Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-01-24

though should myself. perhaps, have been
inclined to think that they had lost much
of their Importance by the presentation of
my note, and the receipt Of your written
answer both of which are perfectly INTEL
ligible, upon these points at least, without
the aid of the conferences that preceded
them.
You observed. that "the prncipa, points,
in which the suggestions, brought forward
ny me IN personal conference, appear to
you to have differed in some degree from
the proposal stated by me in writing, are
two; the first, that in conversation the pro-
Posai itself Was not distinctly tated as AN o.
venture auth ,rissd ny any goyernmens the
second, that the beneficial consequences
hkeiy co result to this country from the &C
ceptance OF that PROPOSAL, were spursued'
through more ample /" illustrations I"
With regard to the first of these suppos..
ed differences, feel persuaded, sir, that
upon further recoilection,. I'll Will occur to yon, +
that, at our first con fe-ence, told on ex
picitiy that the substance of what i thee
suggested, that is to say, that your orders
being repealed rs 10 US, we would suspend
the embargo as TO Gre t.Bric;,in, was from
my government; bst that tue manner of
canducting and illustrating the subject, up
on which 1 had no prec orders, was my
"wn. even repeated TO YOU the words OF
my instructions as they we're upon my me-.
nory and did not understand, either
enSn or afterwards, that there was any doubt
as To their existence or their sufficiency, or
any desire TO have A more exact and for
maj commun Cation of them while the re-.
suit OF our discussions was distant and un.
certain. said undoubtedly that | had
been directed to reqa the revocation of
re IN 4 hui 4 L.
that, although the government of the Unit
ed States, still supposed itself to be aptho
rlsed TO expect their repea. upon the ground
of right as t existed from the first, Ia SUBJ
Ject, however, which Informed you did
not wish at that time 10 agitate,) was not
"itnstanding empowered to give you the "a
aforementioned assurances, which would, as
presumed, hold out inducements to Great,
britain, as well on the score of policy as on
that OF jus ',e, to fulfil that expectation.
should scarcely have undertaken to offer
such assurances as from myself, or upon nv
own conviction" that the president would
act IN conformity with them And SHOULD
still less (lt that were POSSIBILITY have ven
lured to ask OF you that you would make
them, IN that form, the subject of re-
peatea conferences, and even Of reference
10 others, as placing the question of re-
Cal, or continuance OF tue orders in couli.
Gil, upon new grounds of prudence and e..
quity.
L ismercly intendc Gas / doubt not
1t is) to say that l did not make, or
declare my intention to make my o.
venture in writing, before had en-
deavored to prepare for it by personal
explanations such reception as / felt
IL deserved, and before L could a GER
tain what shape it would be mos, pro-
per to give to it, or. how it would be
met by this government, nothing can
be more correct.
1t was my sincere wish that nv pro-
posal, which I believed to be adyanta-
geous to Great Britain, as well as hon.
orable to the United States, should
be accepted; and accordingly pre-
ferred mode of proceeding which,
while it was calculated to avoid unpro-
htable discussions, upon topics of some
deiicacy and great difficulty, would fur
nish opportunities for frank and friend
ly communication upon all The bear
ings of my proposal, and lead to the
result at which aimed, if that result
should be practicable, in such way as,
upon mature reflection, and after Ii
beral interchange ofsentiments, should
be found to be most tor the honor of
our respective governments. These
views were laid before you without re-
serve, and seemed to be approved
and 1 confess to you, sir, that when
was afterwards informed that, if I
would obtain IN answer TO my over
ture, must make it in writing, and tina,
| must not look for any previous init
nation OF the nature Of that answer, I
did not allow myself any longer to an
.tciPate with much confidence such an
issue as | desired.
The second difference which your
letter supposes to exist between my
note and verbal suggestions, cannot,
l think, in any view De very materi.
al, will say something upon it howe
yer.
My note declares that if I for5ear
to pursue certain ideas through all
the Illustrations OF which they are sus-
ceptible, tits because our personal con-
terences, as well as the obvious nature
of the idea fla,,,,a1,,. .o.x..