2680. ENGLAND, Reconquest of United States.—
Monroe's letter is of an awful complexion,
and I do not wonder the communication
it contains made some impression on
him. To a person placed in Europe, surrounded
by the immense resources of the nations
there, and the greater wickedness of
their courts, even the limits which nature
imposes on their enterprises are scarcely
sensible. It is impossible that France and
England should combine for any purpose;
their mutual distrust and deadly hatred of
each other admit no cooperation. It is impossible
that England should be willing to see
France repossess Louisiana, or get a footing
on our continent, and that France should
willingly see the United States reannexed to
the British dominions. That the Bourbons
should be replaced on their throne and agree
to any terms of restitution, is possible; but
that they and England joined, could recover
us to British dominion, is impossible. If
these things are not so, then human reason is
of no aid in conjecturing the conduct of nations.
Still, however, it is our unquestionable
interest and duty to conduct ourselves
with such sincere friendship and impartiality
towards both nations, as that each may see
unequivocally, what is unquestionably true,
that we may be very possibly driven into her
scale by unjust conduct in the other.—
To James Madison. Washington ed. iv, 557.
Ford ed., viii, 314.
(M.
Aug. 1804)
