The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-04-05

lpeet for your Judgment and the NOS. perfect
confidence in yo0r sincerity, an .asupcr;-
Ole objection manifest,s lies. 20 the accept
ance ot personal aud Unexplained opinion,
IN place OF a disclosure which would enable
TINS government To exercise its own jatle;-
ment in a case affecting so essentially its ho-
nor and its rights. Such Il course OF proceed
ing would be without example; and there
Can be no hazard in saying that enc will me-
yer be afforded by government which res
poets itself as much rs yours Justly does and
therefore can never be reasonably expected
from one which respects itself as much as
this has right TO do.
T.. torbear, sir, to enlarge on the intrinsic
ircongrnity of the expedicnt proposed. But
must be allowed to remark, as an add IT,
onal admonition of the singular and mortify-
ing Perpiexlty IN which compliance might
involve the President, that there are in the
,et'er OF Mr. tanning, communicating 10
Mr. MuDroe the special mission to the U >
| ). pregnant indications that other questions
and conditions may have been contemplated
which would be found utterly irreconcileab,e
with the sentiments CO this nation
1t neither any nor all of these considcrati-
ons can sustain the preliminary demand made
in your communication, it remains 70 be seen
whether such a dem;pd rests with greater
advantage on the more precise ground on
which you finally seeni to place it. f1Ea
he proclamation is considered as hos
tie me- sure, & discohiinuance CT it as due
to the disContinuancc of the AGGRESSION
which led to it.
1t has been sufficiently srcwn that he
proclamation, as appears on the sace of it,
was produced by train of oSc,irrencas ter. p
tnina'ing III the attack Oh the american fri
gate, and not by this last alone. To demand
therefore that the proclamation be revoked.
1 u woeld be perfectly fair to oppose a de-
nand that redress be first given for the nu-
inerous irregularities which preteded the
aggression on the American frgatc, as Well
as tor this particular aggression, and chat
teHectna' controui be interposed against re1
lpehtions OF them. And as no such redress
has been given for the past, Notwithstanding
the lapse OF time which has taken place, moi.
any such security for the future, notwithi
stanc'nS the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. of
| ~, 1t follows, that a continuance of the pro-.
clama ION would be consistent with an entire
luiscontinuance OF one only of the occurrences
from which ii proceeded.
But 1t is not necessary to avail the are,,
| Inent OF this view OF the case, although of
lsself entirely conclusive Had the Drocla.
nation been founded on the single agcressio,,
committed on the Chesapeake, and were it
admitted hat the discontlnuance OF that ag-
erosion merely, gave Claim to the discoM-
unuance OF the proclamation, the claim
would be defeated by the incontestifjle fact!
that that aggression hasnot been discontjn-
iued. u has never ceased to exist; and il is
In existence at this moment Need I re-
minu you, Sir, that the seizure and asporrati--
on OF the seamen belonging II the crew OF
the Chesapeake, entered into the very es-
sence OF that aggression, that with an e1,-
ceptlon OF the victim to a trial forbidden by
the most solemn considerations, and greatly
aggravatinS the guilt of its author, the sea-
men In question are still retained, and con-
seqnently that the aggression, if in no o he,.
respect, Is by that act alone continued and
| in force
| II the views which have been taken of the
subject have the business which they claim,
they VIII have shewn that ON no. tound what
ever Can an annulment of the proclamation
OF July I'd, be reasonably required, as pre-
ilmlnaIy to the negotiation with which YOU
are charged On the contrary, it clearly re
suits, from recurrence to the Causes and
object of the proclamation, that. as was at
hrst animated, tie strongest sanctions OF q.
Britain herself, would support the demand.
that previous to discussion of tie procla-
nation, due satisfaction should be made to
the United States; that this satisfaction
ought to extend to all the wrongs which pre-
ceded and produced that act , and that e.
ven hmlting the merits of the question 10 the
single relation or the proclamation to the
wrong committed III he attack on the Ame-
rican trisate, and deciding the Question OH
! the principle that a disc .ntinuaI,c. of the
latter required Of right d;scontinuance of
the former, nothing appears that does not
leave such a preliminary destitute of every
foundation which could be assumed for it,
I Wlth right to draw this conclusion, the
President might have instructed me to close
this Communication, with the reply stated
in the. beginning of it; and perhaps in ia
KING this course, he would ONLY have consult
ed a sensiDiiity to which most governments
would, IN such a case, have yielded. But
adhcring to the moderation bv which he has
been Invariably guided, and anxious to res
cue the two natious from the circumstances
under which an aBortive issue to YOUR mis-
| sion, necessarily places them, he has autho-
rised me, IN the event of your disclosing the:
terms OF PREPARATION which you believe will
be satisfactory, and on its appearing that
they are SO, to consider this evidence of the
Justice OF his Britannia majesty as a pledge
tor an eftectuai interposilion with respect
to all the abuses against a recurrence of
whlcn the Proclamation was meant to pro
VIDE, and to proceed to concert. with YOU.
revocation of that act, bearing the same
date with the act of PREPARATION TO which the
United States are entitled.
L am not unaware, sir, that according to
the view which you appear to have taken of
| your Instructions, suCn q course of proceed
| ing has not been concentrated ms, thor, IL