Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1812-11-20

,honoh his lordship might ha'S -.
to 90 beyond the armisties anu n,c.ed
standing for which | was .,o;ns 90.
vet there was no necessity tor oo''s go it,
and while we acted within those ne
we stood on equal ground. Ana @. -,
!, otherwise, yet, as the promlss o. ! ms
one party would be the sole con'iae' "a,
ration for the promise ofthe osncr, shou'o
either fail in the performance OF It's en-
dement's. tt. other would necessarily
be discharged snd the 'mpula''on OF pau
9Th could alone attach to the first
delinquent Nor was dismayed at the
very formidable difficulties with when
he had thought proper {" array the sub
iect of impressnent, and allno' Wiling
TO acknowledge 10Y inferiority to the a,
mer;csn nepocia,ors who had preceded
me in the matter, yet | was not disposed
on account of their failure to shripk
from the discharge of a duty imposed
on me BY my government. 10 me ~
deed the whole question appeared muc'
less alarming thar his lordsllp had de-
scribed it to be. And that 1t Mr. Mug
had really been mistaken with aegar' to
the near completion Of an Adjustment
his lsrdship must, Oh an attention 10 Inc
| qvho!. CORRESPONDENCE at the time, acquit
him from the imputation OF any eXces-
sivc want Of penetration.
As to the supposed ignorance IN a.
merica of the revocation of this orders
in council, at the time my Instructions
were dated, l observed, that II this lg-
porance did in fact exist, yet, from GER
tain expressions in those instructions, an
expectation Of such a measure seems 10
have been confidently entertained, and
| the orders in council appeared no longer
to form an obstaclt,o conciliatien.--
However this might be, 1t ought not to
be supposed that the American govern
ment would be ready to abandon one
main point fer which it contendcd, mere
IL because it rad obtained another, which
was generally considered to be OF minor
| Importance, and to submit 10 the CONT
nuance OF Fressmsnt on account or me
discantinuauce OF the orders in council.
At any rate, having authorised me TO
propose terms OF accommodation here,
it would probably wait for information
concerning the manner in which they
had beeu received, before it would con-
sent to more unfavevablc conditions
In the mean time, the war would be
prosecuted, and might produce new ob-
staclcs 10 pacific arrangement. ! was
happy to learn that the failure of a Tor
mer negotiation concerning impress
men: could not be sscrIbcd to want OF
sincerity and moderation In the AHer
can government; and hoped that the
mode now suggested for securing to
Great Britain her own seauen might re
move the difie ui,ies which had hitherto
embarrassed this question. If the peo
pie of England were SC jealous and SEN
sitive with regard to the exercise ofthis
feelings of the people of America who
were the victims of it! 10 the United
States this practice of impressment WIS
considered as bearing a strong rescm.
b,ance to the slave trade, aggravated in
deed in some of its features, as the Ne
ggo was purchased already Cereft OF his
Liberty, and his slavery ard exile were a,
least mitigacd by his exemption from
danger, by the interested forbearance eff
his task master, and the consciousness
that if he could no longer associate with
those who were dear to him, sc VS. net
compelled to do them in jury while the
American citizen is torn, without ice,
at once from all the blessings of freedom
| and all the charities of s"cial life, sub
jectcd to military law, exposed to inces-
SAINT perlls. and forced at times TO hazard
his life in elespoiIing or destroying his
Kindred 'i1d coun''ymen. Il was matter
OF establishment that while Great Britain
| discovered such zeal for the abolition Of
the traffic in the hsrbarous and unbeiev-
ing aatives of Africa, as to- endeavor to
force it on her reluctant allies, thai she
should so obstinstely adhere 10 the prac-
tice Of impressing American citizens,
whose civilization, religion and blood,
SO obviously demanded more favorable
distinction.
Inext pointed OFT to his Lordship the
difference between the propositions
which now submitted, and those con
tanned in MY note ct the 24;h August:
That although the object of both was
essentially the same, there was great d.
versi,y in the manner of obtaining it.
The discenlnuance Of the practice o!
inpressulent, which was before rcquir
ed 70 be immediate and 10 constitute
formal preliminary to an armistice, was
now deferred to commence eotempora-
neonsly With the operation of the law Of
the T. S. prohibiting the employment Of
British scamen, and was consigned, with
the ether conditions. to a separate and
informal arrangement. In this way il
was no doubt intended, by respecting the
feelings of the British government, to