The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-12-01

and faiSehooa. are aimed, without the least
colourng ut proof, againt the American
Secretary of State ! Butthe imputation is
as weak as the cause is abandoned! 1t is
:ctnni sine tcfn--a ncrvele,s shaft, that ne.
verreaches its aim--we aIe much mistaken
indeed in the comp,exio, of the public
mind, j. this vcnomoDs attack does not
recol upon the heads II its authors with a
force proportioned to tleir deserts.
~ We have thrown together few notes,
by way OF comment. o. this extraordinary
production.
2'zvo moro imn3tant facts
1t is not very long sine the people OF the
United States were g,fatiy as, onishcd, by
the disclosure of tzvo inatieriant ,fucts, which
it was deemed at the crisis then existing,
very material tn conceal. Ii cannot alrea
dy, nor shall it be forgotten, how aghast and
dismayed stood the adiererts of the bloody
hero Napoleon, at the deveIopemcnt made
by the virtuous Pickering. (ever stern and
vigilant towards the entertainments of TO-
reign inhuence,) of two important facts, ra-
Their before the macbnaton of French par
tizaDs had proceedct too far to be checked,
ever by the most ample experience of the
fatal tendency of Fiench principles to the
American people. ~ Those two facts al
iuuSu W, are luSSc Tie brltiSh orders
council, SO much tailed of and abused us the
cause OF the embarp, so far from being
motive to such a MEASURE, were not even
known at the time he embargo was laid.
This was at length discovered. (6) Twas
also discovered. when it afterwards became
necessary, in the opinion of the admnistra-
ton, to throw additional otlium OH the Rri
fish government, that no formal proposition
was ever made, rs :lledged and Wanted OF, ,
to the ministry of England TO rescind their
orders as to us, on condition of our embargo
being removed as 'espected them. &c J
Two other important facts it seems are now
to be presented to as We (meaning Ameri-
cans, not French ja:obins) have been very
recently alarmed, b, the account given TO us
of the late rupture istween our government
and Mr. Jackson. The National Intelligent
Ger valuable to the administration for the
ambiguity of its character; Being either of
fetal or anonymous. as it suits the mo-
mcnO stated that Mr.. jackson had grossiy
insulted the Secretary of State, by insisting
that Mr.. Erskinc's Instructions were known
TO him previous to the arrangement made In
virtue OF them, and since declared to be
contrary to such instructions, and conse
quently disavowed as unauthorized. I'd y
Mr.. Jackson, according to the hermaphro-
dite official and unofficial IntclIgencer, as
serts MIR. Smiths knowledge of these in
structions-Mr. 5. contradicts such asser-
tions-Mr. Jackson persists-the matter
ends in the refusal to have any further com
munication with the British ambassador. as
having given the lie by implication to our
scrupulousy veracious Secretary. This is
the cause of rupture assigned by the Intel
ligencer, to wit-let not be forgotten, that
Mr.. Smith denied all knowledge of Mr. Err.
skine's Instructions, and MIR. jackson peril
naciously adhered to bis assertion SIS to that
knowledge. Now what says MIR. jackson
in his circular. and what he says is susccp
tible of proof or disproof9 Why that one of
the facts alluded TO, was admitted by the
Secretary Of State in his letter to him of the
18th October, TO wit: that the tnree condi
tons forming the subject of Mr.. Erskne's
instructions, were submitted to him by that
gentleman. (ej Now if such "a letter was
ever written by Mr.. Smith, where is the
mighty cause of offence in urging to man,
what he himself admits to be true /; and if
such an admission was never made, WHY is
it not denied? IN The other fact is-that
that Instruction is the only one i'm which con-
ditions are prescribed to Mr. Erskine, for
the conclusion of the matter to which it re-
lates. C.g) These then, it seems, are the
two facts, about which such an uproar has
been made. (h) Now it does not appear
from the statement of the Intellsencer. that
Mr. Smith insisted upon any knowledge
whatever of any instruction received by Mr..
Erskinc-On the contrary, it was understood
that the dispute arose from Mr.. Smiths de-
NAL of having seen Mr.. Erskine's instruc-
tons. Hence then it is difficult to perceive
how any disagreement could have arisen out
OF the second fact, unless the combatan :
change sides, as to that, and we find Mr..
Jackson persisting i'll Mc. Smiths knovl
edge OF Mr.. Erstine's Instructions, and Mr..
jackson denying the existence of any such
instruction. But this is no where, az ret
pretended. Because, a,far as NJ. Inteli-
geucer has thought met to deal out any
light to the people, no other instructions are
reierrel to thau those OF the 21st Of Janua-
ry, (i) which every pne has seen, and
which no one aifirms justly such an arrange
Dicnt as Erskiuc made, and which Smith de-
MES ever having seen previous to the ar.
rangement. How them is this entangle-
ment to be unravc!led! Tfaw is the mystery
to be elucidated' G) The Inte'iigencsr
says, Mr.. Saith dcnie; seeing certain in
structions-hir. Jackson says he did there
it ends. But Jackson iincc declares, that
he has Smiths Own tdmission--( K )here
then the enquiry again rests and the sub
ject would seen prop>rly suspended until
the publication Of the letter, or the denial Of
its having been writer But the British