The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-12-23
mo. IS.

( although Nr. canning made me &C
Suainied with Mr.. Erskine's instructions,
ne uid not III any degree apprize me of the
explanations, transmitted by that minister r.
OF the grounds and motives of his proceed
inss; and / could not be sure from auy
thinS which MIR. Canning had stated to me.
that had been made TO underst and the ex-
act nature and character OF the transaction.
| oeleved, therefore, that it beloved me
tobe particularly careful how / received
what Mr. Canning thought fit to disclose to
me- In looking back upon the past, dis
covered no inducements TO a less cautious
course. remembered that Mr. Canning
mad not told me in our conversations in Jam
uary, Zone of which occurred the day before
the date Of his letter tG Mr.. Erskine) that
| he intended to conhde to him such powers as
lie must then Fave been in the act of pre-
pairing, or indeed any powers at ALL Ibae
In our conferences III April. after the arri-
val OF the I'acjfc, the same reserve was
practlced. That in the last Of those con-
ferences MIR. Canning admitted only land
THAT too upon being pressed by mel chat in
me business, Of he CheSanea&e, ne chad
written TO Mr.. Erskine, in compliance with
what he understood to be nv wish. that the
settlement OF that affair should be transferred
to Washington" thar even then the time
when he had done SO was not mentioned
ana that as to the orders in council | was
sGhered to suppose that negotiation in a.
| merica had not been authorized. II occur
red to me, moreover, that, as it had already
been decided that Mr.. Erskine was to be
disavowed, aud, as that decision had been
| made public through the board of trade, I
Could not hope to prevent that disavowal,
and that with my imperfect knowledge ae
facts, 1t might be worse than useless by La
oored discussion to attempt it.
" with these impressions I could do little
more than manifest my concern that conci-
iiatory arrangements between the American
secretary OF state and his majesty's acore-
oitso minister at Washington, acting la
consequence and protesting to act in pursu
ance OF orders from his court, were not like
| ly ohave .hat effect which was naturally TO
be expected from them
" under &C ok, however, to declare with
confidence dat the American gove ,urueae
mad met Mr.. Erskine's proposals in . lust
and friendly spirit, and with sincere de-
sire, that while its own honor and essential
interests were fairly consulted and maintain
ed, liberal respect should be shewn Tor
those OF Great Britain"
Extract Of letter from AE-. Pinkney 10
| tie Secretary Of STATE, dafed London.
| June 6, 1909 .H
| Mr. Canning tells me that the conversa-
lions detailed in Mr.. Erskiae's letters did
not, as had supposed. suggest that the go
vernmcnt of the United States would allow
1t to be understood tuat British cruizers
| might stop American vessels attempting to
violate the embargo and non.intercourse
| contEu ing to France, &c. after they shn;,id
be withdraT n as to Great Britain Thew
suggested that the u. States would side qvtth
the power revoking It's ed:cts against the
power perscvering This Air Canning saws
he considered (ilthough he did not So insist
upon II In the recaPituatiou contained in his
! instructions to Mr., Erskinc,) as comprehen-
ding what thought he had Represented the
| actual suggestion to be, and what he suDpo
sed had said to him in an inform CONVEX
saton, at his house i'll Briton street on the.
22d OF january, in answer to one of his inqui
rics.
1t will, / am sure, occur to you, as the
fact is, that the little which / NAV have
thrown out upon that occasion did not look to
| the admission of Mr.. Canuing's object into
any stipulation between the two Countries
ana that ! viewed il only as a conse sueucs
that might, and would, if France persisted
IN her unjust DEGREES, grow out of arrange
ments similar to those offered by us in. au-
/ gust last.
| Having no longer any authority las Mr..
Canning knew to speak officially upon that
| or any other point connected with the orders
IN Council, and being DESTROYS that this 90
vernnent should propose negotiation at
W ashIngton, as we'll concerning the orders
as tne afalr OF the Chesapeake, avoided as
much as possible explanations upon details
which would be best managed at home bv
tue department of state, and endeayored tn
speak upon what Mr.. Canning proposed to.
| me, in such manner as that without usti-
tying unsuitable expectations on his part. or
| forgetting what was due to the honor of NV.
own government, l might contribute to pro-
duce an effort here towards friendly adjust
meHt.
ET!raet Of a letter from Mr.. Pinknev 10
/ mr. Snifh, dated London, June 9. 1909.
Mr. Erskine's Instructions CONCERNING
the orders in council having been laid be'
tore the house Of Commons are now pri.ted
You will find them in the newspaper inclo.
sed.
" 1t is not improbable that when MIR. Can
ming read these Instructions tom inferred
from the manner in which the THREE poin,s
stated i'll the 5th, 9Th and 9TH paraeranhS
are introduced and connected, that tbey
were all considered as suggested by Mr.. Frs.
ZINES g report of his conversation, w;,h
Mr.. Madison, Mr.. GalIatin and Nj smith -,
whether l was led by any other cause into
the mistake of surprising that the fhfyd Tss
well as the first and second) was sosugeested
am not sure; and it is not very matsriaI
Mr.. Canhirg's Instrumentation of soroa
informal observations from me in Jsnna,s-