The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1829-03-04

it will be easy by a comparison of dates,
and circumstances, founded on his own adj
missions, 20 demonstrate what we know
must be truel that no such evidence applies,
to any man who acted, or to the measures
adopted in Massachusetts at and posterloI
to the time of the embargo. The project
ITSELF so far as it applies to those men and
measures, and probably altogether, existed
only in the distempered fancy of Mr. Adams.
"This design" The says) "had been form
ed IN the acinter of 1904, immediately
after, and as consequence of, the acquisi-
ton of Louisiana. Its justifying causes, to
those who entertained it were, that the an
nexation of Louisiana to the Union tran
seconded the constitutional powers of the
government of the United States. That it
| formed, in fact, new confederacy to
which the states, united by the former COM
pact, were not bound to adhere. That it
was oppressive to the interests, and destruc-
( tive to the influence, of the northern section
of the confederacy, whose right and duty
| it therefore was, to secede from the new
body polite, and to constitute one of their
own. This plan was so far matured, that a
proposal had been made to an individual,
to permit himself, at the proper time, to be
placed at the head of the military move
ments, which it was foreseen, would be
necessary for carrying it into execution"
The interview with Mr.. Jefferson was in
J March, 1908. In May Mr.. Adams ceased
to be senator. In the winter of 1903,
he made his communication to Mr.. Giles.
In August, 1909, he embarked for Europe,
three years before the war; and did not
return until three years after the peace =
and he admits the impossibility of his
! having given to Mr.. Jefferson information
of negotiations between our citizens, and the
/ British, during the war, or having relation
! to the war-condescended to declare, that
| he had no knowledge of such negotiations.
| The other measures, to which Mr.. Adams
alludes, were of the most public character !;
and the mostimportant fthem better known,
in their day, to others, than they could
/ be to him, residing in foreign country ;
and if the chain by which these measures
are connected with the supposed plot shall
appear to be wholly imaginary, these meas
ures will remain to be supported, as they
ought to be, on their own merits The let
/ ter from the Governor of Nova Scotia, as
will presently be seen, is of no possible
i significance in any view, but that of having
constituted the only Information las he says
which Mr.. Adams communicated to Mr..
Jefferson at the time of his first, and only
confidential interview. 1t was written in
the summer of 1907, this country being
then in state of peace. The Governors
correspondent is to this hour unknown to
US. He was not says Mr.. Adams, "lead-
err of the Federal party The contents of
the letter were altogether idle, but the eff
feet supposed by Mr.. Adams to be con-
tenlplated by the writer, could be produced
only by giving them publicity. 1t was COM
municated to Mr.. Adams without any in
| junction of secresy. He has no doubt it
was shewn to others. Its object was, he
supposes, to accredit calumny, that Mr..
Jefferson, and his measures were subservi-
ent to France. That the British govern
ment were informed of plan, determined
upon by France, to effect conquest of the
British Provinces on tbio continent, and a
revolution in the government of the United
States, as means to which, they were first
( to produce a war between the United
/ States, and England. letter of this tenor
was no doubt shewn to Mr.. Adams, as we
must believe upon his word. The discovery
would not be surprising, that British, as
we'll as French officers, and citizens, in a time
]
selves of many channels for conveying their
specuations and stratagems, 10 other inno-
cent ears as well as to those of MIR. Adams,
with a view to influence public opinion.
But the subject matter of the letter was an
absurdity. Who did not know that in 1907
after the battle of Trafalgar, the crippled
navy of France could not undertake to
transport even single regiment across the
British Channel? And if the object was
the conquest of the British Provinces by the
| United States alone, how could a revolu-
ton, in their government, which must d.
vide, and weaken it, promote that end ?
The folly of British Governor in at
tempting to give currency to story which
savors SO strongly of the burlesque can be
equalled only by the creduiity of Mr.. Ad-
ans, in believing it calculated to produce
effect; and if he did so believe, it furnishes
a criterion by which to estimate the correct
ness and impartiality of his judgment con-
corning the weightsand the application of
the other evidence which he still witholds,
and from which he has undertaken with
equal confidence to "draw his inferenCes."
After the adjustment of the diplomatic pre-
liminaries with Mr.. Giles and others, Mr.
Adams communicated NOTHING to Mr.. JEFF
ferson, but the substance of the Nova Scotia
letter. If Mr.. Adams had then known and
believed in the "project," (the key" to all
the future proceedings) it is incredible that
it should not have been deemed worthy of
disclosure-at that lime, and on that occG-
sion.
In this connection we advert for moment
to the temper of mind, and the state of feel
ings, which probably gave rise to, and ac-
companied, this communication of Mr.. Adj
ans. Circumstances had occurred tending
to embitter his feelings, and to warp his
judgment.
Mr.. Adams, just before the time of his
interview with Mr.. Jefferson had voted for
| the embargo. He had been reproached