Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1808-03-26


avail ,1yselfolt tic opportunity afforded by
Mr.. Bidd!e, 70 communicate to you copy OF
a coerespa2deHce, a:4 the substance OF a con-
ference .etNeea Mr.. Canning aI,d myself, re-
lative to the ja aggression Oh the peace and
sovcreig;lty Of tie U. s. by the British snip
Leopard in toe attack on the Chesapeake, OF
the. ca2cs ca y iirglaia
NJ. Cannipg,s pp.Fate letter ofJuly IS,
which gave the FIRST intelligence ofthe occur
renee, left i, doubtful whether the eritish Of
fcers had been calpable in ii, ans; as snew
how very rc>9c,lc,isible their conduct had
been olf our coast, On many other occasions,
and to what heigh1 the $ Utility OF our CHI
z4ns had been excited by it, thought i aot
i-aprobabie that something might have occur
red to divide the blame between he parties. L
was under that impression thar ray answer
was written. On TIC next day Tic leading tet,~
lures Of the transaction were presented to tie
public thro the medium 0. the sazettcs WHEN
were taken from private accounts received
direct.Y f.oaa Halifax, by vessel Which aad
been dispatched - admiral Berkeley with the
Official one. ~ these IS was evident. that the
British oi1{alc4c aas coxspleat!y the agggessor,
IN an outrage 81 great snornl.ty ,4ttelicled with
circumstances which increased tbs offence. Il
was understood likewise Grcn COCO :.>lsl.oFlsy,
that the Official Intelligence which. tie soTe1a-
rnent had received corrcspoad.a with s con
6rmed nc ether accounts already before the
public.
On full consideration OF these circum STAN
ces, ] concluded that i would be highly I'M
proper in me 70 leave the affair Oh the ground
cn which Mr.. Canning lad placed It. ! coald
see no other motive in iim TO obtain further
information relative 10 the transaction, than
for the purpose of ascertaining whether the
men said to be dcseners, and ior whom the
attack was made, were American citizens or
British subjects to which it was impossible
for me to give any couEtenance. ! thought
it indispensable therefore TO CALI on toe go-
vernment to disayow the principle and to en-
gage such ether repatriation TO the ~. states
as their injured honor obviously required
1t appeacee. to me, that sny delay n taking
that step which depended On an abstract pE-n-
ciple, and required nc argument to Illustrate,
or fact to support it, would have tendency
TO weaken a claim which was lnGuesaonable,
and to countcnance the idea that It would not
be supportable with suitable energy.
/ had, before the knowledge Of this event,
obtained the appointment ola interview with
Mr.. Canning on other business, to take place
on the 29th ultimo. We met according to the
appointment; observed, in opening the con-
ference, that although the topics which had
brought us together, were important, the late
occurrence at the entrance of the Chesapea- G
had in a great measure put them out OF sight.
He expressed his regret that such al event
which would al all times furnish cause OF con-
Germ should have happened at the present time
He asked If the men in question were Amen.
can citizens, or British subjects? replied
that that was point which could not come
into view in the case; that i was enc which