254 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1810. 



an unfeigned desire that they might 

 produce, ifpossible, an adjustment 

 of their differences with Great 

 Britain, so as to enable the govei-n- 

 ment and the nation to extricate 

 themselves from the very distress- 

 ing dilemma in which tliey were 

 involved." Messrs. Smith and 

 Gallatin, who were considered as 

 the confidential ministers or agents 

 of the president, spoke with great 

 freedom and apparent openness, 

 as of their own knowledge, of the 

 views of the American govern- 

 ment, of the general means to be 

 employed for their attainment, 

 and even of the precise manner in 

 which their designs were to be 

 carried into execution. Mr. Galla- 

 tin said, that he knew that it was 

 intended by the United States "to 

 abandon the attempt to carry on a 

 trade with the colonies of belli- 

 gerents in time of war, which was 

 not allowed in time of peace." 

 The president expressly said, that 

 the United States would at once 

 side witli that power which should 

 discontinue its aggressions. On 

 the whole, the conversations of 

 the American ministers were ad- 

 mirably calculated to work upon 

 a mind eager to be the instrument 

 of conciliation between the two 

 countries. Accordingly onr envoy 

 made a separate report to his go- 

 vernment of what had been said to 

 him, though unofficially, by the 

 president's two agents. Mr. Mad- 

 dison spokewithmorecaution than 

 his ministers. He dealt more in 

 general observation, except upon 

 one topic, which he appears to 

 liave wished particularly to impress 

 on Mr. Erskine's mind, viz. the 

 probability of the United States 

 going to war with both England 

 and France, although he did not 



attempt to disguise the difficulties 

 of that alternative. On all other 

 points, those especially which re- 

 lated to the concessions to be 

 made to Great Britain, in return 

 for those required of her, there 

 was a remarkable obscurity in his 

 language. As to the sincerity of 

 his sentiments, and the reality of 

 his professed views, he gave no 

 other pledge than an observation 

 of the obvious advantages that 

 would result from an adjustment 

 of differences to both countries. 



To the reports made by Mr. 

 Erskinc, it is proper to add, that 

 the American minister in London 

 had told the secretary of state that 

 there would be no objection to 

 the capture, by British cruizers, 

 of American vessels that should 

 attempt to trade with France, 

 notwithstanding the prohibition, 

 which, on the revocation of the 

 orders in council, would remain 

 in force against that country. 



Whatever might have been the 

 sincerity of these communications 

 from the Americans, they met 

 with an immediate and serious at- 

 tention from the British ministers, 

 who seem to have been anxious to 

 catch at every opportunity, how- 

 ever visionary, on which toground 

 the hope of a change of policy in 

 America. Accordingly two sepa- 

 rate sets of instructions were sent 

 to Mr. Erskine. The first on the 

 affair of the Cliesapeak, in which 

 the terms of satisfaction and con- 

 cession which were to be agreed 

 to by his majesty, and those which 

 were to be required in return, 

 were distinctly specified. But it 

 was also proposed to wave on both 

 sides the refrospectiveconcessions, 

 as the means of avoiding fruitless 

 controversy, and to restore the 



