The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-05-11
Communicated for the Mercantile
.ddvertiser. ;.
To JOHN NJ. FORBES, Esq.
Consul Of the U. S. at Hamburger, &,


To JOHN NJ. FORBES, ESQ.
Consul Of the y. S. at Hamburger, sc.
SIR,
AT very general and respectable
meeting of American citizens Interested in
the event OF the late and future measures of
the Danish government in relation to foreign
property at present under arrest in Sizes
vic and Holssein, convened for the purpose
OF taking into consideration the present 81.
tuation oftheir property. and the best means
TO erect an early release of the same, as
also the measures recently taken by your
set IN regard TO the deceptive and illegiti-
mate trade lately attempted to be Carrie d
ON at onningen, under cover of the Anne.
fican nag. we, a committee appointed to
convey TO you the sense of your countrymen
now here, on the steps you have taken for
the security OF their property, enclose you
copy of two resolutions passed OH this oc.
| casion.
! ihough we are sensible, that il: the dis
charge of your public duties. you do not re.
S,Gulre individual protection or support, vet
we Cannot bat believe. that to be assured of
our unanimous appreciation of your conduct
on this occasion, will be as agreeable to
yourself, as it is gratifying to us to make the
communication.
| we cannot conclude without expressing
our sincere hope. that the severe, but neces.
sary measure you have taken, may serve to
! open the eyes of those of our fellow-citizens
| Ut such ia reality they are,) who, tempted
and ensnared by Interested foreigners, or
allured by the falacious prospect of tempo
rary gain, equally blind to their true wei.
fare, and forgetful of the duty they owe
themselves and their country, have unlaw-
fully 2ros'ituted their own honor and mora
! hty, brought suspicion on the flag of the u.
states, and placed in jeopardy millions of
the sonahde property of their countrymen.
| with sentiments OF high respect,
| we have the honor 10 be,
| Your obedient servants,
(Signed,)
JOHN SPEYER,
WILLIAM CLARK,
VIM. MILVAINE.
Hamburg, December
| fifth, 1909. s
american Consulate, Hamburg, Dec. is.
GENTLEMEN,
lhave received the letter You did me
! the honor to address me- under 9TH instant.
covering Certain resolutions of my fellow
citizens now here. approving my late mea
sures at ionningen, in relation to certain
vessels under the flag of the u. States.
! Called upon. in the most critical circum..
stances, to take measure susceptible of very
important political consequences, as well as
involving the fate Of an immense amount of
property, acting entirely OIL my weak iudg-
ment, and not supported by personal re-
putation equal to the magnitude OF the res
possibility, it is extremely gratifying to me
TO receive the appreciation of those respect
, ape anu intelligent men, who represent the
large property Immediately at stake
! never doubted, for a moment, the cor
rectness Of the principle on which acted,
nor did doubt that the government and ci :.
tizens OF the U. States would duly appreci"
ate the motives, even should they have &C.
caslon to depiore the effects of the measure !:
but, when j found myself placed under the
necessity OF sacrificing large amount of fo-
reign property and perhaps even INCREASING
the danger In which that of my fellow citi-
zens was placed, | confess that my repug-
nance on the one hand and nv still greater
sollcitude on the other, rendered my situa,i-
on indescribably distressing; to have taken
such step precpitately, would have been
little honorable to my sensibiliiy or Judge
ment.
On the subject ofthe second resolution in
YIting me to repair to Copenhagen to make
! representations to His Danish Majesty reia-
| 1--WE 10 the American property now under
| sequestration hattered as | should he bv.
the success OF such mission, yet consider
ing its great responsibility. the uncertainty
OF the event and the difficulties of the voyage,
| should most difiidently undertake it. -
l nope, however, that no one Interested will
suppose ne capable of putting any personal
considerations in competition with sincere
desire TO promote the general good 1t
might be prudent TO delay for few DAYS, in
which time some decisive and favorable
measures may take place, or we NAV learn
the shape which our affairs are likely to as
sumo, and thus be enabled TO take our mea-
| SurcS IN conformity thereto