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

Wi'' S'pNSiSe ttouoTaNs asa lEst:T-
able bclief rhaS ar was, as nc protested
to DC, fully authorised to cake :,s
agreement IN which ne un,ie:tcok 70
pledge the faith of his Maies,,'s 90
vernnent. Yet in Mr. Jacks ,n's n@xr
letter (of the 23d of Oclober) to MIR
Smith, he says have therefore
no hesitation in informing you that
his Majesty was pleased 10 disayow
the agreement, concluded between
you and Mr. Erskine, because it was
In violation fsht gentlenan's instruc
tions, and altogether without authority
to subscribe to the terms oft. Thess
instructions now understand by YOUR
letter as well as from the obvious de.
auctions which took the liberty of !.
making in mioe of the 18th instant.
were at the time in substance made
known to you. No stronger illustraA
ton therefore can be given of the de-
Walton from them which occurred
than by reference to the terms of
your agreement"
Your Lordship will allow me to take
for granted that this passage cannot be
misunderstood. Its direct and evi.
dent tendency is to fasten upon the
government Of the United States an
impntation most Injurious TO its honor
and veracity. The charge, tia, it had
all along been substantially apprized.
however It might affect to- be ignorant.
of the instructions which Mr. Err.
skines's arrangement was said TO have
violated, had before been insinuated
but it is here openly made, in reply.
too, to a paper, in which the contrary
is formally declared blythe off :ial or
gan OF the American government.
his harsh accusation, enhanced bv
the tone of the letter in which IL an
peared, was in all respects as extra.r.
binary as it was offensive. 1t took
the shape of an infere ce from facts
and asseverations which necessa,ily led
to the opposite conclusion. 1t was pre- ,
ferred as an answer to claim Ut ex.
PLANTATION, which Mr. Jackson profess
scd not Ito be authorised, bv his 60
vernment to offer at all, but which he
chose so TO offer from himself as TO
convert explanation iato insult. 1t
was advanced not only without proof.
! and ag INST proof, bat against all CO :.
Tor OF probability. 1t could scarcelv
have been advanced under any coz
viction that it was necessary to the
! case which Mr. Jackson was to main.
tain; for his Majesty's government
had disavowed Mr. Erskins's arrange.
ment, according to Mr. Jackson's own
representation, without any reference
to the knowledge which this accusa-
ton imputed to the government of the
United States; and it need not be
stated that no allusion whatever was
made to it by MIR Secretary Canning.
IN those informal communications to-
me which Rlr Jackson has mentioned.
1t was not, moreover 10 have been ex.
pected that, in the apparent state eff
Mr. JacAson's powers, and IN the actu-,
al posture of his negotiations, he would
seek to irritate where he could not.
arrange, and sharpen disappointment
by studisd and unprovoked indiguitv.
ie-eparse, which the government
OF tha UnHed States adopted on this
paiSlueocdasion, was such as at once
denaoHssrated sincere respect Tor the
public character with which Mr. lack
son was invested, and due sense OF
its own digni'y. Mr Jackson's con-
duct had left feeble hope that fur
Their intercourse with him, unproduc-
tive of good as it must be, might still
be reconcileable with the honor of the
American government. A fair OPP
portuni,y was accordingly presented 10
him of making it so, by Mr. Smiths
letter oftha 1st of November, of which
| beg leave to insert the concluding
paragraph -
81 abstain, sir, from making any par,i.
cu'ar animadversions on several irrelevant
and improper illusions in your letter. not
at all COMFORTING with the profsssed dis.
position to adjust in an amicab,e manner
the differences uDhappily subsisting be-
tween the two countries. But i, would be
improper TO conclude the few observations,
to which purposely limit myself, without
adyertipg to your repetition OF language,
implying knowledge on the part Of this
government, that the instructions Of your
predscsssor1did not authorisc the arrange.
ment formed by him. After the explicit
and'peremptory assevera'ioo, tha. this g.
A.