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

vas to he done with these subjects and
That my reply was, thar they hAd 40 con
rcction with the present; but that I could
say, with confidence, that my govern ment
had every disposition to attend TO the n,
With view to such an adJus meat, as would
re honorable to both parties. 1 did not
|suppose that it was expected (for you did
not intimate such an expectauon) that re-
newed negotiation upon these points should
rs well as the repeal, upon terms, of your
orders in council, he invited by a FORMAL
overture from the government OF Ameri-
lea.
l will not trouble you with many observa-
tons more
You state inyour letter that "there was
one point upon which you were particular
ly anxious to receive precise infor nation,
and upon which, from nv candor and
frankness, you were fortunate enough to
obtain it." This was " whe Their in fact
the orders in council of November, had been
known to the government Of the u. States,
previous to the message of the President
proposing The embargo, so az TO be mo-
wing consideration to that message"
quote this passage, principally, that may
recall oyour recollection, tnat my sugges-
! tons, upon the subject of it: we're not made
officially, or as beng authorised or furnish
ed, by any communication from my govern
nent, or in answer to any direct enqu.ries
on your part. They were very briefly
made, near the close, as think, of our
third interview, in consequence o. your in :
imation, Intended perhap, TO amount &c
an enquiry, shat my proposal implied, that
the embargo had been produced by the or
ders of November; to which you added
that this could not be admitted, and Gas
coInprehended what you sadly that it ever
required to be made the subject of some
notice or discussion IN writing as intimate,
lily connected with my proposal, if it should
be brought forward in that shape and
understood you to assign this as one o. the
reasons why a written overture was inds-
pensabie. In replying to that intim ton,
and the remarks which followed it, ! pro-
fessed to speak, as did in fact speak from
general information only, and disclaimed,
as it was my duty to do, all authority TO
say more, upon the nature and origin of the
embargo, than hadsometime before com :
Imunicatedto you, in obedience to the orders
of the President. The purpose of my OBJ
Iservations was chiefly to shew that there
was no inducement for embarking in for
NAL discussions not this point; and assn
red you thatie was upon in my power, either
as respected instructions from my govern
ment, or knowledge of facts, to do so. MY
Iop'nioh was, and spoke accordingly, that
it WAS one OF those questions which might
be left completely at rest, without the least
injury to the wisdom or the Justice of our
conclusions, upon the great object OF our con-
ferences. There could be no objection how
ever, to my giving you on this head such
conjectural information as / was able. On
the contrary, by fully disclosing to you my
own materials for forming an opinion upon
lit, you would be enabled more distinctly to
see that could take no part in any discus
sion which you might propose to apply to
it, and could not but be assured, that
any anxiety you might feel 20 obtain a
knowledge of the facts in question, sprung
from considerations which had every claim
to my respect; for I knew that your mind
was far above the reach of prejudices which
would ascribe the American embargo to
participation in the councils or views oil
your adversary, or OF any foreign power
whatsoever.
My suggestions were to the following
! fleet: that believed that no copy oil
!. your orders of November had arrived 10
the u. S. at the date of the Presdenl's
message; that a recent change in the
conduct of France to our prejudice did ap
pear to be knows; that intelligence had
been received, and belief entertained, o.
your intention to adopt some further mea-
sure, as measure of retaliation against
France, by which our commerce and our
rights would be affected that there was
reason to conclude that you had actually
adopted such measure that Gas l col"
lected from America ncwspapers) this had
appeared from private letters, & the news
papers Of this county, received 10 the y
States some days before the message OF
the President, and probably known TO the
government that, in word, various in
formation concurred to shew that our trade
was likely 10 be assaied by the combined
efforts of both the belligereot parties and
that the embargo was a measure of wise
and peaceful precaulion, adopted under
this view Of reasonably anticipated peril.
You observe, IN another pat of your
letter. that you nave always rather wish
ed to refer she atgumen,atIve discussion
! ,f the subjec; Of the orders in council TO
the official correspondence which you have
more than once been taught to expect me
tn open upon it," If should object 70
any part of this statement, of which The
substance is undoubtedly correct, il would
i 4 Al "A. "