Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-01-16

but the course OF MS ar8uHent S"c: y. s "H
that IN his opinion he did possess this know
ledge. He lays down the position that It
was the duty Of the president to have seen
those mowers, and, presume. supposes
thas the conclusion will Be drawn that the
presiden. performed his duty; and, OF
cosrse, taking It for granted that there were
NO other instructions than those of the Esd
of January, that the president must have
.een those instructions, and consequently
have known that Mr.. Erskine had not pow
ar 10 conclude the arrangement. All his
argument went to raise a structure to IN
duce belief in this house and in the pub
lie a, large, that this knowledge mus: have
bssu in possession Of the president. The
gentleman q. the same time processes the
utmost regard and respect for MIR. Madi-
son. This, ! confess, 10 following the di.
rectiou Of the Poet, who says
"Damn with faint praise, assent with civil
leer, ...- s. ... 90
Sand without sneerins, teach the res. to
.,, sne ,r:" 3, ~
But let Us enquire whether the President
had any knowledge that Mr. Erskine had
no full power. FOR, if shew beyond all
doubt, that the President did not know It,
all this insidious fabric, which is designed
to produce as many delusions, will vanish
at once. -... ..... &c..
think it is to be presumed that the Pre-.
sident had no knowledge that Mr.. Erskine
had not full powers, because he entered in
to the arrangement. What object could
he have in view which should induce him
to conclude an arrangement except with full
confidence of its being carried into effect ?
Not to get rid of the embargo-shas had
long before been inferred by its fathers with
a truly christian spirit. Not to get rid of
the on-intercourse- because the moment
the arrangement was disavowed, the Presi.
dent brsathed life and, spirit into that act,
and gave it renewed existence. 1t was not
from any hostile disposition to England,
because he could have no reason to wish
for war. And because, if he had desired
a war with that country, he had no oeca-
sion to seek Iretex. therefor, inaslnueh as
long anrecedeut, and up to the very time of
making the arrangement, the causes tor
war against Great Britain were great and
numerous, as has been agreed by all par
ties. If not to get rid OF the embargo, nor
the ncn-intercourse, nor for war, what OBJ
ject could he have, with such knowledge as
has been imputed to him, not expressly, but
by inference in making the arrangement Of
April Will gentlemen be good enough to
For m oh
that the executive could have had in view
from such conduct For it is not to be
presumed that men in or out of Office act
without motive or without objec, There.
fore, hearing no reason assigned why the
president should act thus preposterously as
it is attempted to be insinuated he did by
those in opposition, it would be reasonable
to conclude that he had no such knowledge.
But in opposition to- this insinuation, also
you have the solemn declaration Of tho pre-.
sidens of the United States through the Sc
cretary Of state. Humilia,ing in the ex-
IRENE must it to be hear this solemn ssse-
veration questioned, even in a side-way, in
order to support the insoleuce Of a British
minister! Was it is not enough that the
country has been enabled to endure, in or.
der to secure the great object Of remaining
in peace, insult after insult, outrage after
outrage, and even that the government
should be insulted by foreign diplomatic
characters, without doubts and suspicious
being insinuated by members of this house:
Pray, sir, let M. ask this house or the
whole of the United States what the presi.
dent Of the United States has ever done in
any official character, among the many
which he has filled with honor toIhimselfSs
reputation to his country, that the correct.
ness Of his declarations, made through his
minister OF state, should be disputed But
/ might suffer the humiliation Of going still
further into this subject. We. have the
werd Of the recalled minister, if that be
considered more conclusive by gentlemen
than that Of the president of the y. States,
that he did not communicate his ins,ruc.
tons to Mr.. Smith. We have, ls,. the
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