Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-01-17


20 the very situation in which we must wish
60 place them-that Of hostility to France,
and virtual, if not formal, alliance with G.
Britain.
In our second conference, you repeated
and enforced the arguments calculated to
induce the British government to consent to
the repeal of the orders in council, and in
this conference, though not stating yourself
TO be authorised by your government for
mally TO offer the suspension of the embar-
go as an Immediate consequence of that re-
peal--yet you did profess Gas understand
you) a readiness to take upon yourself to
make that offer, provided that should give
YOU before hand, an unofficial assurance
that, coupled with that offer so made. the
demand of the repeal of orders in council of
Jan. and Nov. 1907, would be probably re-
scinded. 49,
I, Of course. declined to give any such pre-
yiods assurances but as you appeared to
attach great Importance to this suggestion,
and as was led to think that compliance
with it might relieve you from difficulty
in executing the instructions Of your gov
eminent, CONSENTED to take few days to
consider or IL, and reserve my dehnitive an
swer until should see you again.
: never doubted, in my own mind, as to
the inexpediency and impropriety of encou-
raging you to take an unauthorized step. by
an official promise that it should he we'll re-
ceived--out in a matter of such delicacy
was DESTROYS OF either confirming or correc-
ting my own opinion by the opinion of o.
theirs
fine result was, that in third interview
which tn,k place shortly after the second. /
had the honor to inform you, that after tn
most mature ieliberation, / found it i'm pes
sble TO yield TO your suggestion, and IN at
il, therefore, remained for you to frame
your proposition according to the INSTRUCT.
oas ct your government, as to your own un-
biased discretion.
My own share in these several conferen.
ces, beyond what was implied in the above
statems ut, was very small. have (as you
know always wished to refer the argumen.
tative discussion ofthe subject ofthe orders
IN council, TO the official correspondence.
which have more the NICE been taught
10 expect you to open upon it. than to
engage with you in a verbal Controversy
which, if confined to ourselves, would be
aseless-if afterwards to De reduced into
writing for the purpo,e of being commune
Gated 20 our respective governments-su-
perfluous
but 10 me representations which you have
repeatedly made against the orders in co,in.
Gil of January and November, "as yiolat
ing the rights of the u States, and affecting
most destrnctively their best interests upon
grounds wholly nnadmissible both in prin-
cipie and fact, 81 have uniformly main
tained the unquestionabie right of mis- ma
jesty to resort to the fullest measures of re-
taiiation in consequence Of the Unparalleled
aggression Of the enerny, aud to resort up
On that enemy the evils of his own Injustice
and have uniformly contended that % if
tn'rd parties suffer from those measures.
the demand of reparation must be made to
that power, which first violates the estap-
hshcd usases of war aud the rights of neu.
trail states"
There was, indeed, one point, upon
which was particularly anxinus to re.
celve precise informal ion, and upon which,
from our candor. and frankness, vas for.
tunate enough to obtain it. The connec,
ting together in your proposed overture,
tn suspension of the Embargo, and the
repeal ct the Orders in Coaacil--as we'll
those oil Nov. as the succeeding one of the
7th OF Jan. might appear to imply that the
Embargo had been the immediate conse.
quence OF those Orders, AID was, there.
fore, DESTROYS TO ascertain whether, i'm fac
the Orders in Council of Nov. hao been
known to the government of the u, S,
previous to the message of the President,
proposing the Embargo--so as to be a
moving consideration to that. me ssage. /
had the satisfaction to learn from you, that
sues was not the faSt THAT rumors, indeed.
might have reached America Of some IN ga
surh OF iurther retaliation, being i'm the
contemplation Of the British government,
that, perhaps, las Understood you, y some
more severe and sweeping measures might
have been expected but that the Orders
m Council OF the llth of November as
having been issued, there was no know.
ledge of 10 America lat least none in DOS.
session OF tn American government, a,
the iine Of proposing the Embargo. Such,
Sir, IS, according to the best Of my recol.
tection) correctly, the substance Of what
has passed between US, at our several in.
terviews, previous to The presentation oil
your othc'eliet e. s. such have represen-
ted TO have been the substance OF what has
passed on those several occasions in the
repJrts OF our conferences which il has
been my duty to make to the King.
II, IN thls recapitulalion, there is any
Thing mistaken, or any thing omitted, YOU
viii do me the justice to believe the error
uniDtentional, and you may rely on INV
Ye3fE neaq m OF 10 ricrkt