Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-11-23

being the day on which the Senate
resolved, That il is incxpedi.nt at
this time to, send q minister plenipo.
Tertiary to Sweden
In examining this question l shall
impose great restraints upon myself,
lest 1 might nnintentionally be be.
trayed into expressions, which might
possibly be construed into a want of
respect to the course Of policy at.
tributed to tho President Of the u.
States. Let me then entrest you,
fellow. citizens, 10 reject, and de.
termins for yourselves, whether un-
der the circumstances existing on
the 9th Of July last, the solicitation
Of Sweden to iDterpose her good of.
foes in CO. cooperation with Russia, to
obtain peace With Great Britain,
would have promoted the dignity, the
honor, or the interest OF the Uaited
States7 Would it have had any ten.
deney to procure peace : On thso.
Their hand. might it not have had
some tendency to defeat its own OBJ
ieetl 1t should be recolIected, that
whether the mediation of Russia was
offered Of her owp voluntary motion,
or not, it was, by that day clearly
ascertained. that it was not sought
for by G. Britain and it was then
believed, that the overture was cool
" received by her. and, if not
promptly rejected, was certainly not
promptly accepted. What benefit
then, could be nationally expectedby
soliciting the auxiliary interpretation
OF Sweden I Might it not produce
injurious consequences! Ii wien
Great Britain had manifested SO lit
tie respect for the mediation Of Rus
STA, would the solicilude,of the Unit
ed States to enlist another power Of
comparatively subordinate influence,
10 the measure, increase the respect
Of Great Britain for the United
States !? What Inference would aa-
turally be drawn from such a pro-
ceeding by Great Britain and by e.
very other power in Europe !! Ger
taiuly an unbecomips solicitude for
peace. and an astonishing instability
in carrying on . war, 50 resently
proclaimed by the United States.--
Would impressions like these, DO
likely TO produce in Great Britain 2
disposition for peaees Would they
not rather induce her to conclude,
that tho United States were laboring
under some unknown incapacity to
conduct the war, and thus encourage
her to prolong it for the purposes OF
deSsf6ping their enbarrassments, d
finally to reduce then, to Submissions
And would not her mistaken views
of the stute of public sentiment in
this country upon the subject OF the
war, enforce this conclusion Re.
collect the tauntins reilly OF Lord
Castlersagh to the overture for peace
made by the Presiden, few days
after the declaration Of war. and no
doubt will be left on the subject
Besides, what persuasives could
Sweden address to Great Britain.
which could possibly influence her TO
change her own views OF her own
maritime rights What impress
sions would such proceeding 10
likely to make on the Government of
France 2 Rccollest her late and
present relations with Sweden. and
the answer 10 the question is obvious.
This part Of the subject, however,
will not be further pressed.-Ihese
general points are intended to show
the general course OF reflections,
which Influenced my conduct on tho
occasion. and to suggest 10 others,
all additional, and consequential con-
siderotions belonging to tits pc
ouliar dclieacy forbids a more part:-
cuiar developement.
II, then, the Senate did believe,
that this measure flowed from tho
amiabls soIicitude Of the President
to obtain peace, and that under ex.
listing circumstances, it could enot
have that tendency, but might have
an opposite one, and be al the same
time attended with other injurious
consequences, was it net bound by
the highest constitutional inju1c-
lions to prevent its adoption IL.
however, the Senate, when left 10
conjecture, should have mistaken the
real views and objects Of the Presi-
dent in this respect, as | sincerely
hope it did, and ii the higher Office
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