The writings of James Madison, comprising his public papers and his private correspondence, including numerous letters and documents now for the first time printed. |
 |
TO THOMAS JEFFERSON. |
 | The writings of James Madison, |  |
TO THOMAS JEFFERSON.
Dear Sir,—Yours of the 16th came to hand yesterday.
I hope you have not made any sacrifice of
any sort to the scruple which has superseded my arrangemt.
with Mr. Barnes. The execution of it
would have been equally accorded with my disposition
and my conveniency.
The Gazette of yesterday contains the mode pursued
for reanimating confidence in the pledge of the
B. Govt given by Mr Erskine in his arrangement
with this Govt. The puzzle created by the order of
April struck every one[7]
. E. assures us that his
of this, that not the slightest expectation existed of
our fairly meeting its overtures, and that the last
order was considered as a seasonable mitigation of
the tendency of a failure of the experiment. This
explanation seems as extraordinary as the alternatives
it shews. The fresh declarations of Mr. E.
seem to have quieted the distrust, which was becoming
pretty strong; but has not destroyed the
effect of the ill grace stamped on the British retreat,
and of the commercial rigor evinced by the new and
insidious duties stated in the newspapers. It may
be expected, I think, that the B. Govt will fulfil what
its Minister has stipulated; and that if it means to be
trickish, it will frustrate the proposed negotiation,
and then say their orders were not permanently
repealed, but only withdrawn, in the mean time.
The only question likely now to agitate Congs will
be on the Bill which opens our ports to French as
well as B. ships of war. The Senate have passed it
unanimously. Whether the Feds were sincere, or
wished the debate, &c., to take place in the H. of R,
remains to be seen.
The order revoked the old orders except so far as a blockade
would accomplish their object. The blockade extended from Ems
on the north and included the northern ports of Italy, but opened to
neutral commerce all ports not actually French. Erskine wrote to
Secretary Smith:
"Washington, June 15, 1809.
"Sir,
"I have the Honor to inclose a Copy of an Order of His Majesty in
Council, issued on the 26th of April last.
"In consequence of official Communications sent to me from His
Majesty's Government, since the Adoption of that measure, I am
enabled to assure you that it has no Connection whatever with the
Overtures, which I have been authorized to make to the Government
of the United States, and that I am persuaded that the Terms of the
Agreement so happily concluded by the recent Negotiation, will be
strictly fulfilled on the part of His Majesty.
"The internal Evidence of the Order itself, would fully justify
the foregoing Construction and moreover, it will not have escaped your
Notice that the Repeal has not thereby been made of the Order of
the 7th of January 1807, which according to the Engagement I have
entered into, on the part of His Majesty, is to be abrogated with the
other Orders, in consequence of the Adjustment of Differences between
the two Countries, and the confidence entertained of a further conciliatory
understanding.
"I have the Honor," &c.—D. of S. MSS. Notes.
| The writings of James Madison, | |