Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-08-06


Their the revocation was made known to
this government and by it was kept a
secret or not. But after long strug.
gle the majority found it would betoo
hazardous TO refuse the information ask
ed and that to persist in opposing it any
longer would do their cause more harm
than good, and with bad grace, they
yielded, trusting to the ingenuity of the
Secretary of State to bring them out
Accordingly the Secretary undertakes
the task and in the introduction Of his
report gives notice that he considers it
more conformable to the views Of the
House, Chat is, his own party in the
House not only to Furnish the infortna
ton asked fer, but gratuitously to &C.
company it I" With the proper explana-,
ton relatingto it" Under this pretext
he enters boldly upon the defence of the
President on the same ground taken by
the majority. with what success, we
shall now mske il our business TO en-
quire.
We will take up the report in its or.
der, and that there may be no cause for
complaint Of the least unfairness, we
shall mekc it peinl to quote as we pro-
coed, the ve,y words of ,ne report itself,
which, are to be made the subject OF re-
mark
After some predatory remarks the Sc
creta,y thus begins:
"The Secretary OF state has the honor
to report, in reply TO these enquiries,
that u1 First intelligence which this so.
yern,nent received OF the French decree
OF the 2ssA .dtra, 1871, was sommunl-.
Gated by Nj. BARLOW, in letter bearing
date Oh the 18th of MAY. 1872. which
was received by this department on the,
l3th July following |; that the inst inli-
nation to Mr.. Barlow, ofthe existence
of that decree, as appears by has COM
municatlons, was given by the Duke OF
Bas.ane, In an iiformal confidence Oil
some day between the lst and 10th OF
MAY, lSl2, and that the cGeiai commu
n,ca,ion OF IL To Mr., Barlow, was made
on tic 10th ofthat moath, at his request
that Mr.. Barlow transmitted copy
OF that decree, and of The Duke of Bas'
sano's !ettef announcing it to Mr.. Rus
sell, in letter Of May lib, in which he
also. informed MI. Russell, that the
Duke OF Bassano had stated that the de-
cree had been duly communicated to
aim; that Mr.. Russell replied, in let
Ter to Mr. BasIow of the 29th May, that
his hras knowledge Of the decree was
derived from his letter, and that he has
repeatedly stated Inc same since to this
government.
Thus it appears that the revoking
decree Of April. 1911, was comnu-
nicated to Mr.. Barlow in May. 1872,
aud it is denied that it was ever com.
municated to his predecessor, Mr..
Russell, although it cannot be forgot
ten how often and how earnestly the
latter had sought to obtain it or
sumo official document OF the same
fact, for the purpose OF furnishing
Mr.. Pinkney with it at the court OF
London, in order that he might pre-
sent il to the English government, as
basis on which to claim the repeal
Of the Orders in Council, according
to their voluntary promise. Let it
he observed that ID is here admitted
that a full knowledge Ofthis extraor.
binary affair, with all its particulars,
was officially communicated by Mr..
Barlow, to the President. and by
him received as long ago as the 1Sth
of July 1sta ; and lett not be for
gotten. that in his message at the O.
peniug of the subsequent session Of
congress, in which it was by the
Constitution made his solemn duty
to lay before them true state Of the
nation, in its relations to foreign
pow ers. the President very carefully
abstained from saying one word a
bout it, or making any inteiiigibic
ailusien 10 it. Nor was il until the
eve of the last day Of the session,
| that being called upon by a resolu-
ton Of The House, be made any dis
| closures whatever As to the situa-
ton Of our affairs With France,
when, Judging frCm circumstances.
| by mere biunder in asserting the
documents TO be. sent, the letter OF
| Mr.. BarlCw's containing the .inie-
resting secret. was somehoW bundled
IN with ether papers of little impor-
| lance. aud transmitted to the II ouse,
and by apo,hsr blunder equally a"k-
ward. read without first closing the
doors. These facts. may, perhaps
he somehow accounted for. but they
cannot he deuied. and they speak Yo-
lun.ns. Let me appeal TO every man
of honor aad integrity in the coun-
try, what are his impressions OF this
transactions as it stands? Ii is un-