3296. FRIENDSHIP WITH ENGLAND, Advocates and antagonists.—
That
[friendly] dispositions [towards Great Britain]
have been strong on our part in every
administration from the first to the present
one, that we would at any time have gone
our full half way to meet them, if a single
step in advance had been taken by the other
party, I can affirm of my own intimate
knowledge of the fact. During the first year
of my own administration, I thought I discovered
in the conduct of Mr. Addington
some marks of comity towards us, and a
willingness to extend to us the decencies and
duties observed towards other nations. My
desire to catch at this, and to improve it for
the benefit of my own country, induced me,
in addition to the official declarations from
the Secretary of State, to write with my own
hand to Mr. King, then our Minister Plenipotentiary
at London, in the following words:
[See 3299.] My expectation was that Mr.
King would show this letter to Mr. Addington,
and that it would be received by him as
an overture towards a cordial understanding
between the two countries. He left the ministry,
however, and I never heard more of
it and certainly never perceived any good
effect from it. I know that in the present
temper, the boastful, the insolent, and the
mendacious newspapers, on both sides, will
present serious impediments. Ours will be insulting
your public authorities, and boasting
of victories; and yours will not be sparing
of provocations and abuse of us. But if those
at our helms could not place themselves
above these pitiful notices, and throwing aside
all personal feelings, look only to the in
terest of their nations, they would be unequal
to the trusts confided to them. I am
equally confident, on our part, in the administration
now in place, as in that which will
succeed it; and that if friendship is not hereafter
sincerely cultivated, it will not be their
fault. * * * Although what I write is
from no personal privity with the views or
wishes of our government, yet believing
them to be what they ought to be, and confident
in their wisdom and integrity, I am
sure I hazard no deception in what I have
said of them, and I shall be happy indeed
if some good shall result to both our countries.—
To Sir John Sinclair. Washington ed. vii, 23.
(M.
1816)
