MISSION TO ASHANTEE. 
53 
Mr. James may write that Mr. Bowdich rose with great warmth: 
this we deny, and affirm that he displayed no more than a tempe- 
rate zeal, considerate in its declarations, and respectful even in its 
dissent from Mr. James. The attention of the King was arrested 
by the novelty of a white man addressing him in the oratorical 
manner of his own country, but it was not until the linguist had 
conveyed the arguments, that the King held out his hand and the 
applause was general. Mere observations whispered in the ear of 
the linguists had lost all effect, and would not have answered the 
crisis. 
Mr. James has talked, and perhaps written much of the King^s 
suspicion, but we must contend that much of this is misnamed, 
and is no more than that deliberate policy which is a pledge of the 
durability of the confidence it precedes. Certainly there has been 
suspicion, but not more than must have been expected, not 
more than was commensurate with the im.portant novelty which 
challenged it. It has been confessed here, that our political rival 
has exerted all his address to vitiate our objects in the eyes of the 
King, to convince him our ostensible views were pretences ; our 
real ones dangerous and unjust ; that we sought sovereignty, not 
commerce. The Moorish chiefs and dignitaries by whom the King 
is surrounded, whose influence is powerful, not only from their 
rank but their repute, naturally urged these arguments against 
unbelievers and competitors in trade, and their extensive inter- 
course has unfortunately possessed them of facts to the point of 
our ambition. Let these considerations be weighed, let our account 
of the King's general deportment be again referred to; let us 
impress, that he has never once adverted to our destruction of his 
ceped private information, that it is already settled, that if the refusal of the notes 
occasions a war, and any one is hurt or killed by the forts, our lives will be the forfeit." 
Mr. Jaraes's Dispatch. 
