The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-01-03 00:00:00

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..With sen intents of the highest respect and coo-
sideration, I have the hovour to be, Sir, yoar
most obedient humble Servant,
Moir. Robert Smith, &c. &c. 4.c. D. 111. ERSKLNE.
TUR
P." REGRET.AW OF STATE TO Mn. ERSKINE.
l~sroues& of the sine, Aug. yob, 1809.
51a-4 havomt received from Mr. Pinckney tt
lettereiteloting-a printed paper, purporting to
be a Cop,y,o9ildispatch to you from Mi.Cattning,
which-Metes among other things that from the
report ofyour conversations with hir..llfilditont.
'Mr. Gallatin, and Mr. Smith, it appelsirs—
.lst. That the American Government is pre.
pared in the event of his Majesty consenting to
withdraw the Orders in Council of Jaiinary and
November, 1807, to withdraw contecaporanetnisly
on its part the interdiction of its harbours to ships
of war, anti all dun-intercourse and non. t•,,porta.
tion acts, so far as respects Great Britain, ienving.
them in force with respect to France, and the
Powers which adapt or act under her decrees.
'' 2d. That America is willing to renounce,
during the present war, the pretension-of carry-
ing on in time of war all trade with the enemies'
Colonial, from which she was excluded during
peace.
" 3il.lGreat.Britain, for the purpose of sects.
ring the operation of the embargo, and the bona
fide intention of America,- to prevent her citi-
zens frcim tending with France, and the Powere
adopting and acting under the FreriCh decreeti,is
'to be vo nue iriTb-e-Ry-to eaitiste all
such American Vessels as may be Toned attempting
to trade with the ports of any of the Pourers ;'
%without width Security for the ebservanee of the
embargo, the raising it nominally with respect to
Great Brittin alone Would, in fact, raise it with
respect to all the world."
I have the honour to request. you to favour me
with such explauatious as your candour will at
once eogges4 in relation tip these imputes: coiner.
I forbear lro etpress to you, Sir, the surprise'
that is felt at the extraordinary pretensions set
forth in this letter of instruction, anti espccially•
at the expectation that this Government would,
as a preliminary, recognise conditions, two of
wilith sra so manifestly irreconcileable to the (44.
nity and interest of the United States. I, how.
ever; would remark, that had you deemed it pro-
per tO hare communicated in exienso this letter, it
would heti been impossible for the President to
have perceilred TO its conditions; or in -its spirit,
that conciliatori.dispositiou which had been pro.
fellsed, and *Wai it was hoped, had really ca.'
isted.

I hive the honour to be, &e.
k. SMITH.
The Hon. David M. &Woe, &e. &c. &c.

0a:......

TROM MR. ERSKINE TO MR. SMITH.
Washington, August 14. 1809.
Slat--I have the honour to acknuw ledge the re.
ceipt of your letter of the 9th inst. i &inning ,the
that you had just received a letter from Mr. Pink.
ney, inclosing a printed paper, pnrportiug to be
a COpy of a dispatch to me from Mr. Gentling,
which gates, among other thiegs, " from the
report of your conversations with Mr. Madison, -
Mr. Gallatin, and Mr. Smith, it appears :
" Ist. That the American Government is prepared, io the.
event of his Majesty's consenting to withdraw the Orders in
Couucil of January and Nove.nber 18,17, to withdraw MI-.
temporaneously on its part, the interdiction of its harbours to
ship l. of war, and all Pi on-intercouise a id Noll-importation
MAY in far as respects Great Baum leaving them in' force
with respect to France, and the Powers watch adopt, or act
' under her Decrees.
" Yil:That America is stilling to renotlnce, daring the pre-
tent war, thepreteasion of carrying on, in time at war, all
trade wirlitheenemitve colonies, from hich she was excluded
i 4urutg P540144:)-
4‘ Sttly. Great Britain, for the purpose of securing the
eperatiou of the Valuta,. and the no N A nos 'mention of
Ainerica to preveg lier citizens frogs trading with France
bd the Powers Adopting and acting under the French de-
,gees, *to be ,coAittered as being at liberty to capture all
such American raseis as may be found attempting Ito trade]
*Blithe ports id any of these Powers, without which wit-
itity fur the observance of the Einbtirgo, the raising it nomi-
nally With respect to Great Britain atone, would, in fact,
raise it, with respect wall the world."
The explanations which you request from me
upon that subject shell be given with candour,
and I will proceed, accordingly, to lay before
you an abstract of the communications which I
add to his Majesty's Government relative to the
unofficial conversations which I had held with Mr.
Madison (then Secretary of State), Mr. Gallatin,
and myself, st the time and upon the occasion al.
luded to by his Majesty's Secretary of State (Mr.
Canning) in that part of his instructions to me, of
which you inform me you have received a printed
letter from Mc. Pinkney.
Upon referring to my dispatches, addressed to
his Majesty's Government of the 3d and 4th De.
cember but, in which these commenicatiops are ,
detailed, I conclude that the Conversations alluded
to must have been held some days previous to that
period, and were to the following effect :
Mr. Madison (then Secretary of State)" is re.
presented by me to have tinted various arguments
tending to prove that the United States had exert.
' ed all their efforts to persuade the French Govern.
went to withdraw their unjust restrictions upon
neutral commerce, and that recourse :night have
been had to measures of more activity and decision
against France that: mere remenstrances, but that,
in the mean tin e, Great Britain had issued her
Orders in Council, .before it was known whether
the united States would acquiesce in the aggresious
of France, and thereby .rendered it impossible to
distinguish-between the conduct of the.two
Betli-
gerents, who had equally committed aggressions
against the United States.
After some other observations, Mr. Madison is
stated by me at that time to have ialded; that as
the world must be convinced tlat America had its
wain. taken all the means in her power to obtain
from Great, Britain and France a just attention to
her .9gtatcaca neutral power, by representations
and reMoustrances, that site would be fully justified
iu haviug fectkiirse to hostilities with either bellige-
sdnt, and thLthe only hesitated to do so from
'the slitiWiltylor contending with both ; but that
she tunic. be driven even to endeavour to maintain
her rights against the two greatest powers in tee
world, unless either of them should tell* tbkir
leitril.tiona upon neutral couiwree; in vitguitcaia

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