_ hot in substance. 
‘eo 
Sa Pe) PAPERS, 
by saying, that they should cer- 
tainly be willing to concur in any 
arrangement relative to the ne- 
groes, which did not miliiate a- 
gainst the principles of their con- 
stitution. Here our conference 
ended, and as, during the whole 
course of it, I bore in my mind 
‘the possibility, that although this, 
our first, might be the only favour- 
able opportunity I should ever have 
of speaking on the general princi- 
ples on which his majesty was dis- 
posed to treat, [ endcavoured, by 
adverting more or less to almost 
every point in my instructions, to 
enable M. Delacroix (if he reports 
faithfully) to state to the Directory 
what [ said, insuch a manner as to 
put it out of their power to mis- 
- conceive what were his majesty’s 
intentions, to remove all possibi- 
lity of cavil on this case, and to 
bring them to a clear and distinct 
answer, whether they would agree 
to open a negotiation on the prin- 
ciple of the states ante bellum, or 
on one differing from it only in form, 
I hope in at- 
tempting to do this I did not, in 
the first instance, commit myself, 
or discover more of my instructions 
than it became me to do; and that 
in the conversation with M. De- 
lacr0ix nothing escaped me which 
might, at some subsequent period, 
hurt the progress of the negotia- 
tion. Ihave, 1 believe, given this 
conference nearly verbatim to your 
lordship ; and 1 was particularly 
anxious to do this correctly and mi- 
nutely, as well that you may judge: 
on the propriety of what | said 
myself, as that what M. Delacroix 
said to me may be accurately 
known, and remain on record. 
It must, however, be remem- 
bered (as 1 observed in the begin- 
[169 
ning of this dispatch) that he 
spoke for himself, as minister in- 
deed, but not under the immedi- 
ate instructions of the Directory, 
and this consideration will take a 
little away from the singularity of 
some of the positions he advanced. 
I confess, my Lord, from the 
civility of his manners, and from 
his apparent readiness to discuss 
the subject, the impression which» 
remained on my mind on leaving 
him was, that the negotiation 
would go on, but be liable to so 
many difficulties, and some of them 
so nearly insurmountable, that 
knowing as I do the opinion of the 
Directory, I saw little prospect of 
its terminating successfully. But 
I didnot expect the conduct of the 
Directory would immediately be 
such as to evince a manifest incli- 
nation, and even determination, to ~ 
break off on the first proposals ; 
and I was not a jittle surprised at. 
receiving, on Sunday at three 
P. M. the enclosed letter A. from 
M. Delacroix: he sent it by the 
principal secretary of ‘his depart. 
ment (M. Guiraudet) who commu- 
nicated to me the original of the 
arrete of the Directory, of which 
this letter, abating the alteration 
in the form, isa literal copy. Af. 
ter perusing it, I asked M. Guirau- 
det whether he was informed of 
its contegts, and this led to a short 
conversation onthem. I told him 
that both the demands were so un. 
expected that [could not reply to 
them off hand : that as to the first, 
it was quite unusual to.sign memo. 
‘rials which were annexed toa note 
actually signed, and that [ scarcely 
‘felt myself authorised to. depart 
from what, was, I believe, an in. 
variable rule. ‘That as to the se. 
cond. demand, made in so ‘pe. 
2 _ remptory 
