The Sun.
London, England, 1813-01-01 00:00:00

dent, regretting the necessity which produced it,
looked tr its termination and provided for it ; and
happy 01 it he for both countries, if the dispo-
sition fet, and the advance thus made on his part,
are ente
,thined and met by the British Govern-
ment in t similar spirit.
you uill stare seen by the note forwarded to
you by Air. Graham, of Mr. Baker's communica-
tion to lin, that Mr. Foster. had authorised him
to state, that the Commanders of . the Blitish
forces at Halifax would agree to a suspension,
after a day to be fixed, of the condemnation of
prizes, to
meats,await the decision of both Govern
without, -.
however, preventing captures on
either side,
Sir George Prevost has since proposed to Gene-
ral Dearborn, at the suggestion of Mr. Foster, a
smriension of offensive operations by land, in a
letter which was transmitted by,the .General to
the Secretary at War. A provisional agreement
wits entered into between General Dearborn and
eolonel Baynes, tl'c British Adjutant-General,
bearer. of General Prevost's. * !mei., that neither
party should act offensively, before the decision of
' one Government should be taken on'the subject.
Since my return to Washington, the document
l Ito in Mr. Foster's dispatch, as finally de-
t by the British Government., has been
to me by Mr. Baker, with a remark, that
enticity • may be relied on. Mr. Baker
added, that it was not improbable, that the Ad-
miral
at Halifax might agree likewhe to a suspen-
sion of captures, though he did not profess or ap-
pear to be acquainted-with his sentiments on that
point. _ ,

On full consideration of all the circumstances
which.merit attention, the President regrets that
it is not in his power to accede to the- proposed
arrangement. The following are among the prin-
cipal reasons which have produced this decision :---
Ist.-The President has no power to suspend ju-
dicial proceedings on prizes. A -captire, if lew-
ful, vests, a right, over which he has no control.
Nor could he prevent captures otherwise than by
an indiscriminate recal of the commissions granted
to our privateers, which be could not justify un-
der existing circumstances.
2d. The proposition is not made by the British
Government, nor is there any certainty that -it
would be approved by it.
3d. No security is given or proposed, as to the
Indians, nor could any be relied on.''' They
have engaged in the war on the side-of the British
Government, and are now prosecuting it with
vigour, in their usual savage mode. They cant
only be restrained by force, when once let loose,
and that force has already been ordered out forthe
purpose.
4th. The proposition is not reciprocal, because
it restrains the IJnited States front acting where
their power is greatest, and leaves Great Britain
at liberty, and gives her time to augment her
forces in our neighbourhood.
sth: That as a principal object of the war is' to
obtain redress against the British practice of im-
pressment, an agreement to suspend hostilities,
even before the British Government is heard from
on that subject, might be considered a relinquish-
ment of that claim,
6th. the more objectionable, and of the
less importance, in consideration of the instruc-
tions heretofore given you, which, if suet by the.
British Government, may have already produced,
the same result in a greater extent•and more sa-
tisfactory form.
I might add, that the declaration itself is oh-
•jectionable is many respects, particularly the fol-
lowing.:—ist, because it. asserts a right in the
British Government to restore the Orders in
Council, or any part thereof, to their full effect
oil-a principle of retaliation on France, under
circumstances of which She alcne is to judge :
right which 'this Government cannot admit,
especially,in the extent heretofore claimed, and
acted on by the British Gdvernment.
2d. That the repeal is founded exclusively on
the French Decree
,of the 28th of April, 1811;
by whichlthe repeal of the Decrees of Berlin and
Milao, announced on the. sth of August, 1810,
to take effect on the Ist of November of that
year, at -which time their operation actually
ceased, is disregarded; as are the claims of the
United States arising from the repeal on that day,
even according to the British pledge.
3d. That-even if the United States had no right
to claim the repeal of the British Orders in Coun-
cil, prior to the_ French Decree of the 28th of
April, 1811, nor before• the notification of that
Decree to the British Government on the' 20th of
May, of the present year, the Eritish repeal
ought to have born date from that day, and been
subject to none of the limitations attached to it.
These remarks on the declaration of the Prince
Regent, which are not pursued with rigour, nor
in the full extent which they might be, are ap-
plicable to it, In relation to the state of things
which existed before the deteribinat:on of the
United States to resist the aggressions of the
British Government by war. By that determina-
ti elations between the two countries have
ti her chnngcd ; and it is only by a ter-
., the war, or by measures leading to it
by consent of b.Bll Governments, that its calami-
ties can be closed Or mitigates'. It'is not now a
question; whether the- 4:A:station of the Prince
Regent is such as ought to bay.: produced a repeal
of the Non-importation Act, Mitt war not been
declared ; because, by the declaration of war,
that question is superseded, and the Nto-imPor-
tation Act having been continued in fofZ7e by
Congress, and become a measure of war,.-rant
among the most efficient, it is no longer subject
to the controul of the Executive in the sense and
for the purpose for which it was adopted.
The declaration, however, of the Prince Re-
gent will not he without effect. By repealing the
Orders in Conncil.without reviving the blockade
of May, 1806, or any other illegal blockade, as
is understood to be the case, it removes a?great
obstacle to an accommodation. Th:;: PrOident
considers it an indication o.f a disposition in he Government to accommodate the differ-
ences which subsist between the countries and I
am instructed to assure you, that if such disposi-
tion really exists, and is persevered in, and is
extended to other objects, especially the!impor-
tant one of impressetient, a durable rid happy
peace and reconciliation cannot fail to result