Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-12-09
DOCUMENTS
Accompanying the Presidents Message of
the 9Th November, 1903.
Continued.
(Ertrac,).
Mn. PINKNEY TO Mr.. MADISON.


elapsed, after had sent of my d.spa; ches
before my note was preseuted-Fhe truth
is, that had employed a part of that time
ia framing no,e of great leng h, which,
when nearly completed, though, it pru-
dent to abandon, IN favor of one tina, held
out fewer Invitations 10 Improbable discus
sions, which, although would not shun
them hpgessed upon me, did not suppose
Il proper tha; should seek.
believed, TOO, that little delay on my
part, would be far from being disadvaDta..
geous. There would still be sufiiceGt
time for obtaining final answer to my
proposal, in season for the meeting of
coDgr IS and as the temper of this go
vrrnm n as far as IL had been tried. had
not Appeared 10 be favorable tony purpose,
believed tha should acl in the spmi'
of nay ms rnctions, ADD consult the honor
fmy G Jvetnmen:, by avoiding, undersuch
circums ances, the appearance oil urgency
and precipitation.
Upon The terms or G neral plan nfmy
note, IL is not, ! hope, necessary 10 remark
| You will discover, tina, Il was p epa,ed un.
der persuasion thar, wha,ever nigh; be
is effect it was infinitely better 10 make
i as conciIaioIy as, without sacrifice +
principle or nauonal dlgniiy, vas possl-
Die.
"rhe topics to be embraced by i, were
such as did no demand, but rather for
babe minute exposition. While IL was
difficult 10 urge, IN their full force, without
seeming 10 elm al exciting disposition
unfrie odIy to he Object Of ny INSTRUCTIONS
all the consideration which Justify ,pe u.
STATES in demonstrating aesins' the Bel
fish nrders,i III was yet more difficult, win
lout deS,ee OF haTshness, scarcely suited
10 the occasion, aud without also the ma
card Of ind,sctetion, 10 display in detail the
signal injustice S inpoi.cy Ufperseyerins
in them after What had proposed This
could be done d had beer done in coas
yersation bur il mt, upon trial, ap.
pear to be equally practicable, in the more
formal and measured proceeding which
was nov called upon 70 adopt
al considered. besides, Ina, an overture
so highly advantageous to g cat Bcilaln
(which the u. States were MT bound Il
make by any Obligations OF equity, al.ho
il was wise TO make il, did 40, require
with any view To he character fmy coun.
, try, or even to the success of the Overture
itself, To be again recommended, by az
anxious repetition OF arguments already
fully understood.
" As soon as my note was prepared,
called a. The foreign Office Ia arrange al
interview with Mr.. Canning Tor thu pur
pose of eoabing me to-accompany the de
livery of It wIth communication, which
deemed Important, as we'll as OF afford
ing hlu an opportunity OF asking and re-
ceIviag such explana IONS as he might de
sfe. The interview took place Oh The 26,l
Of August.
" IL had occurred TO me thai it would bt
proper (and could not be rnjurious) o rea,
10 air. Canning from your letter to mt
1T he IS,h of July, brief summary o
he Instructions uHder which WAS a6t ng
This had not been requested; bu, II coul,
not be uoaccep able, and il was, besides
we'll calculated 10 do justice TO The liber
{ al sentiments by which my instruction
bad been d Ga ed, as well as to Civ
weight to my efforts in the execution O
hem.
= Il was led, by the reading of these pas
sages, (Ni,houi having originally inendeu
lit) into more Extensive explanation, tha
I had before attempted, of the inlluene
which the proposal of my government
would have IN truth, as well as in the iudg
menl Of the world, upon the supposed Jus
lice Of their new system. as il affected ID
!, UuHed States. 10 that explanation, wit
:, he particulars ofwhich | will not, and in
+ deed for want Of time, cannot al preser
d trouble you, added concise recapnula
d sion OF some of the prudential considc,a
IS lions which had been 80 often pressed be
y lore, and there lei, The subject"
CorrcsEondeHcc 6et1yeen Mr. ErSkiHe an
j. Mr.. AlQdison.
y Coty Of a ie:fer |rom tie honorable DAN
: III Krskme, esq ENJOY ertraorGigarv an
3, nHnis,er fienh0senrary Of h,s BRITAIN
mejessy, 20 the Secretary Of Stare, dafel
NAsHiNeroN, March 10, SOY.
STA,
] am charged by his majesty 70 EXPIRE
l., 10 the government Of The u, States, h
: mslesy's perfect confidence in their 80,
, sense and firmness IN resisting the unju
al prctensions contained IN The decree issu,
IA , Dv the French aovernmcnt al ycrlin =