The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-01-24

c@c'racil, upon new sroisds -of prudence AVID
equity.
,isit is merely intended (as I doubt not 4,
isl to say that l did, not make, on
declare my intention to make over
ture III writing. before l had cndeavored
to prepare for it by. p rsonal explanations
such a reception asI felt it deserved. and
before l could ascertain what shape it would
be most proper to give % 1T, or how it would
be met lay this government, nothing can be
more correct.
1t was my sincere wish that my proposal
which l believed to be advantageous TO O..
Britain, as well as honorable to the United
States. should DC. accepted /; and accordingly
l preferred a mode ct proceeding which,
while 1t was calculated to avoid unproitaOie
discussions, upon ~topics.oe come delf.acv &
great dticuity, gpuld furnish opportunities
for frani. and tricntliy communication upon
AL the bearings osmy proposal. and lead TO
tile result at which ! aimed, II that result
should be practicable, in such way as, upon
mature reflection, and after n liberal inter-
change OF s~eut!nnei'S, should be found to be
most for:he honor or cur respective govern
ments. These views we're laid before you
without reserve. aud secmed tnhearsre"ca !;
and confess to you. sir. that VIXEN was af-
tcrwarGs informed chat, If / would obtain
an answer to my overture, l must make 1t in
writing, and that l must not look for any
previous intimation ofthe nature of that an
swer, ! die not allow myself any longer to
anticipate with mueil confidence such an is
sue as desired. ga s..
The second difference whictlxyour letter
supposes to exist between my note and yer,
bal suggestions, cannot / think, in any view
be very material. Twill say something upon
it, however. 81
My note declares that if for',ear to p,ir-
sue certain ido.as through I'll the Illustrate
onsot which they are susceptible, it is be-
cause our personal conferences, as well as the
obvious nature Of the.ideas, themselves, rem
der It unnec essary. This implies undoubted-
ly, that more had been said in cur conferea-
ces explanatory Of these ideas, than is to be
found ip the note itself and that implicati-
on can scarcely be- otherwise than true, if
"expatiated largely as you very Justly say
1 did, upon the consequences of Il suspen-
cion or the. embargo as to Great Britain,
whiie it still continued to be enforced against
france" g..
The general IDEA to which the notc refers
Is that justice and interest conspired to re
commend that you shcuid take advantage of
hmy proposal. The particular positions are.
tnat, IT your orders and our embargo should
be rescindcd in the manner suggested. our
commercial Intercourse would be immediate
~ revived /; that. if France followed yonr
example retracted her DEGREES, The aVow-
ed purpose OF your orders would be accom-
pushed; that, if France refused to retract,
the American ernbatyo, continuing as to her,
would occupy the place OF your orders, and.
perform their Office, even. better than they
cnuld performit themselves, without any of
the disadvantages inseparable FROM such a
system.
1T is Certain that in our cen c;Sat;G i::s I en-
deavored to prove that these general and
particular notions were founded in truth, by
a variety OF arguments, thrown out in n very
desnltory way with more zeal than prGcisi-
on, and with that entire freedom which llr-
limited confidence in your %caudor, and q firal
opinion that the views of my government
would derive ne titles. to respect from a
full examination, were calculated 10 pro
duce.
l should not deal ingenuouslv with YOU, sir,
II / were to pretend that | think myself able
to recapitnlate these disjointed arguments as
they were actually delivered. And I am
quite sure that l shall consult your gratifca-
ton, AZ well as my own credit, by declining
such an undertaking. But / think I can state,
in q condensed form, what ] intended vou
should understand and / presume that what
tdId say was not very wide OF my real i'm
pressions,
cPou lne lOotibS Oh VniCn my overture
would place the justice of the British orders,
| did not go into much detail, at any ona- o.
the three Interviews mentioned in your Icr-
ter. But, combining my unconnccted and
occasional observations on that poiRt as they
were made at different times, and more es-
Fecially as they we're afterwards given and
enlarged upon when | had the honor to See
you on the Goth of August, (of which how
ever, it is proper to say. Iiiav We only u very
scanty memorandum their import will not,
perhaps, be found to be much If at al; mis-
taken in such parts of the following state
ment as relate to that branch of the sub
lject..
/ meant to suggest. then, that Upon your
own principles it would be extremely diff
cult 10 decline my proposal, that your orders
incrlcate. as the duty of neutral nations,
resistance to the maritime deecrees Of
France, as ~overturnihg the public law o. the
world, and professtdly rely upon that duty.
and an imputed abandon mcnt of it, for their
inducement and their Justification chat. Of
these orders, that Of the 9Th Of January. 1907,
lot which the subsequent orders Of Novem-
Der are said, in. yoGr official reply to my note
of the 23d of august, to be only an czten-
sion, can aXters;oD in operation not in Drill
ciple") was promulgated and carried into
effect a few weeks only after the Berlin de
cree had made its appearance; when the