Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1812-11-23

| Misrepresentation on this beet, San CHROME
Gus beiietcntcrtaincd that an arrangements
| III regard to ii, has been Dearcr m accom-
| plisllment than theftcts will warrant. Even
oar friends in Congress, mean" Observing
perhdp, some alteration in my countcnaICc
those who were opposed to going 10 war
with US, have been so confident in tbs mis-
take that they have ascribed the failure OF
such AN arrangement solely to the mscon'
duct orthc American governnent.--Tllise err
ror probably originated with Mr.. King, for
being much esteemed here and always well
received By the persons then IN power, he
seems 70 have misconstrued their readiness
q listen to his representations and their
warm professions vi 4 disposition to remove
the complaints of America. in relation to
inpressment, into a supposed conviction on
their part or the proprieiy OF adopting the
plan which he had proposed. Bnt Lord ST.
Vincent, whom he might have thought he
had brought over to his opinions, appears
never for moment To have ceased to re-
gard all arrangement Oh the subject 10 be
attended with formidable, il not insurmoun-
able Obstacles. This is obvious from letter
which his Lordship addressed to sir Will
am Scott at that time" Here Lord Cas-
tlereagh read 4 letter, contained in the re-
cords before him, in which Lord ST. Vincent
states tn sir William Scott The zeal with
which Mr.. King had assailed him ON the
subject OF inipressment, confesscs his own
'pcrpexity and total incompetency to disco
YER any practical project for the safe dscon-
tlnnance Of that practice andasks for coun
cil and advice. "Thus you see" proceed
ed Lord Castlereagh. " that the confidence
of MIR. King on this point was entirely uu-
founded"
The extreme difficulty, If not total i'm
practicabi!ity ofany satisfactory arrangement
for the discontinnance of impress.nent is
most clearly manifested by the resulg Of the
negotiation carried ON betweea Messrs
Monroe and Pinkney and Lords Auckland
and Holland. The doctrines OF which these
noblemen had been the advocates, when in
opposition, bound them by all the force of
consistency to do evey hing under their
commission for the satisfaction of America
relative to iTpressment, which the subject
would possibly admit There were many
circumstances en- that occasion, peculiarly
propitious TO an amcable arrangement On
this poin., had such an arrangement been at
ali attan2ble. Roth parties accordingly APP
pear tohave exhausted their ingenuity in at
tempting to devise eXpcdients satisfactorily
10 perform the Office of impressment, and
nothing can more concluSively demonstrate
the inherent difficulty of the matter, and ut
ter impossibiltv Of finding the expedicnt
which they sought, than that all their la5ors,
pursued on that occasion with unexampled
diligence, cordially and good faith, should
have been in vain"
His Lorclship now turned to letter in
volume before him addressed at che close of
the negotiation by these commissioners to
the American ministers conceived in thc
kindest spirit Of coHciliaton, in which they
profess the most earnest desire to remove
all cause Of complaint on the part of Ameri-
ca concerning impressment. regret that their
endeavours had hitherto been Intellectual, la
ment the necessity of continuing the prac'
tice and promise to provide as far as posi-
BILE against the abuse of it.
"If. "resumedhs Lnrdship, "such was the
result of a negotiation entertained under cir
cumstances so highly favorable, where the
powers and disposition Of the parties were Ii
mitrd only by the difficulties of the subject,
what reasonable expectation can be enccur-
aged that IN the actual state of things, with
YOUR circemscribed and imperfect authori
~, we can come to a more succesSfulissue
i shall have TO proceed in so weighty a con-
Germ with the utmost deliberation and Cir
cumsPection and it will be necessary for
me to consult the great law officers of the
crown. You are not aware of the great SEN
sibility and jealousy of the people of England
on this subject. and no administration could
pect to remain in power that should con-
sent 20 renounce the right of impressment,
or to suspend the practice, without the GER
tainty of an arrangement which should obvi-
ously be calculated most unequivocally to
secure its object. Whether such an arrange
mcnt can be devised is extremely doubtful,
but 1T Is very certain that You have no suifi-
cient powers for its accomplishment"
Such was the substance, and, in many
psrtS, the language of his Lordship's dis
course. To which I replied that the main
object OF my powers being to effect a sus-
pension If hostilitieS their form could not be
material 1t was sufficient that thew ema-
ted from competent authority and were dis
tinctly and clearly conferred. That in re
qnring as a condition TO an armistce clear
understanding relative to impressment and
other points of controversy between The two
countries, il was intended merely to lay the
basis OF an amicable adjustment and there
by TO diminish the probability of renewal
OF hostiiities. To come TO such an under
standing, 60 be in itself Informal, and which
expressly left the details of the points which
1t embraced to be discussed and adjusted by
commissioners to be hereafter appointed,
was certainly within the instructions which
had received, and could, of course, thus
Far pledge my government for it's observance.
j did not acknowledge the force ri ME OBJ
lection, predicated on the inequality of our
respective powers, nor perceive how the
British faith would be particularly coMmit-
ted The faith Of both governments would
be equally committed, for whatever was
done under their respective authority and
although his loTdship might have power TO
gobeyOnd the arnistice and understanding
for which was Instructed, vet there was no
necessity for doing 50, and while we acted