Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1810-05-22

and the American government should
be suspended.
l am quite sure, my Lord, that 1
shall best consult your Lordship's
wishes and the respect which owe 10
his Majesty's government, by execu-
ting my duty on this occasion with
perfect simplicity and frankness. NV
Instructions, too, point TO that course
as required by the honor of the two
governments, and as suited TO he con-
6dence which the President entertaias
in the disposition Of his msisst,'s go.
vercment to view in its true light the
subject to which they relate. With
such inducements to exclude fro,n
this communication every thing which
Is not Intimately con sected with its
purpose, and on the other hand, to
set forth with candor and explicitness
the facts and considerations which
really b~iong to the case, 1 should be
objectionable i'll fatigu=d your Lord /.
ship with unnecessary details, or af-
fecred any reservr.
1t is known to your Lordship that
Mr.. Jackson arrived in America, as
the successor OF MIR E,skine, while
the disappointment produced by the
disavowal of the arrangement OF the
10Th of April. was yet recent, and
while some other causes of dissa,is-
faction, which had been made to ASSOC
ciate themselves with that disappoint-
ment, were in operation. But your
Lordship also knows that his reception
by the American government was
marked by al tia. kiadness and re-
spect which were due to the Eepre
sentative of a sovereign with whom
the United States were aincerely desi-
rous of maintaining the most friendly
rela ions.
Whatever We're the hopes, which
Mr Jackson's mission had inspired,
OF satisfactory eXpla atoms and adj
Justments upon the prominent points
of difference between the two coun-
tries, they certainly were mt much
encouraged by the conferences, in
which, as far as he thought proper, he
opened to Mr. Smith, soon after his
arrival, the nature and ex;ent of his
powers and the views OF his govern
ment. After an experiment, deemed
by the government OF the Unite d
States to be sufficient, it app AIRED that
these conferences, necessarily liable
to misconception and want of precisiI
on, were not likely to lead to any prac.
teal conclusion.
Accordingly, on the 9th Of o October,
Mr. Smith addressed letter 10 Mr.
Jackson, in which, after stating the
course of proceeding which tbs Anne
rican government had supposed itself
entitled to expect from him, with re-.
gsrd to the rejected arrangs mcnt and
the matters embraced by it, and alter
recapitula.ing what Mr. SIN tn behev.
ed to have passed in their recent inter.
views relative to those subjects, he
intimated thatit wa. thought expedi-
ent that their further discussions, on
that particular occasion should be in
writing.
1t is evident, my Lord, from Mr.
Jackson's reply of the 18th of the
same month, that he received this in.
timation (Which carefully restricted
as it was, he seems to have been will
ling to understand in a general sense)
with considerable sensibiIity. He
speaks of it in that reply as being with.
out example in the annal, of diploma.
cy as a step against which it was fit
to enter his protest; as violation in
his person OF the most essential rights
OF a public minister; as a new difficult
ty thrown in the way Of a restoration
OF a thorough good understanding be-
tween the two countries.
Ineed not remark TO your Lordship
that nothing of all this could with pro
priety be said of q proceeding, IN itself
entirely regular and usual, required
b. the state OF the discussions to which
only it was to be applied, and propo-
sed in manner perfectly decorous &
unexceptipnable. The government OF
the Uulted States had expected from
Mr. Jackson an explanat alton Of the
grounds Of the refusal on the part of
ms government to abide by mir Err
skiae's arrangement, accompanied by
a substitution of other propositions.
II had been collected from Mr. I,cL-