Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-12-19
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Lot me now. sir, select out ofthe quotation,
another extraordinary expression, for few
animadversionsr in the following worls =
az But the very act of substitution evidently
shevs that those original conditions were in
fact very explicitly communicated 10 YOU, and
bv YOU, Of course laid before the President for
his consideration"
1t is somewhat curious to observe, what
stress Mr.. Jackson placed through the whole
Of his correspondence, upon what he is here
pleased to term "the very act of substitution"
and demonstrates to every impartial mind how
slender are the Hretex,s, with which MIR.
Jackson IS furnished, to apologize for or ra-
ther to equivocate about the disavowal of Mr.,
Erskine's arrangement. Let me, therefore,
enquire IN what this horrible act OF substitu-
ton, as M Jackson would make 1t appear,
consists! WHY, sir. simply in this {; That
ths three inadmissible conditions. menti2nc
IN one ofthe dispatches to Mr.. Erskine, were
verbally conmuni"a ed To Mr. Smith and in
sisted upon by Mr.. Erskine, and that Mr..
So.ith In rejecting those conditions verbally,
and with great propriety and irankness, told
Mr.. Erskine what conditions he might Oh.
tain Mr.. Erskine upon review Of all his
letters OF Instructions, finding it impossible TO
obtain his. the fhre0 conditions i-st proposed,
sonceived him " fully empowered to propose
those which Sly might have been init
mated to him tr. Smith In onverSatiou.s
aud the arrans .cAt was accordingly and
promptly made ween these two gentlemen
on the part Of IL : respective governments.
And now let me K you, sir, what is there
dishonorable or even unusual in this
proceeding, which the whole amount OF Mr.
Jackson's " very ac- OF substitution" Sir, it
is very easy to see, THAI Mr. Jackson, keeps
his ingenuity constantly upon the stretch re-
spoctng this very act of sub stituton. evidently
with view of producing an impression By the
insinuation, that the Executive government OF
the United States had more than its share in
IL. g L
in dishonoyable and scandaous combination
with his predecessor, Nj. ErsSine, for the
purpose of producing the arrangement. Which
ins'aHatIons, 1t true, must represent Mr..
Ersklne as fool, knave, a traitor, or all
three. and our Executive government still
further lost to every honorable sentiment, and
utterly DESTITUTE OF even the most ordinary I'm
Gerstanding. An insnuaiion so insdious and
atfronting cannot fail to excite the Indignation
and contempt Of every patriotic heart in A
merica. But fortunately for the Executive
government, Mr.. ErslSine's previous cxplana.
ton OF this point to orr government strips the
transaction of every shadow of shale of a
Ioubt. OF VIII Gil Mr. Jackson perhaps was no.
spprised at the time he was employed in de.
yislng the gross msInustion. Yes, sir, this
was ore miserable effort of Mr. Jlckson 20 re-
pr1ach our Execu i've govt for act, for
which it m rted ard universally received, the
sincere applause and grateful thanks of the
,
as IL ought To- have done to universal confidence
and utterly rOo,ed out every doubt of its sin.
Serity in is diplomatic intercourse with G.
Br ain under which some of our misled and
mis- aiken citizens for q while untor unatel)
labD ed. For the moment terms were propo.
sed n the part of Great Britain which could
with honor o. propriety be accepted by the u
s. they were frankly and promptly accepted
by the Executive, CARELESS of AL consequent
ees from any other quarter. Sir, there Is alo
Their part ofthis quotation. which requires
few animalversions.
allude, SIR, to the frst solem declara.
ton made to this government by Mr.
jackson. respecting the dispatch, in which
the conditions were prescribed to Mr.
Erskina. It IS ia the following words =:
- IL is my du'y, sir, solemniy to declare
10 yor, and through you, TO the Presitsn,
that the despatch from Mr.. Canning u
Mr.. Ersk.ne which you have made the
basis OF Official correspondence with the
later minister, aud which was read by
the former to the American minister 10
LobdoB, IS the only despatch by which the
conditions were prescribed to Mr.. Frs
klRe tor the conclusion Of IN arran, cement
with hs country en- the matter to WHICH
il rclstes.'
The equivoque Of this seHtenee consists
in using The word DESPATCH instead Of
Jack.oH here sole muiy declare 20 Mr
Smth , Way, SIR, that the despatch
FROM Mr.. Cunning 70 Mr.. Erskins &C is
the emily despa CHI by when toe cqnditi
ors we're prescribed 10 Vi Er5Sine &c
&c. act that these W. re tae Only condit4
on, thst we're prescribed Tn S. have no
couht, IS iru-=nlt is astonishing 10 me that
such cZ;rao binary conditions should have
ever found their Wy lotto one despatch,
o. ny despatch. hope for the honor OF
M. Csnuins that he did not repeat them
IN ny ohsr despatch. ---Bu, sir, does
Mr jackson here solemnly declare, that
NJ. Ersk re had received no other des-
pa en- 80 rtlat on 20 this subject in which
some other conditions were prescribed, or
some sore ion to Nv ErskiHe, aulhori-
sing nm To explain or modify those condi- =.
tons. ~ if he thought proper, 70 subsur
tute others in their steel no SIR, there
is no solemn declaration 70 CHS eject. Is
IL not then very probable, that tnis was
the case. As tie despatch in question is
nor, believe, the only despatch brought to
Mr.. ErtkiHs by M Oakley As Mr..
Oakley wa sept for the express purpose Of
bT.D,i dispatches 70 Mr. Ersk ne, and
ss unt of n Re desuatChes t!id not contain