The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-11-22
LETTERS

Oh Err. MADISON TO c EE.AaMsTRoNG |,
CoNcLvpnD.
Extract Of a letter from M-. Madison to
Ger. armstrong;.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
May Cd. 1903
= Since my last, of which lieutenant Lewis
sNas the bearer. i have received your seve
I.al letters of 9th Deeemhcr, Odd January,
18th and 18th February, with their respect
i've Enclosures. -
"That of the 18th January, from Mr..
Champaguy to you, has, as yc', viii see b.,
the papers herewith sent. produced all the
sensations here. which The split & st,le OF it
were calculated 10 excite in minds alive to
the interests and honor of the uation. To
present to the Uuited States the alternative
Of bending tothe views OF France against her
enemy, or OF mourning q co,iiscation oe all
the property ofthe,r citizens carried into the
French prize courts, implied that they were
susceptible of impressions by which no indie
pendent and honorable nation can be guided !;
and to PREJUDICE and pronounce for them the
effect which the conduct of another nation
ought to have on their councils aud course Of
proceeding, had the air at!cast of an assunr-
ed authority, not les, irrita,ingto the public
feelings.
:. "In these lights, the President makes j.
Inent the contents of MIR. Champagny's let
ter taking care, as your discretion will
doubtless suggest. that whilst You make that
government sensible of the offensive tone
employed, you leave the way open for friend
ly and respectful explanations ii there be n
disposition to offer them, and for decisi-.
here on any reply which may be of a differ.
cDt character"
: t.Congress closed their session on the 25tE
ultimo. For a general view of their pro-.
ceedings, ircfer to the series ofnews-papcrs
heretofore, and now forwarded, and to other
prints which are added. Among their acts
of chief Importance is that which vests in
the President an authority to suspend in
whole or in part the embargo laws.
a. The conditic.s on which the suspend
ing authority is to be exercised, will en-
gage your particular attention. They APP
peal equally TO the justice and the policy
of the two grea, be,ligerent powers now e.
mu,ating each other i'll violations of both
The President counts on your best entlea-
vors TO give 10 this appeal all the effect pos
sibe with the French government. Mr.
Pinkney will be doing the same with that of
Great-Britain. The relation in which re-
call Of its retaliatins DEGREES, by either pow
er, will place the United States to the other
Is obvious, and ought to be motive to the
has been manifested by each, to produce col
lisions between the United States and its adj
versary, and which must be eqSaiy felt by
each 10 avoid one with itself.
t'Shond wiser councils or increasing dis
tresscs induce GreatBritain to invoke her
impolitic orders against neutral commerce,
and thereby prepare the way for removal
of the embargo. as it applies 30 her, France
could not persist in the Illegal part of her
DEGREES. if she does not mean to force a con-
test with the United States. On the other
hand, should she set the example of revo-
cation, Great Britain would be obliged. eli
ther,bv following it, to restore to France the
full Sepeft of nenh III trade, which she needs !;
or by peFseyering in her obnoxious orders.
after the pretext for them had ceased, to
render collisions with the United States inc
vitabie
g IN every point OF view, therefore, it is
so clearly the sound policy OF France to re-
scind so much at least ofEcr DEGREES as tres
pass on neutral rights, and particularly to.,e
the first in taking the retrograde step, that
it cannot be unreasonable to expect that it
will be immediately taken
GO In whatever Cegree the French govern
r,ent may be isdto change its system, you
will lose no time in transmitting the in!or-
Nation tothis department, and to Mr. Pink
nSy ana by nlceCi COiiVeV2DCeS, TX necessary.
A correspondent instruction is given to Mr..
Pinkney.
g 1t is of the greater Importance, that yo,
should receive from each other the earliest
notice of any rclaaations, as each government
is under pledge TO follow such ain example
by the other. And it is not ofless Importance
that the President or Congress should be ac-
Guainted with TIC facts, that the proceedings
here may be accommodated 70 them.
:. That you may know the grounds on
which the British orders of November, have
beea arraigned by this government, inclose
a copy OF the answer to MIR. ETskine's note
communicating them, a copy Of the note be-
ing also inclosed.
Z" The otnsr documents communicated,
will put you in full posessson of the relations
OF the United States with Great Britain, rs
resulting from the issue Of our general ncgo-
Citations, and from, that of the mission of Mr.
Rose.
This Dispatch is Forwarded by Mr.. Ba-
ker, who takes his passage from Baltimore,
i'll r vessel engaged. as was the Usage which
sailed from New ork, for the special pur-
pose of public and mercantile correspondent
ces with Europe. She will proceed. in the
first instance, to L'Oricnt, where she will
leave Mr.. BAKER, and thence proceed with
dispatches for Mr.. Iinkrey, to Falmouth, !,
where she will remain few days 70 receive
communications from him she viii then re
turn to Torrent, in order to bring back