of our last Meeting, I had the
satisfaction of eomMunicating an. adjustment with
one of the principal belligerent nations, highly ims
portant in itself; and still wore so, as presaging a
more extended accotrnoaatiee.. It is with deep
concern I am nowlai inform
.you, that the favours
able prospect has been overelouded,. by a refusal of
the British Government tie abide, by the .a6t of its
Minister Plehipotentiary, and by its, ensuing policy
inwards the United States, as seen through the com-
munications of the Minister sent to replace him,
Whatever pleaS n?ay be urged fora disavowal
of of engagetnehts, totaled by diplaMatic ftindionaries,
in cases where by toe terms of the. engagements a
mutual ratification is reservedl or where notice at
the iiiste 'may have been given of a departure from
instrd6tionS ;
,or in extraordinary cases; essentially
Violating the Principtes of equity, a disavowal could
not have been apprehended in a case where no such
notice or viOlation existed, :there. no such ratifica-
tion was reserved; and more eapecially; where, as is
reaW in proof, an engagement, to be executed with:-
out any such ratifiCation, was contemplated by the
inStruetiont. 'given; and where it had, with good
faith; beeh carried Into immediate execution on the
part:of the United States. .
These Considetatimis not having restrained the
British Government from di'saVowing the arrange-
inent by vii we Of which its Orders in Council were
to be revoked, and the event authorising the re-
newal of coohniircial intercourse having thus not
taken plice, it necbssar4 became-a questton of equal
urgency and importance,. whether the aLt prohibit-
ing that intercourae was not to be considered as re-
maining legal force. This -question being, after
due deliberation;. determined in the affirmative, a
proclamation td that effect was issued. It cotildnOt
bier happen, ho*ever, that a return this state of
thiniaa;-frona 'that which had folloWed an execution
of tie:eel-ranged-lent ,by the United States; would in-
volve (Hit:nit-les: With a view to diminish these as
Mud) as possible, the maituitiona from the Secre-
tary of. the Treaanrys now laid before you; were"
transmitted to tire Colleaors of the Several ports. If
in permitting British vesSels to depart; without, giv-
ing bonds not to preeeed to their own portS, it
shcuid appear that the tenor of legal authority has
not been strictly :pnrsued, it, Is to be ascribed
to ate
.artiotts desire which was felt; that no indi-
viduals ihntild be injured. by so unforeseen an oc-
entrente t and I may rely on the regard of Congress,
for the' equitable interests of Our own pitizens, to
adopt whatever furthet previsions rriay be found re-
quisite for a' geherahremissiOn of penalties involun-
. tarily incurred.
" The recal of the disavowed MiniSter having
been followed by lite appointment of a successor,
hopes were indulged that the new Minister would
eontribtite to alleviate the disappointment which had
beeh produced; and to*reinove the causes which had
so long ernbarrassed the good understanding of. the
twin nations. could. not be doubted, that it would
at least be charged with conciliatory explanations of
the step which had beetetakeh, and with proposals
_try he stibstauted for the reje6lecl arrangement.—
it.3asonable and universal as this expedation was, it
also has not been fulfilled. From the first official
disclosures Of the new Minister, it was found that
be had received no authority to enter into explana-
tinns relative to either branch of the arrangement
disavowed; nor any authority to substitute propo-
sals; as to that branch, which concerned the British
Orders in Council : and finally, that his proposals
with resped to the other branch, the attack on the
frigate Chesapeake, were founded on a presumption,
repeatedly declared to be inadmissible by the United
&cafes, that the first step towards adjustment was
due from then ; the proposals, at the same tithe,
omitting even a reference to the officer answerable
for the murderous aggreSsion, and asserting a claim
not less contrary to the British lawa, and British
prat'lice, than to the principles and obligations of the
United States.
The correspondence hetween the department of
,
State and. this Minister will sliew how inessentially
the features preSented in its commencement' have
been varied in its progress. It will spew also that,
forgetting the resped. due to all governments, he did
not refrain from imputations on this, which required
that nofarther communications should be received
from him: The necessity of this step will be made
known to his Britannic Majesty through the Mi-
nister Plenipotentiary of the United States in Lon 7
don. '''Atid it would indicate a want of confidence
due to a government which so well understands and
_ex:a6ls what becomes foreign Ministers near it, not
to infer that the misconduct of its own ilepresen-
tative will be viewed in the same light in which it
has been regarded here. The British Government"
will learn, at the same time, that a ready attention
will be given to communications, through any chair-
'lel' which may be substitined. It will be happy,
the changein this respect should be accompanied
‘y a favourable revision of the .unfriendly policy
which has been so long pursued towards the United
States.
With France, the other Belligerent, whose,
trespasses on our commercial rights have long been
the subject of our just renionstances, the posture of
our relations does not correipond with the measures
taken on the part Of the United States, to.elfect a
fivourableechaoge. The result of 'the several com-
munications made to her Government, in pursuance
of the auttiotitieS vested by Congress in the Exe-
cutive, is contained in the correspondence of our
Minister at Paris, now laid before you.
" by some of the other Belligerents, although
professing'-just and Amieable dispositions, injuries
materially affecting our cotnuietce have not been
duly controuleal or repressed, In . these cases, the
interpositions deemed propet on our part have not
been omitted. But it well deserves the consideration
of the Legislature, how far both the safety and the
honout of the. American flag may be consulted, by
adequate provisions against that collusive prostitUtica
of it, by individuals unworthy. 'of the American
name, which has §o much favoured the real or pre-
tended sUspicions under which the honest commerce
Of their fellow citizens has suffered.
" In relation to the powers on the coast of Bar-
bary, nothing has occurred which is not of a nature
rather to inspire- confidence than distrust, as to, the

continuance pf the existing amity.. With our Inc:i2n