The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-12-23
Mr.. CHESS SPEECH-eoScLuosD.

toltOWIlk WCFQSs
81 One of the facts alluded to has been ad
United by the Secretary OF State himself, in
his letter of the 18th Oct. viz. that the three
conditions. forming the substance of Mr..
Erskine's original instruction were submit.
ted to him by that gent.em n. The other.
viz. that that instruction is the only one in
which the conditions were prescribed to Mr..
Erskine ior the conclusion of an arrange
ment OH the matter TO which it related, is
known to Mr. Jackson by the instructions
which he has himself received"
l now assert. that the facts here stated
are not trne.-If Mr.. Jackson had never
made any other statement than the prece-
ding, do not know, that any oifance would
have been takeA at it by the Executive go
vernment. The offensive insinua,ions of
Mr.. Jackson are fully explained by MIR.
Smith in his letter of the 9Th November, in
the following. which could not have been
misunderstood by MIR. Jackson
q In my letter OF the 10Th ultino, stated
to you that the deslaration IN your letter of
the lltf, that the despatch from Mr.. Can
n'ng to Mr.. Erskine of the 23d January was
the only despatch by which the conditions
were prescribed to Mr.. Erskine for the
conclusion of an arrangement on the matter
to which 1t related, was then for the first
time made to this government. And it was
added that If that despatch had been COM
municated at the time of the arrangement,
or II 1t had been known that the propositions
contained in 1t, were the only ones on which
ne was authorised to make an arrange
ment, the arrangement would not have been
made.
g In my letter of the Is, instant, advert
ing to the repetition i'm yonr letter of the
Esd uitimo OF language implying q. know
ledge In this government that the INSTRUCT
ons of your predecessor did Aot authorize the
arrangement formed by him, an Initiation
was distinctly given to you that, after the
explicit and pereinptory asseve-ation that
this government had not any such knowl.
edge, and that with such 4 knowledge, such
AN arrangement would not have been made
no such insinuation could be admitted by
this government.
" Finding that in your reply of the 4th
Instant. you have used language which
Cannot be understood bat as reiLerating add
even aggravating the same gross ipsinua-
ton, 1t only remains in order to preclude
opportunities which are thus abused, to in
form you, that .'no further communications
will be received from YOU" and that the ne
csssity OF this determination will, without
delay, be made known to your government. -
Now, s,r, is it not most obvious, that the
grounds of complaint against Mr.. jackson
which caused the rupture in the negotiation.
are very different from what he states them
to have been in his insidious appeal to the
people; and if So sir, is not the appeal false
or fallacious9 or both!
Sir, another part Of this insidieus appeal,
deserves some animadyersions. 1t is in the
following words:
I" In stating these facts and in adherine to
them dutu INN 4
to do. Mr.. Jackson could not imagine that
offence would be taken at it by the Ameri-
can government, as most certainly none
could be intended on his part"
Sir, it is painful TO me to be so often com
PEELED to question the candor of any gentle
man, particala ly one cIoathed with the high
functions of Minister Plenipotentiary of his
Britannia Majesty; but permit me to ask
you, sir, how it is possible for Mr.. Jackson
not to conceive that offence would BIZ taken
at his offensive insinuations after Mr.. Smiths
letter OF the lst or November telling him in
strong and decisive terms that offence had
been taken at them or how can Mr. Jack.
son reconcile it to himself to say that in ad
hering to these gross insinuations, he did not
intend to g i've offence! Let me ask you. sir,
what else he did, or could intend for my
part can see nothing else that he could eli
Their nationally intend or expect. Here then,
sir, is another false or fallacious disguise
thrown out before the people of the United
States, as will always be the case in every
appeal to them, calculated or evidently in
tended. TO excite their resentments and dis
trusts against their own government.
Now, sir, upon the most critical review of
this exposition, is there d single gentleman
present, who is not prepared to say, that the
facts stated Ill the resolution are fully jnsti-
ned by the correspondence And if thsy be.
sir, what inducement can possibly prevent
unanImity ON the present OCCASION Surely
those, who wish peace with Great Britain,
VIII find uilanimity upon this occasion the
most likely to deter from war; and surely.
sir, every gentleman must feel and see that
the declarations contained in the resolution
are inperIously due to the dignity and ho-
nor OF our own government, as we'll as to our
respect for the people and ourselves. Sir,
what would be the effect of passing by unno-
ticed these gross and insidious insults to both
The people and government! Why, sir, TO-
reign ministers would begin to conceive, that
an appeal to the people was amongst the
most sacred Of their privileges and immun-
ties. The frequency of them already is al
most sufficient TO establish and sanctify the
rule. The csses of Genet. Yrujo, the pub-
LEGATION of Mr.. Canning's letter in one of
the Boston newspapers, &c. never received
sufficient animadyersions from CONGRESS ;
and 1t this most aggravated case of all should
pass over unnoticed, should not be surpri
sed to see Mr.. Jackson during the present
winter set himself up as British President
IN New York contestiug the point of iuris-
diction before the people with the American