Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-02-02

.rseis- 10 that or The Usage, aies ~ tiiC Ca
So ~, waiichilad been founded here up
-s no y.s,,rs here Of that vessel alter Its
= a- :. 70 Fraaee, it was, that l made that
sseIa9ation N parliament which, ! say, has
49, ~ he subject of some Eaisreprehenslon,(
s Eli not say ia;;sre2ressntation)m America,
.sa,a since the termination of Mr.. Roses
a:s,ion, the American government had not
asle any communication here in the shape
4 CONSTANCE, err in a tone of irritation"
.ot aware, sir, that there is any other
Il d gour letter which requires that I
n Si trouble YOU with many observations.
fr,repoft Of vour answer to the enquiry,
.,,ses I took thr lbertyscf making, 6 whe-
.A.rithe orders ii council of November
.s.re known TO the. government ofthe Uni
III SAFES previous y to the message of the
r,,siasnt proposing the embargo, so as to
{. moving consideration to thai measure"
Az not apear, to differ, in any material de-.
s.ps from my statement oft. That your
answer to such an enquiry was official, or
endorsed BY vour government, | did not
a se..r, nor presume. have already said,
49, was rot Ell YOU had, IN your official
I.ster sof the a3i OF August, referred to
what passed III conversation, that should
lne thourht any such reference allowable
o. my part and even then the generality
cfvssr .es.serence precludsd ne from judy
;oa correctly, now much of what you had
s.9ed IN conversation was from Official au-
taority. how much from your own personal
1 Information or opinion.
You inform me that your answer TO this
n oOeslion was Of the latter description only:
Il Ba. even if /. we're only from your own IN
divtlual authority, il was very material, and
highly gratifying to learn, that the embargo
Which had been some times represented,
bo,h here and III America, as the direct and
;mn;erliate consequence of the orders in
council 8! November, and rs produced sole
Il b. them, was in your opinion 6 mea-
sure Of 5recn4tion, against reasonable anti
eip0te9 peril"
The purpose of this letter is rot to renew
the discussion upon the subject OF your pro-
posal, but merely 50 clear up any misunder-
Standing which had existed between US IN
the course of that discussion. | cannot
conclude, however, without adycrtinS very
n shortly TO that part OF your letter, IN winch
n you argue that the failure Of France IN the
attempt to realise her gigantic project OF the
Il humiliation Of the commerce OF this coun-
Try, removes all pr5text for the continuance
Of the retaliatory system Of Great Britain.
This impotency of the enemy to carry his
projects Of violence and injustice into exc
cution, might, with more propriety, be
pleaded with HIM, as motive for with
drawing DEGREES at once SO indefensible and
SO little eificscious for their purpose, than
represented as creating an obligation upon
q Great Britain to desist from the measures
n Of defensive retaliation which those DEGREES
have necessarily occasioned. IF the foun-
}dation Of the retaliating system of Great
Britain was as we contend it to have been)
ouginally just, thai system will be iustifa-
B by continued in force, not SO long only as
she DEGREES which produced it are mischiev-
oasly operative, but until they are unequi-
socally abandoned. And if it be thus con-
Esstsnt with justice to persevere in that svs-
TEN, It's surely no mean motive Of policy
nor such perseverance, that premature de-
parture from it, while the eneny's original
pfoyocaton remains unrepealed, might lead
20 false conclusions, as to the efficacy Of the
9ecrses Of France, and might hold out
dangerous temptation to that power to re-
sort to the same system on any future occa-
s,on; A result which, not Great Britain
ai'he' out allcommercial nations are deeply
~,tesSed IN preventing.
pave now, sir, only to express my sense
= !. tfe eandor and lioerality with which this
ssspssion has been conducted on your part,
s1semy acknowledgements for the justice
S'leh YOU render TO my disposition to treat
IL g al! times with reciprocal respect, and
i. RI y