Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-08-03

operate as bar to the arrangement, more
especially as that arrangement was to bere
garded merely as the prelude to treaty.
I'd condition" That America is willing
20 renounce, during the present war, the
pretensions of carrying on, in time OF war,
all trade with the enemy's colonies, from
which she was excluded during peace. =
This condition is palpably subject for trea-
ty. However the president may be d!s-
posed to accede to it, he has no power to
make any engagement to bind his govern,
ment. This condition, also, as to its lm-
mediate operation, IS nssre shaao7o, under
the Introduction of our trade with France,
previously stipulated for
Sd. "Great Britain, for the purpose OF
securing the operation of the embargo, and
Iof the bona hde intention of America to
prevent her citizens from trading with
France, and the powers. acting under her
DEGREES, is to be considered as being at IL
berty to capture all such American vessels
as n.ay be found attempting to trade with
the ports of any of those powers" &c. &c.
The condition is puerile and useless.
The complaint would be mace by a person
acting in violation Of the laws OF the coun-
try {; and the acknowledgment OF the tact
would oblige our government to sue on the
| fortified bonds.
" On the receipt of an official note, en-.
.gaeing to adopt these conditions, his ma
iesty would be ready to repeal the orders in
council &c. &c. Had the British minis
try been acquainted with our constitution,
or had they really been DESTROYS of an ami
cable adjustment, they would have been sa-
tished with such engagements as the presl.
| dent is authorised to make: such engage
ments he has given, and any other assump-
ton on his part would but have entitled
him to share of the blame and ridicule
| which. must attach to Mr.. Canning.
1t may fairly be presumed that MIR. Frs.
kline communicated his orders, in eaten
So" to Mr.. Smith. And he no doubt re-
ceiyed from our administration a repetlu-
on of those assurances, which, it appears,
| he had heretofore made knewn to his go.
yernment, and on which MIR. Canning's IN
structions are stated to be founded. When
ever Mr.. Canning shall venture to give Mr..
| Erskine's explanations to the public, we
shall find, no doubt, that those assurances
have been repeated to him: assurances
which, whether verbal Or written, are mere
w to be considered as the opinions of inan-
entail characters, and in no way binding on
our government, but which, from their ma
ture, ought not to be committed to paper.
The sole.error of Mr.. Erskine appears to
have arisen from his belief that, his superi.
ors were really anxious to effect an adjust.
! ment of our differences and under that im-
preston, he would naturally feel safe in hav-
ing executed his instructions, so far as from
their crudeness and absurdity was practica-
bic : in refusing to fulfil the arrangement,
tie British ministry have afforded an unde-
niable proof of their nnfriendly dispositions
| towards US, and they will doubtless find it
an easier task to have excited than to tram
quilize the spirit OF the American people.
4 Lover ofhis country.