The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-12-14
FROM THE NATIONAL 1xrELLIcExcxa

/ ~AAANSAo SEhAhisO NhSON.
\ fNHIs CORRESPONDENT
WITH ROBERT SMITH. ESQ.
| SECRETARY OF STATE.
/ (CoNCLyDED.)
But the American administration would
not be provoked into an early and abrupt re
Election Of the hope of accommodation, ever
through such an ungracious minister as Mr.
jackson. The President and his counsel
Tors appear to have been determined t,
probe Mr.. Jackson more closely as to the
object OIL mission. and to bring him s.rict
iy to the test, in the expectation that he II at
still in store the precious balm which was I,
heal the fostering wounds of the nation.-Ac.
cordingly, Mr.. Smith addressed to him or
the 18th October, a very lucid and mastery
letter, the commencement of which exposes
the friHolity of the exception which Mr.
Jackson had taken to the prescription u
written for verbal communications. The
reader must be amused with the aukw ard and
embarrassed escape which the new enyoy
makes from the perplexity of ignorance and
humiliation which he had presumptuously
brought upon himself. No additional weigh,
can be given, by any remarks in this place,
to the overwhelming arguments bv which
Mr.. Smith demonstrates the propricty OF
| A'At. SdShSOu DtSoChtius d iOElldl a.
| tiOn OF the true cause OF the disavoYal OF
Mr.. Erskine's arrangement, nor to the ga.
gacity and just reasoning with which the
Secretary of State points ont an untruth adj
yanced by the representative Of his Britain
mic majesty relative TO that explanation hay-
| ing b~en made in London to Mr. Pinkney :
nor any force added to the repulsion of Mr..
Jackson's insinuation that the government of
the United States had manifested no dissa-
| tisfaction at the disavowal of the arrange.
ment.
II is in his letter Of the 18TH Of DC tober,
Mr.. Smith states, that Mr.. Erskine " did
present for his consideration the three con-
di,ions" contained in the printed despatch
| of Mr.. Canning of the 23d of January but
! that, finding they were rejected, Mr.. Frs
kline proposed others which others were ac-
cepted. It's particularly recommended to
! the reader to pernse two or three times, and
with attention, that part of Mr.. Smiths
letter in question which Immediately fol-
lows this statement; it places the subject in
so clear light that il cannot De mistaken ;
and, in special manner. let this cxpressi
on of the Secretary of State be remarked
viz: "That he [Mr. Erskinel had, or at
least, that he believed he had sufficient an
thorify to conclude the arrangements, his
formal assurances during orr discussions
svere such as TO leave no room. for dou6t."-
Upon this ground, then, the American gov.
eminent acted, namely; Mr.. Erskine YER
bally suggested three propositions which
have since appeared to be the three condi-
tens embraced in the despatch from Mr..
Canning of the Esd Of January. and which
were rejected By Mr.. Smith: and, when
the late British minister proposed others
| more consonant to equity and of course more
agreeable, he gave formal assurances to
the Secretary CT State, that he was anthoyi.
scd to make them the basis of the arrange.
ment. Mr.. Erskinc did not tell Mr.. Smith
(nor does Mr.. Smith say he did. and Mr..
Jackson himself does not oteniy assert it)
that the three conditions first suggested were
the only ones which his instructions contain
ed. The Secretary of State made no engui-
'y in that respect. 1t was none of the Sc
cretary's business. 1t was for Mr.. Erskine
to lool, to it that he did not disobey the or.
ders of the king his master. Mr. Smith was
treating with the British accredited minis
ter; minister with q. full general hoqver to
act for the British government. Mr.. Frs
kline never ahe7ued his instructions to Mr.
Smith, as Mr.. Jackson admits but merely
in verbal way, as any man in making
bargain would do, proposed them exr.ri.
mentally. He did precisely what an indivi
dual does at market when he could not
make the arrangement, Tor, in other words
purchase what he wantcd) at one price, he
gave another. If he disob-yed his instruct
ons, that rs Mr.. Smith very Justly remarks.
" is question essentially between him and
his government" Mr. Erskine himself in
his letter to Mr.. Smith, asserts unreservet
ly, that " he conceived he had conformed
TOMS maicsty's wishes; and to the spirit, at
least. of his Instructions" To this opinion
he adhered to the last moment of his remain
ing in the United States and the ONLY revo-
luton that appears to- have taken place in
his mind i'll relation to the subject. was
fC@1fW conviction, occasioned by the disa-
vowal. "that he had formed an erroneous
judgment ofhis majesty's UieSoS and intent
on which is an observation that Mr.. Frs
kline makes in his letter Of the 18th of Au-
| gust TO the Secretary of State, and which is
a severe reproacb on the British govern.
mcnt; fully implying. that although the in
strucfions of Mr.. Jackson's predecessor Jus
hhed the arrangement, yet that it was rel
| Their the " Uie7v" nor the " intention" of
the British ministry that any arrangement
on reasonable terms should have been enter.
ed into.
To the testimony Of Mr.. Erskinc, and Ia
the reason of the case, is added an explicit
ldeclaration Of Mr.. Smith. that the circum
stance that the despatch of the Odd Of Japu-
airy, from Mr.. Canning to Mr.. Erskine, was
the only one which authorised him to pro
pose conditions, 7ods for me first nine
mace kno7Un" to the gov yrnment Of the y
States by Mr.. Jackson himself, in his letter
,of the Ith Octoher