The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-09-08

Hcdfipn of Mr.. Gerry against me asnry-
stons q me French 11achiavaiian. l.. e.
ditor Patriot.
-
To HIS EXcELLENcy
CHARLES N1AURICE 7ALLEY-
RAND,
Lafe NHaister Of FOREIGN relations. and
noso a Prince Of IqTerioi France.
SIR,
Your Official letter, dated Paris the
llth Fiuctidor. 9th year, (the 2Sth of Au-
gust. 1889 to Mr.. Pichon, then Secretary
or Legation at the Hague, has been lately
published by his EXceilency Mr.. Adams.
tate President Of the United States, and con-
ealhs remarks on my conduct whilst on the
embassy you refer to, which leave no alter
native but that of a public answer To me ic
appears immaterial, whether your object in
writing that letter, was merely to obtoin ,he.
neSoc,a,ion which resulted from it, or was
intended to extend to personalities: for adj.
uniting the former, what apology can be Of
Tered tor unmerited and unnecessary CEN
sures OH preceding minister, in order to
oo,a'n successor! The letter states. "that
you used your endeavor to enter on a nego-
Grafton with Mr.. Gerry. in the spirit of sub
setuuhg calmness for passion, and confidence
ior suspicious, from a conviction that distrust
alone was the canse of the misunderstanding
cetween the two republics" Admitting The
TACT you will readily grant, sir, that the dis
'"St on the part of The United States, ex-
isted long before the date of my Commission
10 negotiate with France, and resulted from
a series OF measures on her part highly in
jurious, and, as the United States conceived
UNJUST, towards them. And have not the
o'sPa'ches or the three ENJOYS To their gov
eminent proved TO de demonstration, that the
dark and crooked policy of negotiating with
theoi by secret agents. whom you recogniz
eu 10 ne as having acted under your autbo-
rity, increased that distrust and finally de-
ieateo the negotiation On the first ap-
proach OF those agents, So Clearly was
convinced OF what would be the result of con-
ferences with them, as to have proposed to
my colleagues to terminate their agency
"thou1 DELAY, by the following declaration
~ 'hS'''--viz: . 20 the Question whether
the propositions informally and conlideuti-
ally communicated to us, as hriDute c,azxas.
at the request. as.is stated, of Mr. r,.!ley-
fano' IN ms fr7Uake ca/iacits, will be adop-
tea as the basis of a treaty ?-This answer
IS gwen: that 1t is highly probable some Of,
me propositions communicated on the even-'
llgs OF the 18Th and 20th OF October, (being
the 18th and 29,h Vendemaire) WILDE con-
sidered as the basis of project of treaty.
ana others as fnadnnissi6ie: bUt thar IL is
tnhoSSfble 10 discuss them, or 10 come TO
senfed 10 US IN our cticiai characters -
AHer the rupture OF the negotiation, by the
aismission OF my colleagues, and the publi-
Cation throughout Europe of our dispatches.
then indeed. you used and it might be
stated, you repeated, 81 your endeavors to
enter on negotiation with myself" noe
because 1t was practicable, or promising
success, but because it was necessary 10 al
lay the indignation of the French nation and
III
OF the rupture Of the negotiation with The
'hree ENJOYS. Can these facts, sir, be contro-
Verted! Are they not fully proved by the dis
Pa'ches OF the ENJOYS, and by your CORES
pondence with myself?
r fonr letter next states, +" that your COR
respoudence with Mr.. Gerry until the day
or MS departure, is a curious monument of
aoVahces ON your part, and of evasons on
MS. nat II Curious monument of adj
Vdnces, or monument of curious advances
on your part, made with a conviction Of the
lnposslbility of their being accepted by him.
Is readily admitted !: AID permit MIN to en-
quire, whether you urged him to enter ON a
which was warranted by or on
one which was directly repugnant to, the
powers given him by his government You
advocated his right to treat separately from
ms colleagues, because. the government of
the United States had commissioned, "Ioint-
~ a"u oSNcTdHy, tnree ENJOYS extraordinary
and ministers plenipotenLiary, OF whom he.
was one, TO treat with the French repubc''
had his colleagues, by any other means than
the agency of that republic, been disqualifi
ed from acting, then indeed he would have
had separate authority, and would have
exercised IL; but. sir, your political abilities
require no arguments ~ prove, that a sepa
rate power was no. - ms commission given
TO treat, when tie liners we're by the French
government officially charged with miscor-
duct, and dismissed from the embassy. Ii
solid reasons did autually exist for the dis
mission, was it not incumbent on the F%ench
Directory to have stated them to the governs
meht OF the United States, that the latter
might have corrected the evil ? Was it your
ooJect, by urging that envoy to negotiate sep
arately, to induce him to a measure which
would nave terminated beneficially to the
two republics, and honorably TO the negocia-
tors, or to one, which, by his admitting the
right OF the French government to select one
of the three ENJOYS TO proceed in the negocia-
ton, would have sacrificed on mis- part, the
rights, honor and independence Of his gov
ernment, and disgraced himself Let him
enquire further, sir, whether you vas au-,
thorised by the government of the u. States,
(for your own government could not author
Use you) to construe for their minister, the
powers which they had delegated to him
w as II not, TO say the least, indicate to