The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-02-03
FOREIGN OFFICE, Nov. 22d. 1903.

FOREIGN OFFICE, Nov. 22d, 1906.
SIR,
| regret exceedingly that an unusual
and unlntermitting pressure of official busi
ness has prevented me from finding an ear
Ter opportunity to reply to your letter Oh the
lOth Of last month.
Ihe observations which / have to offer uD-
on some parts of that letter are not, indeed.
OF such a nature, as TO make it matter of aay
great Importance, whether you receive them
a week sooner or later, as they refer les. to
any point OF public interest to oui. two go
nments than to what has passed personally
between ourselves. .
But 1 should have been much mortified if
you Could have been led to believe me def
Gent in attention to you the manner, as
well as the substance of the communication
which | have had the honor to receive from
you, emitting it to the most prompt and can
dld consideration.
Your understanding of the motives, which
induced me to accompany my official no.e
or the I'd of September, with my let er Of
the same date, is SO far imperfect, as eat
YOU seem to imagine that the wish 10 guard
against misrepresentation was the ONLY mo-
tive which induced me 90 write that letter:
and That, from that motive alone, / should.
III any case, have troubled YOU with it
Whereas. 1 must have. expressed myself We
ny incorrectly indeed. i'll did nor coogey to
YOU the assurance, that, if what had passed
between US IN con vcrsdtion had not been re-
erred 20 by youth your official letter Of the
Sd ct August, l certainly should nos have
tdoughtI 1t necessary or proper to preserve d
ny written record of your verbal common
atoms, which | understood at the time to DC
tonildeBtIai; AMI which / Certainly was SO
ar from attic nnrt1r r., .. Jt.cD,rf.a,,c. 81,
nat l have no doubt but what 1 expressed
myself (as you say / did, in favor OF :. the
course which you adopted as well suited to
the occasion" But you state, at the same
lime. mort correctly, thatit was as "a q" pre-
pardtory" course thatI understood and en-
outraged this verbal and Confidential com
w. unlcation. / never did, nor could under
and 1t as ;ngIbtended 20 supe ceae or
supply the place of az Official overture. |
never did nor could suppose, thl; INC over
tnre ut youc government and the answer of
the British government TO It, were intended
TO be en- rustcd solely to our recollectiOps -
Ncc"rdmgiy, when the perIoi arrived at
which on appeared to be prepared 20 bring
forward IN cficial propoeai. ! Gid 10 doubt
express my expectation that 1 should re-
ce1ve that proposal II " ting
y It's highl probable thatI didnot, (as YOU
slf did not assign toyou us tue motive OF
the wish which lthcn eHpressed, Ius persdd-
sion on that written COMMUNICATION ate less
liable 10 mis- axe than w. bal ones. becatse
that consldera..on is sufficiently obvious, an!
because the whole course and practice is in
that respect 50 eAei5iisnfd AID invariabie.
thatl really could Mt have supposed that
the -&Snment t1y specific motive to be
necessary toaccou!.; Tor IN requiring Il writ
ten st*temeht oi your proposals previous t.
4 M. ofAef.ts.. ,..T E.
l ntd taken for granted all along. that
such would ard slcn must b., the Ultimate
p oceedins o. yoar part, however you mign,
VS. to pfepdrc Ia way for it by prclimin
arr conversations.
IL framing Your noe, I q did not pretend TO
anticipate no" much OF wdat had been sta
ted 6y you la our several conferences, you