Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-11-21


sequences which attended it.
have the honor TO be, &c.
(SigneG.)
JAMES MONROE
4ag T. Foster Esq &c. Go &c.
MR.. FOSTER TO MR. MONROE.
SIR,
/ have had the honor to receive YOUR
letter dated on the 10th inst. in answer To
mine Of the third, in which I expressed de-
sire to have stated in more formal manner
your denial to me of orders having been Civ
en- TO Commodore Rodgers which could un-
der any construction authorize that COM
mander to attack any off1is Majesty's ships
of war in search of any person claimed as an
American seaman and in which also de-
handed that an examination should be insti-
tuted into that officers conduct, with view
to suitable PREPARATION being afforded to His
Majesty for what appears a wanton and un-
provoked attack made by the frigate under
his command, upon His Majesty's sloop of
war the Little Belt.
The denial asked for, you have given me,
and beg to assure you, sir, that though
troubled you with the demand, because the
S<AtSfSif eii~So vi tuO iuhiOI, WHICH Ildu
buted such orders to the American govern
meHt, had made it my duty so to do, yet r
new entertained an idea for one moment
th7 the government of the United States
CONF have issued such orders, because they
must have been considered as manifestations
of direct intentions of hostility which would
have been incompatible with the relations of
amity subsisting between America and Great
Britain.
On such point, sir, simple denial was
all asked aud what expected to receive.
1t was therefore with pain that found you
had connected it with illusions to other to-
pics, calculated to produce irritation, On
which whatever complaints you may have to
Eaake to me, shall be everready to receive
and forward them for redress to the Com =
mander 10 Chief of His Majesty's naval for
ces at Halifax, or to his Majesty's govern
ment, but the mentioning of which in your
note in answer tn mine on distinct subject
of the most serious importance, you will par
don me if 1 must consider rs matter of re-
greet, especially as you wished me to receive
the communication yon made me as givenin
an amicable spirit.
Moreover from the tenor of the part Of
your letter in which you have connected the
question ofimpressment with that ofan attack
OH British ship of war, an inference is for
ced upon me, which you surely never c5nld
have meant me to draw, but which, never
| theless, the passage conveys, namely, that, al.
though the government of the United States
had not given orders for the recovery by
force of any American citizen claimed from
a British national ship, they still maintain
| they might have been justified in so doing.
| The right Of searching ship of war has been
so positivsy disavowed onthe partofHis Ma
| jesty's Heernment, aVi 50 dsclaimed by
| that Of America that could not have ex-
pected ~ doubts would ever again have
| been thf0Nzson the matter, and yet the Ian
| guage of your letter, until it is explained,
VIII certainly authorize such doubts as Ear as
| relates to the American government
| ] have no answer at all from you, sir, 70 my
demand for an inquiry being instituted into
the conduct Of Captain Rodgers. This omis-
sion has occasioned to me the more surprise,
because in addition TO there appearing TO be
no cause why the government of America
should decline to listen TO so just demand
on my part, there seemed TO be every reason
why they should even for their own satisfacti-
on have desired to clear up the circumstan-
ccs of his most extraordinary proceeding.
will indeed frankly o.. n to you that did think
on reaching this city to have found that Off
GERS conduct already, by the spontaneous
.sct Of the government Of the L. 5. undergoing
an exa 1ination, instead Of hearing that lie
had beensent Immediately to sea again, which
seemed to denote an appreciation Of his be
hayior; and ! thought ] could the more rely
on ibis being the course the President would
hava pirsued, from a consideration Of that
Which His Majesty's government had taken
IN the case Of the Chesapeake when every
reparation- practicable at the instant the in
teiligence reached London Of that unforqu-
nate event, was made to you, sis, Ixomptiy
and unasked for,