Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1812-12-14

UCUT on tue luDlCNts u &c daAShNNS WIN
formidable, if not iufurmountable obitacles.
This Is obvious from a letter which bis
lLordGhip addreffed 10 Sir William Scott
at the time" Here Lord Cattleresgh read
4 letter, contained in the records before
him, in which Lord St. Vincent fates to
Sir William Scott, the zeal with which
Mr.. King had ahdiled him on the fubje6t
of impeachment, confeifes his own PeTplex-
ity and total incompetenCy to dllcover any
practical project for the fate diicontinu-
ance of that practice, and asks for council
and advice. THUS you Fee" proceeded
Lord Calllereagh, that the confidence of
Mr.. King on this point was entirely IN
founded
The extreme difficulty, if not total i'm.
Practicabiity Of any satisfactory arrange
ment FOR the diicontinuance of impref-
meut, is mot clearly m.anikfted by the re-
iult of the negotiation carried on between
Menrs. Monroe and Pinkney and Lords
Auckland and Holland. The doctrines Of
which thefe noblemen had been the adyO'
Gates, when in oppoltion, bound them by
all the force of conGfency 10 do every
thing under their commilion for the iatis-
faction of America, relative TO lmpret-
ment, which the nature of the tubject
would pofIibly admit. There were many
circumstances, on that occahon, peculiarly
pgopitious to an amcable arrangement on
this point, had finch an arrangement been,
at all, attainable. Both parties accord
ingly appear 70 have eXhauted their in
genuity in attempting to devife exPedients
a q h. of ~
pref nent +; and nothing can more con-
clu(ively demonltrate the inherent difficulty
Of the matter, and the utter impofiibIhty
of finding the expedient which they fought,
than that all their labors, purified on that
occa6on with unexampled diligence, cor
dialIty and good faith, lhould have been
in vain"
His Lordfhip now turned to a letter in
a volume before him, addref1td at the clnie
of the negotiation by theie commlihoners
TO the American minifer5, conceived in
the kindet ipirit Of Cancellation, 10 which
they profelS the mott earnet deire 10 re-
move all caufe Of complaint o. the part
Of America, concerning impeachment re
greet that their endeavOrs had hitherto
been Intellectual /; lament the neceiiity OF
continuing the practice, and promiie TO
provide as far as poiiible aSanR the abuie
Of it.
If" returned his lordfhip," fuch was
the refplt of negotiation entertained under
circumstances 70 highly favorable, where
the powers and the difpoGtion of the par
ties were limited only by the difficulties
of the fubjett, what reainnabie expectation
can be encouraged that in the actual fate
of things, with your circumfcribed and i'm
perfect authority, we can come to a more
iucceisful iiTue ihal have 10 proceed
in 70 weighty a concern with the utmoft
elaboration and cirCumtpectiOn /; and it
will be ntce1dry for me 10 coniult the
great law officers Of the crown. You are
not aware OF the great fenibility and jeo
louiy Of the people Of England on this iub
je6t, and no adminfration could expect
TO remain in power that lh0uld content to
renounce the right of impreGnent, or to
iufpend the pradlfe, without the certainty
of A. arrangement which ihOuld obviOully
be calculated maf unequivJcallY to iecure |
its uhicft. Whether iuch an arrangement !
can be devifed is extremely doubtful, but |
il is very certain that you have no fulfil |
Gent powers for its accomplishment"
Such was the fuhnance, and, in many |
parts the language Of his Lordibip's dif |
conrfe. To which replied that the main |
Object Of my powers, being 70 eiIets iut- |
PeuiiOR Of hofti'ities their form could not |
be material. Ii was fufficirnt that they !
emanated from competent authority ana |
were diitinctly and clearly cOrferred.-I
That in requiring as conditlOn, to an ar |
niftiCe A clear understanding relative to |
impeachment and other points OF CuntrO |
verify between the two countries, 1t was |
inteBded merely TO lay the baii, OF an ann |
cable adiultment and thereby to diminhh !
the probability Of a renewal Of hnltilities |
To come to iuch an understanding, 10 b !
in itieIf informal,and which exp efsly lrfI |
the details of the points which it embraced |
to be diicuiIed and adiuffed by commit |
fioners to be here after appointed,
was certainly within the inttru6tions |
which had received, & could, Of Coune !
thus far pledge my government for its % /
iervance | did not acknowledge tbs |
force Of his objection, predicattd On The /
inequality of our REFLECTIVE powers, nor
perceive how the Briih faith would be
particularly committed. j he faith of both /
governments would be equally committed |
for whatever was done under their rciptc !
tive authority ;-and although his iordihip |
might nav power to 60 beyond the armh |
tice and undertaking for which vas In- !
ftrufed, yyt there was no neceflity for do |
ing 70, and while We acted within theIc |
limits We Rood on equA ground. And
were it othsrwift, yet AZ the pr5mlc Of
the one party would be the inIc conlldera
ton for the promife of the other, ihould
either fail in her performance frs engage
ments, the other wouIi nccefarily be diff