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Indiana University Studies 
As a matter of fact, however, negotiations had not yet been 
resumed by the American Government. Instructions had 
never been forwarded to Rufus King, the American minister 
at London, in regard to the colonial trade question, altho Clay 
had been engaged in preparing such instructions as early as 
May, 1825.^^® Even as late as March, 1826, Clay informed 
the British minister at Washington, in answer to his inquiry, 
that he should not be able to furnish King with his instruc- 
tions before the end of the month of May, 1826.^^^ Before 
this took place, however, a letter was received from King in 
which he stated his desire to return to America because of his 
ill health. Permission was granted and Gallatin was appointed 
to succeed him.^^^ 
By this time the American Government had at length de- 
termined to ‘‘sacrifice” something of that entire reciprocity 
which in all commercial arrangements with foreign powers 
they believed themselves entitled to demand, and to “acqui- 
esce” in some inequalities disadvantageous to themselves, 
rather than to forego the benefit of a final and permanent ad- 
justment of the question to the satisfaction of Great Britain.^^® 
In fact. Clay had arrived at the conclusion a year earlier that 
there was “more than plausibility in the British claims”, that 
the United States “ought to concede something on this 
point”.i2o 
In this spirit, then, Gallatin was instructed to agree in 
substance to the modification of Rush’s proposal, which had 
been required by the British plenipotentiaries in 1824.^^^ Spe- 
cifically, he was authorized to agree : 
1. That there should be a reciprocal and entire abolition 
of all alien or discriminating duties upon vessels or cargoes 
so as to place the vessels of the United States and those of 
Great Britain, whether colonial or British, concerned in the 
trade, upon a footing of perfect equality and reciprocity. 
2. That the United States should consent to waive the de- 
mand which it had previously made for the admission of its 
productions into British colonies upon the same basis as those 
from British colonies themselves. 
Memoirs of John Quincy Adams, VI, 540. 
Ill Am. State Papers, For. ReL, VI, 263. 
ii®/6i(?., VI, 262. 
11® Richardson, Messages and Papers, II, 354. 
1®® Memoirs of John Quincy Adams, VI, 540. 
121 Am. State Papers, For. ReL, VI, 249. 
