Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1814-12-10
NJ Il s s G e.
70 the Senate and House &c


To the Senate and House oe
Representatives CT the United States.
itransnit, tor the inform ation of Congress,
the communications last received from tie
Ministers Extraordinary. and picnipotenti-
airy of TIE United States at Cheat. explain.
ing the course and actual state OF their ne :
gociations with the PlenipCtentia,ies OF Grea,
Britain.
JAMES MADISON.
December ], 1914.
accompanying this message was vo.
iu"ro OF documents. beyond tn capaci Il
n newspaper to present them all At one view
we have therefore selected those which ate
calculated IN the smallest space 20 give the
pest general view of the state Of the Neeo-
'tatiou, deserving the publication of the re-
man'der, almost equally Interesting, until
our next and succeeding papers, in which
we snan DC able to publish the whole &c.
ries 1--Nats Int.
copy OF a letter from Messrs Adams. Bav.
ard. Clay, Russell and Eallut;n. to the
SECRETARY of State. dated
SIR. -'A oS'' 1' ,
We have the honor Of transmitting
herewith copies of al our correspondence
with the British pienipotentiaries, since The
departure Of Mr. Dallas Although the ne
gociation has not terminated 80 abruptly as
we expected at that period that it would. we
have ro reason to retract the opinion which
we then expressed, that no hopes Of peace as
likely to result from il, could be entertained,
Is,is true, that the terms which the British
roy erument had so peremptoriH prescribed
a, that time. have been apparently abandon.
ed. and that the zine qua non then required
IA a preliminary to all discussion upon other
topics has been reduced to an article secur.
Ing merely an Indian pacifcation, which we
have agreed to accept, subject to the ratifi>
cation or rejection of our government But
YOU viii perceive, that our request for the
exchange of q projet Of treaty, has been
eIuded, and. that in their last note. the Bril-
fish plenip Of entiaries have advanced a de-
mapd not only new and inadmissibie, but to-
tally incompatible with their uniform pre-.
yious declarations, that Great Britain had
no ,iew in this negotiation to any acaui-
.ition ii territory. 1t will be perceived, that
this sew pretension was brought forward
Immediately after the accounts had been re-
ceiyed that British force had taken pos.
session of all that part of the state of Mas
sachusettes situate east OF Peuob.co;t river.
The British plenipctentiaries have inva
riably referred to their government every
note received from US. and waited the re-
turn Of their messenger before they have
transmitted to us their ans er. and The whole
tenor Ct the correspondence, as well as the
manner in which it has been conducted on
the part of the British government have Con
CURED TO convince us. that their object has
been dGay: their motives for this Foley we
presume to have been to keep the a'terna
native of peace or Of a protr acted war, in
thsit- own hands, until the general arrange
ment OF European affairs should be accom-
plished at the congress of Vienna and until
they could avail themselves of The advanta.
yes which they have anticipated from the
success Of their arms during the present
campaign in America.
Although the sovereigns who had deters
mined to be present at the congress of Viz
enna have been already several weeks as
scmbled ihere, it does not appear by the last
adyices from that place, that the congress
has been formally OpeEcd. On the contrary,
by declaration from the plenipotenliaries
Of the powers, who were parties to the
peace of Pari, of the 30th May last, the o.
pening of the Congress appears to have been
oostp, ned to the first OF November. A me.
mortal is said to have been presented by the
French ambassador, Taileyrand, in which il
is declared. that France having returned to
her boundaries in 1872, can recognize none
of the aggrandizements of the other great
powers Of Europe since that period, althe'
not intending to oppose them by war.
These circumstances indict that the new
basis for the political system OF Europe, will
not be so spe sdily settled as had been EXPECT
ed. The principle thus assumed by France
is very extensive in its efft cts, ard opens a
field Tor nego iatiou much witer Than had
been anticipated. We thif.k it does not pro-
mise an ASPECT Of immc date tranquility to
thi, continent, and that it will disconcer. par.
ticularly the measures which Great Britain
has beet taking with regard TO the future
destination CT this country, smoDg Others and
to which she has attached apparently much
Importance. .T Fk
We have the honor to be.
With great respect. sir,
y. ar very humble servants,
JOHN QUINCY ADAMS
A BAYAkD, sut.f