The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-03-16

Government in breaking Off 18th him, than
} would have justified MIR. jackson IN breaking
off with the American Government The
latter perpetualiy recur to the oiisavowai ul
Mr.. t.rsSinc's arrangement--Was our
Minister to remain silent, and slSullk from
rescuing his court fro;n the i,nputat;oa of
having acted unjustiy? No--Iie was to Shew
that the arrangement was disavowed be-
cause IT was made without authority. The
American government then recur with the
same frequency to the assertion, that if Mr.
Erskine's instructions did not authorize him
to conclude such an arrangement, that fact
should have been distinctly stated. Here too
we suppose it will be argued, that our Min
lister was TO abandon his court, and for fear
OF offending the American Governments, re-
frain from replying that the fact was known
to them. No, he acted with more fidelity
to his court, and With the manliness be-
coming his countrv and his character
He stated that Mr.. ETskine's instructions
kline himself had stated the terms which he
were in substance made known to the Amer-
can Government, * he added that Mr. iIrs-
was actually induced to accept, were sub
stituted by the American Minister ia lieu of
those originally proposed in pursuance of
his instructions. . Beaten off these two
grounds, the American government have no
resource left but to suppose that Mr.. Ers-
kline had two sets of instructions, one, which
he Gid not shew not authorising him to dowhat
he did, a second, which he did shew, aff0r-
ding him complete authority and justifcat.
on. The absurdity of this suppostion is e.
yIdent. Mr.. Erskine of Course, would not
have concealed such an authority had he
been IN possession of it; but FIR. Jackson
not stopping to expose its absurdity, contents
himself with the more powerful! answer, that
Mr.. Erskine had not two sets of instructions
that he had only enc. which was made
| known to the American government, and
which did not authorize him to conclude the
arrangements he did conclude.
! To all these points, the American 60"
vernment recur over and over again. and we
do therefore insist, that Mr.. Jackson was
perfectly right, nay. that he would have
violated his duty if he had not, as often as
they were pressed, given that decisive and
convincing answer which he did give. The
soreness OF the American government upon
these points, is something like the soreness
or the woman i'll the play, who could not
bear to have her want of chastity alluded to-
"Touch any subject but that. and am as
gentle as the lamb-but whenever you pro-
woke me upon that, j am ready to tear your
eyes out, villain" The American govern
ment seem to have thought they had played
a most deXterous diplomatic trick in indu-
cling our minister TO sign an arrangement
so contrary to his Instructions they were
in haste to execute it, that is, to secure the
advantages it afforded them !; ard then find
ing the trick OF no avail. they cry cut against
us, because we would not be the dupes OF
| it.
Our readers will remark, with the pride
lot Srltons, the manifest advantage which
Mr.. jackson has, in argument and fact, over
the American Secretary. The latter, cvi-
identity dares not enter the lists with him
crfOn mi:
mister to have urged pretcnsions which arc
distinctly and unequivocaily denied----He
! says, sit is understood that his Britannia
majesty Perssveres in requiring, as an indis-
pensab'e condition on the part OF the u.
States, an entire relinquishment of the right
to trade With the enemies colonies, and also
a permission to the British navy, to aid in
executing law of Congress"
| This statement Mr.. Jackson distinctly de-
MES ever having made. either by word of
mouth or in writing. Not word too, is said
in reply to Mr.. jackson's letter Of the 9th
! October, about the terms of satisfaction Of
tered for the attack upon the CkeSahcake-
nay, with almost unparalleled disngenuity
| MIR. Smith argues as if no such letter had
been sent, and no PREPARATION offered After
reading it, the most strenuous advocate of
the Americans will hardly deny, that the
reraraton we offered was ample, most am
| pie.
| If there be any who contend, that the
points pressed by Mr.. Jackson were not ne
cessary TO be pressed, could DO no good, and
might do much harm to the Hegociation---
that the correspondence ought not 10 have
been rctroSpective---we reply, be it so.---
Yet, 1T the American government hogan b.;
taking that retrospective course, our minis
ter could not do otherwise than follow them,
and take the line he did--,Buti it is not easy
sor Ms to believe, after an attentive pcrusaI
OF the concluding part ofthc correspondence.
| that the reasons giving for breaking on all
negotiation with Mr. Jackson, were the real
ones-----they seem only to have been the os
tcnsible cncs--and this, we dare say, VIC
shall see very shortly.
| After leaving Washington, MIR Jackson
was forced to apply for special safe guards
Tor himself, family and suite having alrea
dy been once grossly insuIted by the inhabi-
| tants OF Hampton, and the press encourag
Ing the people to commit violence upon his
person.
! 1t would not be doing Justice to Mr. Jack
| son. not to direct the attention Of our readers.
| IN peculiar manner, TO the very able man
ner IN which his letters are written part.
cularly the letter of the 23d Of October His
language may be too stroRg for the delicate
nerves and appe,ites Of the American advo-
Gates it may not be braided and festouned
with sufficient elegance for them he may
not have pinched the plaits Of his phraseology
with sufficient neatress, nor placed his patch
es and feathers with that correctness of mil
lInery which was calculated to ME % tb . eve