The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-01-24
van no. troabIe yoa wi.h mary obserya-

point upon which you were particularly anx-
iotrs to receive precise Information. and upon
which, from my candor and ~frankncss, YOU
were fortunate enough to obtain it." This
was a. whether in fact the orders in council
of November, had been known to the go
vernment of the u. States previous TO the
message of the President proposing the en-
barge, so as to be q moving consideration to
that message" ! quote this passage princi-
pally, hat l may recall to your recollection,
that my suggestions, upon the subject. OF it,
were not made officially, or as being autho-
rized or furnished, by any communicative
from my government, OF in answer TO any iii
rect enquiries on your part. They were We
ry briefly made, near the close, as } think,
OF oar third interview, III consequence O fyour
intimation, intended, perhaps, to amount to
an enquiry, that my proposal implied, that
the embargo had been produced by the or
ders of November; to which you added that
thiscould not be admitted, and (as Iconpre-
hcnded what you said) that it even required
10 be iladet the su1iectuf .sorIie notice or dis
Cussion in writing as Intimately CORRECTED
with my proposal, If it should be brought for
ward in that shape and l understand you
to assign this as one of the reasons why d
written overture was Indispensable. In re-
plying to that intimation, and the remarks
which followed it'll professed to speak, as
did in fact speak from general information
only, and disclaimed, rs ii was. my. duty to
do. all authority to say more, upon the nature
and origin of the embargo, than / had some
time before communicated to you, III obe-
dicnce totle orders Of the President. The
purpose of my observations was chiefly to
shsw that there was no i~nducement fer en-
barking in formal discussions updn this point /;
and l assured you that it was not in my pow.
er, either as respected instructions from my
YOyprnmept m Enowle1se of fortS to fo Gu
My opinion was, and l spoke accordingly,
that 1t was one of those questions which
might he left completely at rest, without the
least injury to the wisdom or the justice of
our conclusions, upon the great objects OF our
conferences. There could be no. objection,
however, to my giving YOU on this head such
conjectural inform alton as l was able. On
the contrary, by fully disclosing Ito you my
own materials for forming an opinion upon
it, you would be enabled more distinctly to
Bee that could take no part in any discus
sion which you might propose to apply to il,
and l could not but be assured, that anv anX-
Icty you might reel to obtain & Knowledge OF
rhe facts in question sprung from censidera7
tions which had every claim to my respect /;
for | knew that your mind was far above
the reach OF preJudices which void ascribe
the American embargo to participation in
the councils or views OF your adversary, or
=" Ehy ipiSi5u pOWCI HItsttsOtNel.
My suggestions were to the following e.
feet that believed that nocopy of your or
dcrs OF November had arrived in the y. S.
at the date of the Presidents message that
a recent Chauge i'll the Conduct. or France 70
our prejudice did appear to be known /; that
intelligence had been received, and d belief
entertained, OF your intention to adopt some
iurther measure as a measure OF retaliation
against France, BY which our commerce and
Nttx. -,~1 .-.f -. -
reason to conclude that you had actually a
aopted such a measure, that las | collected
from American news papers) this had ap-
Pearcd from private letters, and the newspa-
pers cf this country, received in the u. 8.
some days before the message of the Presi-
dent, and probably known TO the govern
,hcnt that, in "A word, various information
concurred to shew that olp trade was likely
- be assaiied by the Combined efforts of both
the beiiigerent par;ies; and. that the .cmbar-
go was a measure of wise and peaceful pre-
caution, adopted under this view Of reason
ably anticipated peril. q.
You observe, in another part ofyour letter,
3" that you have always rather wished to
refer the argumentative discussion of the
subject Of the. orders in council to the ofici-
al correspondence which you have more than
oEcc been taught to expect me to open upon
IT. If l should object to any. part of this
statement, or which the. substance is I'M
doubtedly correct, it would be to the words
!" more than once" Your wish has always
appeared to be such as you now representa- It,
and you had reason to expect that ] would
commence a written discussion of the orders
OF November, soon after their publication
i.had told you that i should do so, and YOU
mad said that there could be no objection to it,
But you were afterw rds Informed that, up
on reflection, l had determined to leave this
subject where it was until / should know the
pleasure of my government.
Ihc orders had been officially communi
Gated, not to rae, but to Mr.. Madison, through
the British minister at w Washington. Itseem.
cd, therefore, to be proper (%unless my in
structions should make it otherwise) that the
view, which the government of the u State.
took of them, should find it's way to vol
Through the same channel; and accordingly
the letters Of MIR. Madison, to which J have
referred in my note of the esd Of August. die
open. at great length, a discussion, winch
Could have no indt cement to shun, although
] did not continue to think myself auth ori,ed
TO commence il.
1t only remains to add that your share in
cur severalC conversations was. what Won r..
present it to have been, not considerable. and
that your manner, although reserved, was
as 1t always is, perfectly friendly.
pepI ,ct 10 tL,4 :c -. a.. - -.