The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-12-05


ted all their efforts to persuade the French gov
ernment to withdraw their unjust restrictions ,lp
ON neutral commerce, and that recourse nigh,
have been had to measures Of more activity and
decision against France than mere remonstran
ces, but that IN the mean time, Great. Britain had
issued her orders in council, before. it wa. known
whether the United States would acquiesce in
the aggresSions of France, & thereby rendered.,
impossible to distinguish between the conduct OF
The two be'ligerents, whOi had equally committed
aggresslons against the United States
Alter some other observations, Mr.. Madison is
stated oy me at that time to have added, that AS
the world must be convinced that America had
IN VAN taken all the means in her power to OBJ
tam from Great-Britain and France Just at,en.
ton to her rights as neutral power by represen.
tatons and remonstrances, that she would be full
iy justified in having recourse to hastilities with
either hciigerent, and that she only hasitated to
Go SO from the difficulty of contending witt, both
but that she must be driven even to endeavor
To malitain her rights against the two greatest
powers IN the world; unless either of them
should relax their restrictions upon neutral com
MERGE; IN which case, the United States would
at once side with that -po %er against the other,
which might continue its aggressons.
That every opinion which he entertained res.
pecting the best interests Of his country led him
to wish that good understanding should take
place between Great-Britain & the United States,
and that he thought that tho obvious advantages
which would thereby result to both countries,
sentiments.
These observations, sir, ! beg leave to remark,
were made to me by Mr.. Madison, about a month
alter the intelligence had been received in this
country, OF the rel scton by HIS MIjesty's gov.
eminent OF the proposition made through MIR
Pinkney, by the President for the removal of the
embargo as respected Great Britain, upon condi.
ftpn hat fi.aA ,.l.
drawn as respected the United States and his
sentiments were, as conceived, expressed to me
IN order that might convey them to His Mics
tvs government, SO as TO lead to "A re-considera-
ton or this proposition above mentioned, with a
view to the adjustment of the differences upon
that subject, between the respective countries -
But never considered that Mr.. Madison meant
that the government of the United States would
pledge themselves beyond 'he proposition res
pecting the embargo, as above stated-because
that was the extent ofthe power of the President
by the Constitution OF the United States
understood, very distinctly, that The observa-
tons OF the Secretary of State were intended 10
convey Hopinion as to what ought and would be
the course pursued by the U States, in the event
OF His M.jesty's orders in council bcin. with
drawn
In these sentiments & opinions, you concurred,
as collected from the tenor OF several CONVEX
sations which held with you at that period
With fespectto the second point, stated in
your letter to be contained in 90 Despatch from
Mr.. Canning" beg leave to offer the following
explanation
In the course of private intervie W l had with
Mr.. Gallatin, (the Secretary ofthe Treasury lie
minated that the non-,ntercourse lazy VIII ciI was
then likely to be passed by the Congress, might
be considered>as removing two very important
grounds Indifference with Great Britain, VIZ. the
non-inportatlon act, as applicable to her alone,
and also the Presidents proclamation, whereby
the ships OF Great Britain were excluded from
tho ports of the United States, while those of
France were permitted to enter--but that by the
non-intercourse law, both powers were placed
on the same footing. lie did not pretend TO say
that this measure had becl taken from any mo.
tlves OF concession to Great Britain; but as, in
iac, li05e consequences followed, he conceived
they might he considered as removing the two
great obstacles to a Cancellation.
He adyerted also to the probability of an adj
.iustment OF another important point IN dispute.
ce.ween the two countries, as he said he knew
that it was intended BY the United State; TO aban
don the attempt to carry on a trade with the CO.
lones of beligerents in time Of war, which was
not allowed IN time of peace, and To trust to the
being permitted by the French to carry on such
trade in peace, AZ to entitle them to a contnu-
ance Oft i'll time of war
AS it may be very material to ascertain what
in my conception, meant by Mr.. GalIatin, as in.
tended to be abandoned by the United States, |
feel no hesitation i'll declaring, that / supposed
he alluded to the trade from the colonies ofbelli
gerents direct to their mother country or to the
ports of other belEgerents, because the right to
such trade had been the point in dispute where.
as, the right to carry on a trade from the colo
MES vi Deiiigerents to the United States had new.
er been called in question, and had been recog.
nised by His Majesty's Supreme Court Of Admir-
rally and the terms even upon which such CO.
lonial produce might be re-exported from the IT,
States had been formally arranged in a treaty
signed in London by the Ministers Plenipo;cntia.
ny OF both countries, which was not indeed ratif.
ed by the President of the sUnitei States but
was not objected to as to that article of il which
settled the terms upon which such trade was to
be permitted.
Such was the substance, sir, of the unofficial
conversations which had held with Mr.. Madi-
son, Mr.. Gallatin, and yourself, which did not
consider or represent TO His Maiesty's govern.
ment as intended with any other viaw than to
endeavor to bring abo the repeal Of the Orders
in Council by chewing that many of the obstacles
which had stood III the way OF an amlcabie adj.
iustment of the differences between the two
countries we're already removed, add that fair
prospect existed Of settling what remained !:
since the U. States had exhibited determinati.
ON to resist the unjust sggcesslons upon her neu-
trial rights, which 'Pas ali that Great Britain had
ever required but certainly never received a.
ny assurances from the American government
that they would pledge themselves to adopt the
conditions specified IN Mr. Cs4ning's in.ructions
as prelimjnHiesi nor did ever hold out such an
expectation to dis Maiesty's government hav.
ing always stated TO them that in the vent of
His majesty's thinking it just or expedient to
cause his Orders in Council To be wthdrs gn, that
the President would take Oft the embargo AS re