Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-10-07

RES Of letters from q venerated states
man and patriot. on subject which has
excited the highest interest 10 the pub.
lie, and which Immediately affects the
character OLA member OF the cabinet.
LETTER /.
10 The PEOPLE OF THE U. STATES.
again address you, fellow.citizens,
under my proper signn.ure; because
primary object in view being to state
facts these ought to be supported by c.
pidenee by public documents, where
applicable to the subject and attainable,
or my own testimony, OF that OF others,
who in my opinion are entitled to credit.
| am DESTROYS also, that the observations,
make on facts, may be presented t"
your consideration, with that degree OF
interest 10 which a long practical &C
quaintance with public affairs and pub
lie men give me some claim. aud |
hope the time is at length arrived when
strong, but unfounded prepdices, iavor-
able 10 one set of men and adverse to a.
mother, may give place to wholesome,
though to some, perhaps, still unpalsta-
BILE truths On such a salu,a,y charge
in the public mind The salvation OF cur
country depends.
For FIVE months subsequent to the last
winter session of Congress, you were a
unused with the talk and cheered with
the prospcc, OF PEACE, under the mea'
ation Of the Russi n imte'or. With
this subject President Madison opened
his message TO Congress Al their late
summer session; suggesting, With bis
usual art, what mighI induce you to
think that Great Britain ough. to agree
to peace to be negotiated under that
mediation. +" That The sentiments OF
G. Britain (ssid tae presidenD towards
that sovereign will have produced an ac-
ceptance Of his offered med,auon, must
be presumed That no adequate motives
exist to prefer L continuance oS the war
with the United States, &c The terms on
which they are wiling 20 close it, Is Ger
tain To which, alter some obserga
tons, sufficiently sophisticai and obscure
on the subject OF nRpsessnents, he adds
-" If the reasonableness Of expecta
tons drawn from these considerations,
could guarantee their fulhIment, d ust
peace would not be distant Thu, the
President meant to prepare the rood
people of these states 10 throw - the
blame on Great Britain, If peace did not
speedily take place. And an attentive
examination of the message warrants the
opinion, that the President kimsclf did
no, expect peace to result from this PRO
iect Of Ire Russian Mediation. -accord-
Insly his remarks immediately follow
ing the passage last quoted, far from
concilistory tendency, were calculated TO
keep up and aggravate all the angry PCS
sions OF the people towards G. Britain
to induce their acquiescence IN cent?
nuance OF the war. That tue President
had much reason 10 doubt OF success In
his mission to Russia, will appear from
the views of il which | shall offer to
your coDsideratiea.
am the more inclined, and indeed
=
constrained, TO examine this subject, be-
cause at one period, during the late ses
sion of Congress, said thai was then
disposed to believe our administration
intended to make peace Fo' several
of MIR BayarG's friends had Informed
me, that be saiS his yinstructions were
broad enough to admit of = practical
peace tina, is, one which should be sa-
lisactory to Great Britain as we'll as to
the United States. And my strong
doubts whether The offer of the Russian
mediation had proceeded from the E.n-
peror, and been rendered 20 the British,
as we'll as to our own government, had
abated, in consequence OF information re-
ceIved at Washington ihro' re,pecta-
bic channel, which seemed 10 render 1t
nrobabie that such were the facts But
though the channel of information was
emitted TO respect, its source ought to
have excited serious doubts of It's furiiy.
THE RUSSIAN MEDIATION,
which when first announced was an int.
resting subject to the people OF the y.
States, and peculiarly so to those ciuzens
W no, feeling deeply the evils and mise
ries produced by the ~ar with Great bri-
tain, earnestly wished for the restoration
of peace-appears to have excited not
less concern since intelligence has ar
rived ths, the mediation mas been re-
rejected by G.. Britain; whereby all
homes of peace are banished.
The use that will be made OF this re-
lection it is not difficult to anticipate.
By the administration and It's Pariisans II
will be cited as a new proof OF the per-
seyerinyiy hostile spirit OF Brltain TO-
wards the United States; spHlt which
they will say, regardless OF justice and
neural rie hts, proud OF the upcon'r"i.