Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-01-08
CON R E S S.
" HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES..
TUESDAY, December 10.

OSSs"eS' ~S'
( DEBATE
ON THE JOINT RESOLUTION
: Abpro0ing the conduct Of the E"ecuf'7e
IN relation to the rsusal to recei0e any
further communication from Francis jas.
Jackson.
TCoNrINUED.
Iucommi,.ee of the whole Mr.@BAssET
" IN the chair
GMr. Emoit's Speech continued
The correspondence on your table was
commenced BY this government with let
ter from Mr.. Smith to Mr.. Jackson, in
which the secretary after stating the ar
rangemcnt with Mr.. Erskine, the disavow-
al Of that arrangement by his Britannia
majesty, and the expectation of this go
vernment that an explanation Of the grounds
Of refussl would have been given by Mr..
jackson goes On to state that the presi-
dent understood that the British minister
had no instructions from his government
authorising him to make any explanation as
30 the reasons of the disavowal, and calls
upon Mr.. Jackson to correct this statement
If he had been misunderstood
The letter of MIR. Jackson of tbs 18th of
October, in answer to this call, states that
he is not altogether certain whether MIR.
Smith meant to complain OF the disaVowal
itself, of total want Of All explanations ct
it, or that the explanation had not been
made through him, and under the inau-
, ence of this doubt, the letter is lcontlnued
with a refe vence to each Of these particulars.
Speaking of the disavowal Mr.. Jackson re-.
marks. that he had found no trace OF COM
plain, on the part OF this government Ill the
records of his predecessor, and that Mr.
Smith had not in their conferences distinct
" announced any such complaint. He adds,
.. that he had seen with pleasure IN this tor
bearance on tho part of Mr.. Smith, an in
stance of that candor which he did not
doubt would prevail in al their communl.
cations, inasmuch as MIR. Smith could not
Lut have thought it unreasonable to COM
n)a;n ofthe disavowal of III act under such
circumstances, rs could only lead to the
consequences that had actually followed"
.I,is to this part of the letter that we have
becn referred for the insult, and very pro.
perlv. for If it is not to be found here, we
shall in vain SEEK for it elsewhere. 1t has
been urged that when Mr.. Jackson declares
that the arrangs ment WIS made under such
circumstances as could only lead to disa'
yowaI, he is o be und rs.ood as charging
,he executive not only with knowledge OF
the instructions of Mr.. Erskine, but with
dishonoratle conduct in procuring with
such knowledge his assent to an act which
his instructions did net authorize. Now,
sir. is this the charitable or fair construc'
ton of this sentence? Are there not o.
Their circumstances which would equally
warrant the disavowal 1t the TACT IS so,
ths, MIR. Erskiue not only acted without
authority but against his Instructions, who
can reasonably questionsthe right in his 60
.yernment to refuse to recognise his agree
meut ITO solve this poiat we mus: not refer
ourselves to writers On the laws OF nations.
The every day doctrine of Ihe rights and
duties of principle ard agent is sufficient
for our purpose. Why then will the exc"
ru,iye insist upou an an insinaa:ion which
h. considers SO odious, when the sentence
,v;ll bear another and better construction!
a construction too, which will be found
NECESSARY to give force TO the conclusion, as
IL Is nor the circumstance that the inssruc-
,;ons were known, hut that they were dis
bearded by the minister, on which the
.;cht 70 disayow is founded. I like not
.hs fsyerish apprehension which can so rea:
a;,v discover insult IN disguised and yelled
insinuations.
am sensible that another part Of the
..r,enee has been enlisted in the cause OF
the insinuation. Mr.. Jackson states that
n ,h. forbearance of complaint on the patti
Of Mr.. Smith, he had Witnessed that Can
dor which he did net doubt would Pre'ah