Benns: British West India Carrying-Trade 133 
tries, between whom it must be carried on, would ultimately bring the 
parties to a compromise, with which both might be satisfied. With this 
view, the Government of the United States had determined to sacrifice 
something of that entire reciprocity which in all commercial arrange- 
ments with foreign powers, they are entitled to demand, and to acquiesce 
in some inequalities disadvantageous to ourselves, rather than to forego 
the benefit of a final and permanent adjustment of this interest to the 
satisfaction of Great Britain herself. The negotiation, repeatedly sus- 
pended by accidental circumstances, was, however, by mutual agreement 
and express assent, considered as pending, and to be speedily resumed. 
In the meantime another act of Parliament, . . 
No intimation is here made that the only bar to a “com- 
promise” in 1824 had been the extravagant demand of the 
United States to have American goods admitted into the Brit- 
ish West Indies on precisely the same terms as those from 
British territories themselves.®® On the other hand, tho not 
expressly stated, it is intimated that the American Govern- 
ment “had determined to sacrifice something” early in the 
negotiations, while as a matter of fact this determination was 
reached almost two years after the suspension of the negotia- 
tions. The very phrase, “In the meantime”, seems to inti- 
mate that the British act of 1825 had been passed during the 
period when the negotiations had been suspended “by acci- 
dental circumstances” but after the United States had deter- 
mined to “sacrifice something”. These are merely possible but 
easy impressions to gain from the message. Of course the 
diplomatic correspondence which accompanied the message 
more nearly revealed the true state of affairs. But perhaps 
Adams knew that while the newspapers would practically all 
print his message, very few would ever print all the docu- 
ments accompanying it. Even in the matter of documents 
transmitted to Congress, he may perhaps be accused of at- 
tempting to cover up the weakness of the American position. 
From the letter of Gallatin to Clay in which the former stated 
his view of the points upon which he thought the United 
States vulnerable, only the following excerpt was included: 
I have the honor to enclose the copy of my answer to Mr. Canning’s 
note of the 11th instant, relating to the order in council of 27th of July 
last.*^^ 
With the publication of the President’s message, the Brit- 
ish West India trade question became one of the most dis- 
Richardson, Messages and Papers, II, 354. 
See above, p. 103. 
Am. State Papers, For. Rel., VI, 253. 
