Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-12-07
DOCUMENTS,
WHICH ACCOMPANIED TIE
MESSAGE OF THE PRESIDE N1,,
OFrTHE ).
UNITED STATES.
coNTINuED.
lcoNTINuED.]
Mr.. Smith TO Mr. Jaekssa.

BIks ~eE\
Your letter Of the Esd ult. which was du.
" received, would have beenseonsr acknow-
lodged, had not by sickness been rendered
for. several days utterly unfit for business.
Althoughshe delay and theapparent re.
luctance in specifying the grounds of the
disavowal of the arrangement with respect
TO the orders in council, donst correspond
with the course of proceeding deemed most
becoming the occasion yet as the explana-
tion has at length been thus made, it only
remains, as to tina. art of the disavowed
arrangement, TO regret that such conside-
| rations should have been allowed to out.
! weigh the solid objections to the disavowal !;
! it being understood at the same time that
8 his Britannia majesty perseverss In requir-
i ing as indispensable condition on the part
. OF the United States, an entire reEnquish-
I,nent of the rightso trade with enemies CO.
llonies, and also permission to the British
\ navy TO aid IN executing q law of Congress ;
Ipretcnsions, which cannot but render abor-
1tive.all proposals whatever upon this suffice.
iwhether made by the United States or by
his Britannia majesty.
Whilst you have deemed proper to Of
fer an explanation with respects to the disa-
yowal of one part of the arrangement, /
must remind you tia. there is not to be
found in your letter any like specification Of
the rsasoas,for the dlsasowai,, nor parsicu-
-larty.is u shewn that ih1s instructions were
s'sselsied, as to ..le o.herspart, viz. the case
Z. .ae Chesapeake; the case in which in an
especial manner an explanation was requir.
ed, and in which only you protested to have
authority Ito make TO this government any
oyertutes.
For the FIRST tinse It is now disclosed that
the subjects, arranged w:th this government
by your predecessor, ARE held not TO be
within the authority Of a minister plenipo-
tertiary, and thar, not having had a " full
power distinct from that authority, his
transactions on those subjects might of right
beysdisavowed by his government" This
disclosure, SO contrary TO every antecedent
supposition and just inference, gives new
aspect TO this business. If the authority of
YOUR predecessor did not embrace the sub.
iec,s- id question, Gas to bindshi govefa.
ment, ii necessarily follows, that the only
credentials yet presented by you being the
.ame with those presented by him, give you
no authority 20 bind it, and that the exhibi-
.ion OF a : full power" for that purpose,
such as you doubtless are furnished with, Is
become an Indispensable preliminary to fur.
,hcr negotiation, or, to speak more strictly,
was required inthe frs; instance by the view
Of the matter now disclosed by you. Me-
rociation without this preliminary would
NOT ONLY be departure from the principle
of equality which, is the'essential basis of,it
brS,yould moreover be a'disregard of ~the
,s,.eautions and of the self-respect enJoined
ga 4,,r attention of the United States by the
circumstances which have hitherto taken
place.
Ineed scarcely add, that in the full powei
alluded TO, as asprelin,inary to negotiation
is not intended lobe Included either the
whole extent or any part of your instructions
for the exercise Of it. These ottourse, as
you have justly remarked, remain subject te
your own discretion.
abstain, sir, from making any particu.
lar animadversions on several irrelevant anc
Improper allusions in your letter, not at al
comperting with the professed disposition
90 adjust In an amicablG manner the differ.
ehces-unhappily. sabsisting between the two
countries. But it would be improper te
conclude the few observations to which i
purposeiy limit my self, without adyertint
toyou repetition of q language implyin,
acknowledge ON the part of this government
that the. Instructions of your prcdecesso
did not authorize the arrangement. formed
by him. After the explicit and preremp
tory observation that this government hat
n0sush knowledge, and THAI with such /;