Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-09-29


officially what redress was TO be offered.
In answer to my second question both
Coleman and Caliban acknowledge, I" tina,
they do:censure MIR. Erskine for acting
without Instructions" That is, they adj.
NIT he acted without authority in making
propositions. Aud yet they say that
Rose was authorised to make the same
offers which the British now disavow -
This is indeed passing strange. The En-
glish ministry then has altered its tone,
and has not the same disposition now that
ithad when 1t sent Rose here This must
be SD or Rose was NOT authorised TO make
lihe same propositions. Between your de-
sire to dsfend the British on the one hand,
|and your wish to preserve your owa con.
|s's'ency on The other, into what inextrica-
Die difficulties you are plunged. Now
ask any man OF plain common sense, whe-
Their such conduct such inconsistency and
all tending to one obje@.
the censure OF our own government and
the detence. of foreign nation, do not
eve the great aetuating motive to be, at
tachment to that foreign nation? And
how great must be the attachment that
otomis TO such exertions! Review the
hrst federal papers for years past, and
though you will ind them differing from
each other, and at different times varying
from themselves, with regard to objects
merely of internal policy yet il is la.
mentab'e fact you will find those papers
generally Uniform in he defence of Brit
ish on RACES aud in the ceasute of every
act OF our own government, calculated to
res rain British rapaci,y, and to ayenge
British insults. Even the orig nal non in.
tercourse act, though perfectly fair and
honorable as % both the bell,gerents, they
opposed they now cen ure the president
ter not suffering the country 10 be Jock ed
and Cheated by British perfidy, and our
|eit'zens to be robbed by these pirates of the
world. And they will continue to palate
British yllia,ny, and to oppose AID censure
sxefy ACT of Que own government which
has toe least tendency to ma'ntain our in
ds2endeace. to assert our rights, and to
redyess osr wrongs, against those modern
Arabs whose food IS pidnder and whose
profession IS robbery lnd piracy, ugtil
these hTeiings are ma6A TO feel the power
OF along sAbased snd infuted people.
In the Pos. of the 10 h Of July last, is
gwen the conclusion ot Mr. GARDENER
speech in Congress upon the vote of APP
probationSt TO ,he President. That he ex
presses the sentiments of his federal bre,h
rem, canno BE- questioned aud it is to be
Presu ned hal those sen!im ents were high.
ly approved by Coleman, or why did he
publish them? Why lavish the enc Jmums
With which his pspsr teemed upon Gardi-
oier! he IS hen a good witness in this
case. The following is faithful extract
from 'ha speech 1t is therefore, (the
cancellation thes supposed TO have aken
place. owing solely 10 the proper tempsr
with which the overtures were received. 49,
And /, is now in proof before US, as have
always said and contended, that nothing
was wanting but proper spirit OF concilia
ton nothing but fair and honorable deal.
! ing on the part of this county to bring TO
happy issue all the fictitious difference ;
between this country and Great Britain
Here, there can BE- no evasion, no quib
bling. Gardiner says expressly, that if
Mr.. Jefferson had acted fairly and honora-
bly,, our differences might have been set
tied. Now, he and Coleman, and indeed
all the federal speakers and editors are
committed upon the point that Mr.. Madi-
son has acted fairly and honorabiy. In the
above quotation Gardiner says directly
7" that 1t was owing to the proper temper
with which the overtures were received :"
and he says it was owing to this" solely"
Now this places the federaIsis in an un d.
happy dilemma. They must either eat
their own words and deny every thing they
have said respecting MIR. Madison's s. fail
aud honorable dealing," and must charge
him with the faul, of The present rupture,
or they must acknowledge that there was
something else wanting besides " fair and
honorable dealings on our part" that is
that there was wanting proper temper
on the part Of the British government 10
order TO effect an adjustment. The is no
escape from one or other Of these altcrna-
tlVes, there can be none. On the Que hand
they must charge the British ministry with
an unlagorable, hostile temper towards US
or they mus confess that they have beer
guilty of ls.se representation of Mr.
1 Madison's disposition. They are eithei
very dsagreesbIe. The first they never
Will concsde. So long as English guinea,
circulate in this country, 50 long will Their,