Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1814-01-08

MI "
he able to establish the fact, thar a
letter had been addressed to govern
ment, teeming with afrontfhl insi-
nuations, demanding the most DO
grading sacrifices and isnominious
concessions, rejecting on the honor,
independence and sovereignty OF the
nation, requiring of the government,
before any steps wero taken towards
the formation OF a treaty of amlty q
commerce, that We should make 81
crifiees ofthe most dishonerabse ma
ture /; that We should accede to =
most degrading and oppressive sys-
tenn of policy. for The purpose OF CON-
ciIiating the favor efthe French ty-
rant. Mr.. III. said he should be a.
BILE, he thought, to establish to the
satisfaction Of the House. that IN
consequences efthe reception of that
letter, which has been translated
Tor the perusal Of the Secretary OF
State, and by him laid before the
President, a message had been sent
to gentleman in the neighborhocd
Of the then residence of the French
minister, requesting him to take
back that letter, which he most Pc
remptorily refused 10 do. He should
DO able to prove that, ia consequence
Of the failure Of this application, tho
Secretary Of the Treasury (now one
Of CIR Envoys TO the Court of st.
Peterborough went to Baltimore, x
in person solicited the French mi
nistcf to take back the letter, which
he declined to do. He should be a
bic to prove, if lie had net beer most
grossly deceived and Imposed upon,
that that the Secretary OF State aad
addressed letter to Mons. Turreau
inviting him to the seat Of govern
nent, which invitation he declined
accepting. That the Secretary Of
Legation. NJ. De Cabre, being on a
visit 10 Washington. was applied to
10 withdraw tbs letter, which he de-
ciinea doing, saying that it had been
duly enrolled in the areaieYes Ofstate
and transmitted to his msster.-At
Chat pcried, it would 40 doubt be re-
collected. a minister from Great
Britain, charged with an i'npor-
tant negotiation, WAS on his way
10 this country and that with
him controversy arose which
terminated 10 the abrupt dismissal
OF that minister. The point which
&c should be able 20 prove, and for
which Mr.. 81. said, lie wanted that
letter before The house, was, that
The letter reDlalned on tie flies Of
The o&ce Of state, and was never
Withdrawn ill the British minister
was dismissed. These, were the
facts which he was authorised TO
say, there was the best possible
reason for believing could be proved.
ihe gentleman from Virginia
had NO objection to afford an oppor-
tuHity for scrutiny into tie conduct
CO tie government, il there was no.
thing IL its cons'uet he wished to
screen frO.n examination, he would
haze no difficulty in asserting TO
these resolutions, and letting them
20 70 the exccuf;ye. Mr.. Ii. said,
il all this was f;ction, Il was due to
tie government: 10 be enabled Off
cialiy 70 renlosc the imputations
unwo.thi!y attached TO l'.em. All
AR. II. deg;red at present, was to
get the subject before the house and
place ii in train OF enquiry. If
true. T. .ory different impression
would be made on the minds OF the
people, than tde conduct OF the go
vsrament appeared to have made on
that OF the gentleman from Virgi-
MIA.
Fir. FrPEs said, he bad thought,
frem his ihdisliuct hearing Of its
reading. that the second resolution
embraced a correspondence supposed
TO lave {. ken pace with The Freach
Minister since the adjournment Of
Congress. With respect to Iur-
rean's letter, about which lie had
seen sreas Geai ia the public prints,
whether such letter had been writ
ten he did not undertake 10 say.
That no such public letter nsw IVES,
Or ever had been, on the files ofibe
Department OF State, he knew TO he
a fact. ifsuei letter had been ad-
dressed to MIR Robert Smith whilst
Secretary Of State. it vas an insult
to him as au Individual, and not 10
the government. Mir. Robert Smith
was considered rs man eff honor /:
and When
Mr.. ErPEs had proceeded thus