Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1810-03-20
Beaten oT,hese svo grounds, Che a.

\ iSi'1 Ky ~ suppose tiltt J. III SNitc
had two sets OF. instructions, one,
(which he did shew, not authorising
1hirn to do what he did, a second which
fhe did noe shew, a!foriing him co n
lplete authority and Justification. The
db7ardity of this superstition is evil
dent. Mr.. Erskinc Of course, wonll
not have concealed such an authori-
ty had he been in possession of it !;
but Mr.. jackson not stopping TO ex-
pose its absurdity, contents himself
with the more powerful answer, that
Mr.. Erskine had not two sets of in
sructions that he had only one,
which was made known 10 the Aneri.
can government, and which did not
authorisc htmto conclude the arrange
nen.s he did conclude.
To all these points the American
govern vent recur over aud over a !,
gain, and we do shereforc insist, that
MIR. Jackson was. perfectly ris,le, nay,
that ne would have violated his duty,
it he had not, as often as they were
pressed, given that decisive and con-
l-vincing answer which he did give.
The soreness ofrhe American govern
ment upon these points is something
lljke ftle soreness the woman in the
play, who could not bclr to have her
want of chastity alluded to. "Touch
any subject but that, and am as gem
tie as the lamb-hut whenever You
provoke me upon that, am ready to
tear your eyes ut, villain" S The A
nerican government seem to have
thought they had played a most d-x-
tfous diplomatic trick in inducing
tour minister to sign an arrangement
SO contrary to his Instructions they
iwere in haste to execute it, that is, to
secure the advantages it afforded
/. them; and then finding the trick of
no avail, they cry out against US be-
cause we would not be the dupcs of
lit.
Our readers will remark with the
pride of Britons, the manifest advaa-
ltage which Mr.. Jackson mas in argu-
nent & fac over the American secre.
ltary- The latter evidently dares no.
enter the lists with him-he shifts
his ground, and conceives our minister
to have urged pretensions which are
distinctly and unequivocally denied
He says &C it is understood that his
Britannia n1aiestyperseveres in reauir-
ing as,indispensibie conditions on the
part of the United States, an entire
Irelinquishment of the right to trade
with the enemy's colonies, and also a
permission tothe British navy to aid
In executing law of congress-
This statement Mr.. Jackson dis
tinctly denies ever having made, Ell
Their by word of mouth or in writing.
Not a word, too, is said in repIyso NJ :.
| Jackson's letter of the 27th Oct. about
the terms of satisfaction offered for
! the attack upon the Chesapeake -nay,
with almost unparalleled disinge nui /.
ty, MIR. Smith argues as if no such
letter had been sent, and no PREPARATION
ofered.--Aiter reading it, the most
strenuous advocate OF the Americans
will hardly deny that the PREPARATION
we offered was ample, most am.
| pie.
If there be any who contend that
the points pressed by Mr.. Jackson
were not necessary to be pressed,
could do no good, and might do much
harm to the egocidtion---that the cor.
respondence ought not to have bsen
retrospective, we reply Be it So
Yes if the American government be-
gan by taking thatretrospective course
our minister could not do otherwise
than follow them, and take the line
fhe did--Dut it is not easy for us To
believe alter an attentive perusal of
the concluding part OF the correspon.
! dence, that tie reasons given for
breaking OF all negotiation with Mr..
Jackson wsrethe real ones---they seem
only to have been the osten9i5le ones,
and this, We dare say, we shall see
shortly.
] Alter leaving Washington, Mr.,
1 Jackson was forced to apply for spsci.
al safeguards for himself, family ana
SUIT; fisviag already been once gro IS,
lly, insulted by the Inhabitants Of aamp
ton, ansl the press encouraged tn.
people 70 commit violence upon hi
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