The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1809-07-19
aDiseeltattp.
Mr.. .fD.illS'
CORRESPONDENCE CONTINUED.

silly as it is indecent The supplement to
the declaration was blameable excess" 1t
waved the pom, of honour which after two
reflections Of our ministers, required that the
next mission, should proceed from France.
Where did he find this point Of honour
If any such point had existed, it had its full
force against the. second mission and its
principal force consistcdin the formal declar-
alton OF the directory, that il never would
receive another minister plenipotcntiary with
out apologies for the presidents speeches,
and answers to addresses" II we had right
TO wave this poilt of honour IN one ihstlnce,
We had in two, especially 40 oncsmemher oil
the second mission, was the same man who
had been rejected in the first. But after the
explicit retraction of the declaration that they
would not receive q minister without apol-
ogies, the point Of honour was completely
done away. To give them an opportunity OF
retracting that declaration, declared in my
message to Congress, that would not seno
another minister to France, till this declara.
tion was retracted by assurances that he
should be received in character. They en-
braced the opportunity cordially when they
might have avoided the humiliation by send.
ing a minister here. And whatever Hamil.
y
might have negotiated moro to their advan-
had not the tact, or facility, If you like the
word better, of the publick pulse.
In page 27, he argues the probability that
France would have sent minister here from
the fact that she did afterwards stiHc her
resentments, and invite the renewal Of ncgo-
tiation." know not whether this is an ex.
ample of Mr.. Hamilton's " AnaIys sis Of Inves-
tigation" or not. 1t is an argument Pos.
teriori Ii is reasoning upward or backward.
These invitations were not known, nor
made, when pledged myself, by implication
at least, to send minister, when such invita-
tons should be made. When they were
made considered my own honour and the
honour of the government com:aittcd And
] have not doubt that Hamilton thought SO
too (; and that one of his principal ycxations
was that neither himself nor HIS privy coun-
sellors could have influence enough with me
to persuade or intimidatc me to disgrace my
self in the eyes Of the people OF America and
the world, by viola ting my parole.
This he might think would assist him in
his caucuscs at 'New.York and Philadelphia,
where the honour, not only Of every member,
but of every State and every eiector was to
be pledged, to give an equal vote for Pinck.
ney and Adams, that the choice of President
should be left to the House of Represents
tives, whose IN :mbers on the day OF election,
or the day before, where to be furnished with
this pamphlet, spick and spun, to make sure
of the sacrifice of Adams. But more OF this
hereafter.
In the mean time what reasons had We to
expect that the French government would
send minister here ! Such an Idea had
been whispered in private conversation per-
haps, by DR.. Logan and some others; but
we had not colour Of official information to
that effect, that remember. What motives
had the French to send minister /! They
mad committed deprcdations upon our com.
mercc to the amount, it has been said, OF
twenty millions Of dollars. Would the Dir
ectory have been animated with any great
zeal to send an ambassadors to offer us COM
pensation for these spoliations at time when
they were driven To- their wits end to find re-
venues and resources to carry on the war in
Europe, and break the considerations against
them. 81.
We had declared the treaty Of alliance and
all treaties between France and the United
States, null and void. Do we suppose the
French government would have been in haste
to send an ambassadors to offer us solemn
revocation, by treaty, Of all former treaties
What urgent motive could the French have
to be in haste to send minister They
could not be apprchensivc that we should
send an army to Europe to conquer France,
or assist her enemies. We had no naval
power sufficient to combat their navy in Eu-
rope, which was then far from being reduced
as il has been since. They had no commerce
or mercantile navigation, upon which our lit
tie navy or privateers could have made re-
prisaIs. rs.
There is but one motive that can imag-
inc should have stimulated them very much
and that is, the apprehension that we might
enter into an alliance offensive and defensive
with Great Britain. This they might have