Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-06-29

eating the honor of the Uaited States
from an apprehension that either France
or G.. Britain might thereby be exhibited
to the world in ali odious point of view.'
In support of this Mr.. S. presents us With
draft of letter which he prepared to
be sent to Gen. Armstrong. This letter
relates to the seizure Of American YES
sells by the French government and m
sists that if the Emperor's pretensions
were submitted to. they 8: would have 4
tendency to subvelt the sovereignty OF the
II. States" The letter adds i:
..Thc pretens;on Of subjecting Amcri-
can navigation to a tax, as advanced by
the British order of November, 1907, was
in reality Withdrawn by the order of the
Goth of April, 1909. Yet item months sub
seouent to the recall Of that pretension.
its alIedsed existence is made the basis of
reproach against the American govern
ment by the Emperor Of the French. 1t
would be fruitless 10 comment upon the
disposition to insist upon the prevailing
influence Of Fact which no longer exists !;
which, when it did exist, was uniformly
combatted; and the final extinction of
which was the manifest consequence of
the measures Of this government"
o,,s Of I, an no mo ri G on tbn COMM
subject, the letter concludes by directing
Gen. Armstrong to lay the observations it
contained before the French government.
This letter, it seems, Mr.. Madison refused
to send; and instead of the animadver-
sions it contained (says Mr.. Smith) Z" the
President directed the insertion of simply
the following section in my letter Of the
9Th Of June, 1910.
" As the John Adams is daily expect
" ed, and as your further communications
8. by her will better enable me to adapt to
:. the actual state of our affairs with the
:. French government, the observations
proper to be made in relation to their
s. seizure OF our property and to the let
:. ter of the Duke of Galore of the tith
s. Feb. it is by the President deemed ex-
'spedient not to make, at this time, any
:. SMci, Gnimad0erSions. I cannot, how
:. ever, for5ear informing you, that a high
$ indignation is felt by the President as
Sc we'll as by the public, at this act OF VIC
8. lence on our property, and at the out
rage both in the language and in the
matter, OF the letter OF the Duke OF Ca
:. dcre, 50 justly polrtrayed in your note
I" to him oil the 10th OF March"
THIS circumstance Mr.. Smith considers
as one cause OF difference and on the be-
hayiour of the President On the occasion,
be makes the following observations, WITH
which. for the present, we shall dismiss
the subject.
at isworthy ofnotice (says the Secre-
tary) that the last sentence OF the aDo"e
section was merely a communication to
Gen. Armstrong personally, as to the inl-
preston made here by that outrage OF the
French Government, and that it was not
an instruction to him to make the Empe-
ror of France acquainted with the nigga
indignation felt OH the occasion by the
President and by the Nation. 1t simply
shews, that our executive had, at that
time, but just resolution enough to I'M
part to lis o1cn Minister the sentiments
of Indignation, that had been here excited
by the enormous outrage of the Ramoouii-
let decree and by the insulting audacity
of the Duke of Cadcre's letter."
Washington, 28th June, 1911.
MR. SNOWDEN,
observe that YOU have commenced the