Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-12-09

&C the inhabitants, and that il originated u
she ;nd;.cretion of the former. s. 8 asts sS
ton having been called for, and no enqui-
=. made. the truth Of the case IS INK nosn.
But Il was never supposed that var: aek-
son himself, who was on board the .flea'e'
had been personally insulted. Nor ISL. yet
nerceiyed in what way he considers e as
having happened. It needless TO remark
that any repre- sentation onthe subject would
have instantly received every proper atten-
tion.
Another ground on which a protection
was asked for, is the supposed tendency /. q
the Ian p,lace of our newspapers TO excite
ponuIar violence on Mr.. .jackson's person.
Had he been longer and better acquainted.
with the habits and spirit Of the American
people, he would probably never have en-
tertained an apprehension OF that sort =
he meant to animadvert on the Tree Ian
cuaqe of the newspapers, he might Justly
he reminded that our laws, as those OF his
country. set bounds to that freedom that
the freedom Of British prints, however s
great with respect to public characters
Of the Unired States, has neyer been to-
bic Of complaint, and that supposlng the Ia.
ti.ude of the American press to exceed
that of Great Britain, the difference IS IN
fnitely less in this respect between the two,
than between the British press and that Of
the other nations of Europe.
The second note seems to be essentially
intended as justification OF the conduct
of Mr.. Jackson in that part Of his cores
pondence which has given umbrage. II ne
intended it as conciliatory advance ne
ought not to have preceded 1t by demand
of passports, nor by the spirit or the man
ner in which that demand was made. lie
ought, in fact, if such was his object, to
have substituted an explanation in the place
of hisreply to my premonitory letter. But
whether he had one Or other, or both OF
these objects in view, it was necessary Tor
him to have done more than is attempted
in this paper.
It was nsver objected to him that he had
stated it as a fact that the three proposltlons
in question had been submitted TO me by
MIR. Erskine, nor that he stated it, as made
known to him by the instructions OF MIR.
Canning that the instruction to MIR. Err
sk;ne containing those three conditions was
the only one from which his authority was
tlerivedto conclude an arrangement IN the
matter to which it related. The objection
was that knowledge of this RESTRICTION
Of authority of Mr.. Erskine was, imputed
to this government, and the REPETITION OF
the impusation even after it had been pc.
remptorily disclaimed. This was so gross
an attack on the honor and yeracity of the
government, as to forbid any further coma
from him. Care was, never
theless, taken at the same time to leave the
door open for such as might be made thro'
any other channel, however little the pro-
liability that any satisfactory commlinica-
tons would be received through any. chan
mel here.
Tothe other enclosures add printed
copyof paper purporting to be circular
from Mr.. Jackson to the British consuls in
the United States. This paper speaks for
itself. AS its contents entirely correspond
with the paper last referred to, as they were
unnecessary for the ostenslble object Of the
letter, which was to make known Mr.. Jack
sons change of residence, and as the paper
was at once put into circulation, itcan only
be regarded as virtual address to the A
merican people of representation previ-
ouslv addressed to their governments
procedure which cannot fail to be seen in its
true light by his sovereign.
The observations, to which so much ex.
tent has been given in this letter, with those
contained in the correspondence with Mr..
Jackson will make you fully acquainted
with the conduct and the character he has
developed, with the necessity Of the step
taken in refusing further communications
from him, and with the grounds on which