The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-05-14

ION tEat, IL their frleEoS HAD renamed III Of
ice, well disposed as they knew them to be
towards the UnitedS. the mode in which we
we're now about to pursue this object would
not tend to produce, in that or any other re-
spect. a favorable effect. They could there.
fore give us no advice as to. the part which
itbecame ust take in the present juncture.
They intimated, however, that by obtaining
an Interview and comferring with Mr.. Can
ming we might probably ascertain the senti-
ments of his government on the whole subject,
and be enabled thereby topursue the course
which would be best adapted to the spirit Of
our instructions & the interests of our Country.
| Immediately after our interview with the
British commissioners we asked one of Mr..
Canning, which was obtained on the instant.
| 1t was our intention to have confined our
selves III the first instance to the topics a
bove mentioned, and to TIE information
which We thoughtit our duty to give him
OF the understanding which had subsisted be-
tween tile British commissioners and our
selves, OF the condition on which we had
proceeded to the other points of the negoti-
alton after the project of an article relative
to lmp:esSments had been rejected. AS soon
however, as we glanced at the objects of the
interview, he observed that he had just &c
csived intelligence which, if true, would make
| it unnecessary for us to enter at present OH "a
\
represented to him that an officer, just ar
rived from America, had that morning in
| formed the admiralty that the treaty which
had been lately concluded here, had been
| rejected by our government; that he had not
seen the officer, and therefore could not
state the grounds OH which the information
rested. He observed that such an event
would place the relations of the two coun-
tries III an embarrassing situation, and
l Gl had - L
any intelligence of a like import. We per-
ceived at once, that the important feature
in your dispatch of February Sd, respecting
| the disclosure of which to the new ministry
we had entertained some doubt, was not on
| ly eitker already known toit, or SOON would
be, but that differences OF u dangerous ten
dency were likely to be drawn from the re-
fusal of our government to ratify the treaty,
Ill case IT should occur, which such an event
could not justify. We saw therefore the
necessity of communicating to Mr.. Canning
| Immediately the substance of that dispatch
as well Tor the purpose of preventing those
errors, IS to obey the instructions Contain
ed in it, over which, i'll the respect alluded
| to- we should have exercised any discretion
| with great reluctance. We assured Mr.
Canning, that there could have been no
/ foundation for the report Of the rejection OF
the treaty, as VIC were satisfied that Mr.
PurvianCe, Who had carried it toour govern
ment, could not have arrived in the United
States IN time to enaole the president to
submit it to the consideration of the Senate.
before the Sd of March, when Congress
must have adjourned and that he must be
sensible, that until the lcccipt of our dis
patch, no step, at least of so decisive a
character, would be taken in the business
We Stated, however,, that we had great rea-
son to believe that the treaty would not be
ratified i'll its present form, for cause which
was well known to his majesty s late govern
ment. We then comm nncated to him fully
all the circumstances OH which that remark
was founded. particularly the mature of our
| instructions Relative to inipressmcnts the
knowledge which the British commissioners
had of them the entire suspension of the
negotiation at certain period on the fai-
| lure with the cabinet OF a project of an ar
ticle for the regulation of that point: the
considerations which induced us after
wards to proceed in the negotiation. founded
on t!!c note of the British commissioners of the
9th of November, the nature of which we full
| ly explained; and finally the condition on
which we did proceed in the business, that
| is, that our government world not be bound
toratify tic treaty, if 1T shonld not be satisf-
I cd with the substitute for such an article of
| tered In that note. He asked us, in case
the treaty should not be ratified, in what
! state our government wished to place the
relations OF the two countries We replied
! that it was its wish that the subject Of i'm
! prcssment should be resumed and arranged
we explained to him the nature of the arti
Gle, OIL the failure Of which the negotiation
had been suspended, and showed that Great
Britain would gain by it much more than
an equivalent for the forbearance of the
practice of which we complained, indepen-
dent OF the other good effects likely to result
from it. On this point he gave no opinion,
but asked what the relation should be. in case
no such agreement as we desired should take
place respecting impressments We repli-
ed that, in such case, it would be the de-
sire OF our government that no treaty should
be concluded, but that the relation should be
placed informally on tile most friendly foot
ing; adhering, i'll TIL explanations which
we gave him on this head, to the ideas con-
tanned in your letter of February Sd, but
without mentioning the actual receipt of such
a letter. He said he was glad to find, that
opr government looked i'll all events, to a.
mica5lc arrangement. We told him that
we had not heard from you since the treaty
had arrived III America but that full in
strGctionS wonid doubtless be forwarded TO
us, as soon after that event as possible. He
lasn..~ Il