Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-01-25

the mos. fas,idious aad oaptious govern
u,ent, but Mr.. Jackson, anxious TO remove
every possibls objeeison 10 an aH'ca''e adj
,<iustment adds, ...
! u.y,a, IF beyond this, any incidental dis
= us,ian, er explanation shcutI be pishcaJ or
b, this government, fcsme 'uAy frcpas0
to enter into hrm--I evcn CONSIDER hen 70
have taken place betUer, us. h9ve Ger
taiilv derived great salts faction from me Sc
xeral hours ne have spent III conference on
these subjects " =.
We here psrceivt, that the explanations
had in fact been made, though not IN the
formal manner which the scruputous nicely
of our government, required. We see,
moreover, thar he came fully authorize q to
supply whatever was deficient in the
explanations Of Mr.. Canning Or MIR. Err
skine.
To this fair offer, MIR. Smith replies IN
his letter OF Oct. As, that his objection was
not so much TO the want of explanation as
to the falare of that solemuity and formal
i,y which such an important case required.
Let US examine this principle I'VE M.
a bargain with minister without 1emahI-
I ing his psw ers: 1t appears not only that
he possessed none, bat thst he had violated
his positive and clear Instructions The
law of nations in such case require no
apology from the nation which refuses to
confirm the agreement Of its unauthorized
and cuIpabl- agent. We on the othe-
hand drmsnd not IN explanation which was
given to US, and which we had no right 10
require, but SOLEMN and formal embassy,
and penltent!al md apologcii.k document
from nation, winch had only exercised
it's acknowledged rights.
We may judge from this circumstance Of
the temper with which this n, gocialion has
been conducted, and how impossible it is,
that Great Britain should ever satisfy orr
cabinet. 1--WE should not be contentsd,
said MIR. Amcs, with temper like this, if
the treaty left king George his island, no:
even it he stipu.ssed to pay rent fox it,"
But Mr.. Smith, not content with this
naughty acquisition, proceeds, in the same
letter, to contsadict Mr.. Jackson.
is you have discIaimsd any authority
to offer explanations for the diSav,1VaA"eSc.
[See page ~ of Inc printed documen,s.]
Mr.. Jackson, however irritated at this
repetition, after his express offer to make
any additional explanation which might be
deemed necessary, in place of retriminat.
ing language, chooses the more prudent
course of taking away all pretext from his
opponent, by stating formally the grounds
Of the disavowal:
Nave therefore no hesitation in inform
ing you, that his majesty 1vas pleased to
disav01v the agreement c0nchsdrd between
yeu and Mr.. Erskine, because it zyas cyn-
chuded in violation Of that srntAmaa's in
structions, and altogether without authority
to agree to the terms u it,
Here one would suppose this question at
rest. The true, the on y, and two sufil-
cient reasons were assigned, which ought
to have satisfied Say impartial and loRora-
bic mind .
Still the pertinacity Of our minister did
not cease. Still itwas deemed necessary
to affront his Britannia majesty, through
his representative. In Mr.. Smiths letter
to MIR. Pinkney, (page 30 ct the printed
documents) he says, that besides Mr.. Jack
sons indisttnct and reluctant explanation of
the reasons for the disavowal, he did not
make his proposal till he had made such
progress in his offensive insinua,ion as made
it proper to wait the issue Ct his reply a.
bout to be given to it.
1t is here seen, that this most distinct,
plain, correc; and forcible explanation an
explanation the most perfect that could he
given, couehed in distinct and appropriate
language, to wit That Mr.. Ersk,ne had
no authority and had violated his instruc-
tons, is declared to be reluctan, and ine,.-
tGcit. Nor did the misrepre sentalion and
contradiction end here. 1t assembled to
higher sourcs-Mr. Madison, long aG.s.
this, referring solely to this point, declares
in his message, that,
at could not be doubted that the new
minister could at least be charged with
eonciliatory explanations"