Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1810-07-31
r. IN THE sArlosAL esrElLle Escre

In oitr paper OF the 18th inst. we In
PRODUCED the publication of the four
letters Of Mr.. Erskine to Mr.. Cam
ming By Remaining that all che other
papers in the collection, published by
order Of the House of Commons, had
already appeared in the papers. This
remark was made on a very hasty view
of the eollection, which on fuller ex.
we believe incorrect. We
find several other letters, that passed
between Mr.. Canning and Mr.. Err
skine, that we do not rccoilcot to have.
before seen, and which are now laid
before the. public. They may not add
much to the Information long since
possessed by our readers; but it is de-
sirable that every link, however small,
in the extraordinary chain of our for
eign relations with 6. Britain, should
be fully exposed.
1t isl to be regretted, notwithstanding
the volume OF documents Published,
thai several letters that passed between
Mr.. Canning and Mr.. Erskihe are
still withheld from the public. This
conclusively appears from those that
have been published. For instance
Mr.. Gaming in his letter to Mr..
'Erskine of the Esd January, 1909, ac-
knowledges the receipt Of Mr.. Err
skine safspatches from No. as to No.
40, both inclusive. Two of these, viz.
those designated in the British OH :
cisl publication AS No. 8 and No. 9
corresponding with Mr.. Erskine's Nos.
IS and AZ, as Published by us in our
paper Of the 18th, are laid before Par
liament but Nos. 4S and 40 are not
TO be found in the collection-The
character of these omitted Dispatch
les may in some measure be inferred
from the following concluding para
graph of Mr.. Erskine's letter of the
18th Of Dec. 1908,
IT may be doubted whether the
privatious ans Inconvenience produ.
ced by the embargo In this country,
wilfsn5. conapel she Congress to take
some hostile me asures in ord 10 have
a pretexis fsg its renogai of SO triGin 2
a nature, however as TO leave it to tn
belligerents 70 overlook them, if thcs,
please, aud to save the ruling par y
From tire necessity of going mo war
measures of great expence and danger
not ONLY 10 their own popularity and
power, but perhsps even to the safety
of the union. / psopose TO have th-
honor OF offering some remarks upon
this subject III the next number Of my
dispatches.
The British government seems to
have had no scruples about giving full
publicity TO the information they had
received through their uin.s,er of the
opinions and views of the republican
parry; but they have drawn an i'm
ipenetrable veil between the public s,
he opinions am. views oil the federal
lists. Were these as clearlg exhibited
some OF their best friends nigh, find
themselves in an awkward situation,
and this precious chan, ell OF Intorna
ton be hereafter closed to them.--
One inference may, however, be safe
| ~ drawn, what this exposition
would have exhibi ed a scene, neither
honorable to the Brit h government
nor to those, who, it teems, not salts
fed with threatening to ind rhine
the power and pspulari y" of the RI.
ling party, went even the length o.
threatening the safety of the Uni
on"
Further
Mr.. Erskine in his two published
letters to- Mr. Canning of the goth A.
Ipfil 1909, ana Sd August 1909, refers
ito details given in his Nos II and 49,
the latter of which appears, by hi
letter Of August 8, to be dated ths
18th March; the forntr was probably
a day or two antecedent. The nature
Hof these suppressed letters may be IN
FIferred from the expression in Mr.
lErskine's letter ofthe 18th Of March
immediately sntecedent, in which he
Isays--
"Tbe ultimate CONSEQUENCES ofsuCl
differences and iealousies arising be.
Tween the eastern and southern states
iwould inevitably tend to dissolution
of the union, which has been for some
f;ime talked Of, and has Of late, as
Il