Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-04-08
Documents accomhon1ine the Message of
tie President ofthe 22d March, rciatiUc
TO the CXesafeake.
CConciuded from our last.1

A>OiACiu0SQ ifOhi Out itol
lr,rcins:or Of FIR Rese's letsey 70 II, lfali.on
Since that time such OF those officers as
have been necessitated By the clrcumstan-
stances IF the war to remain in these wa
tsrs, have held no communication with the
shore, except in an instance too trihing to
dwell upon, and Instantly disavowed by the
commanding officer; and they have acqui-
csce<l quietly in various privations, highly
p-eiudicial to the service they were upon,
and in consequence of an interdict, which
had they been regardless of their duties
towards Il state, in amity with their So
vereigH, and had they not carefully repress-
e,l the feelings its tone and language had a
Il rect tendency 60 provoke in them, would
have rather excited, than have averted the
evils it was stated TO be intended to prevent !;
were they regar,lsul Of these duties, it was
unnecessary Had they felt themselves o.
bliged completely to evacuate the waters
Of the United States, especially whilst an
cncmy's squadron was haroored III them,
they :cu.a have done 1t; but under the adj
mission of hostile compulsion, and under
such colnpuision, carried into full effect,
his maics:y could not have dssembled the
extent of the injury received.
~ the several cases adduccd, in which
Great Britain required certain prelimna-
ries, previously to entering into negotiation,
she regulated her condact by the same prin-
ciples to which she now adhercs; ard re-
fused, whilst m hostility was exhibited ON
her part, 10 treat with powers, whose pro-
oeedinSs denoted il towards her; and who
maintained their right N what they had as
suned.
Frap the considerations thus offered,
trust that neither the order OF reason, o.
that Of Usage. are in contradiction to the de-
mand have urged, nor am ] aware how
the order of time opposes the revocation in
the FIRST instance, nj that acs, which affects
injurous,y ore Of the parties, and is still a.
vowed by the other.
KThe subject il thus presented 10 yen. sir,
in The light ~ which it was natural that it
should oaer itself 80 his m=jesty's govern
meat. IL certainly conceived the Presi-
dent's proclamation to rest chiefly, and
most materially upon the attack made upon
the frigatc Of the u. S. tie C6esapcake, by
his majes,y's ship Leopard, although other
topics we're adduccti as accessories. In this
sppreens. on II may I've held 70 have beer
sufficiently warranted, by the precise time
At which, and the circumstances under
which, it was issued, and by it's whole con I.
texti and the more So, as the impulse I'M
der which il was drawn up appears to have
been so sudden as to have prScluded a due
examination of all the grounds of allegation
contained in i. And here I beg leave to
assure you, that with respect TO the spirit,
aud tone of that instrument. il would be
highly satisfactory 70 ne, If Icpuld feel NY
sell Justified IN expressing on the part OF
his majesty, any degree Of coincidence with
the opinions you have announced, or when
thus appealed 20, and making every allow
ancc for thc irritation CT the moment.
could disssmble the extreme surprise ex-
perienced by Great Brs2in, chat the gov
eminent IS friendly nation, even before
All %inicaS'e demand OF repatriation was
made; and vet meaning 70 make that de-
maDd, should have issued an edict direct
irg measures Of injury very disproportioh4
are Co what it knew Was an unauthor ssd
offence, and both in it's terms and its pur-
port so injurious to the government to which
tAat demand was 60 be addressed, and ten
dug to call forth in both nations the feel
in9s under which a friendly adjustment
woufd be the most difficult. Bnt if. rs
learn from yau, sir, tho proclamation rests
substantially on other causes, it is chen Pc
culiariy to be regretted, that together with
tde demand for redress made III Septem-
Der last, the government Of the u. s did
not think iii 70 offer n negotiation, or an
explanation Of 50 momentous a measure, or
TO declare that It's recall must be more or
less connected with the adjustment Of other
alicdged wrongs. Neither did il think it
necessary 10 return any answer to the re-
monstrance given in by his maiesty's envoy
at Washington, on tie 18th JuIy, 1907, in
which he represented "rhat he considered
Hihat introduction 70 DC SO unfricndlv i'm lis
object, ard 50 injurious in its o0nscqucn-
"ces tohis mAiesty's interests, that he could
"nOt refrain from expressing the most sin
"cere regret, that It ever stomld have been
"issued, and most earnestly depTecating its
"being enforced"
IL could not be supposed that circum-
stance OF 50 great weight could be over
looked by his majesty's government, in de-
terminiug the line Of conduct TO be held in
the negotiation and as little could it be
expected to pass IL over, when on the fail
ure of the discussion with Mr.. Monroe, it d-
Tected a special mission TO be sent TO the
u. 5. II had the less reason to imagine
that any other grievances could be connec-
ted with that, for the adjustment of which
am empowered 70 negotiate, as Mr. Mon
roe in his letter to MIR. Canning of the 29th
of July last, had stated with respect TO o.
Their subjects Of remonstrance, that it was
improper to mingle them with the present
more serious cause Of complaint; an opini-
on to which Mr. Canning declared his per-
feet assent, IN his letter to that minister OF
the I'd ofthe subsequent month so that this
act wac left agscinuie and disfinrf To bc eli