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THE AMERICAN COMMISSIONERS TO JAMES MONROE. - Albert Gallatin, The Writings of Albert Gallatin, vol. 1 [1879]

Edition used:

The Writings of Albert Gallatin, ed. Henry Adams (Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott, 1879). 3 vols.

Part of: The Writings of Albert Gallatin, 3 vols.

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THE AMERICAN COMMISSIONERS TO JAMES MONROE.

St. Petersburg, August, 1813.

Sir,—

We have the honor to inform you that Mr. Gallatin and Mr. Bayard arrived at St. Petersburg on the 21st ult., and on the 24th were presented by Mr. Adams to the Count Romanzoff, Chancellor of the Empire, and delivered to him a copy of the letters of credence to Mr. Adams and themselves, and also of their powers to treat of commerce with Russia, and, under the mediation of his Imperial Majesty, of peace with Great Britain. We were informed that it would be necessary to transmit these papers to the Emperor at his headquarters, and we find that upon all occasions our official communications will be submitted to his Majesty. We have great cause to regret the absence of the Emperor from his capital (and amongst other reasons), as the distance from St. Petersburg to the Imperial headquarters necessarily subjects the operations of the mission to delay and embarrassment.

On the 30th of the month we addressed a note to the Chancellor—marked No. 1—officially communicating the acceptance on the part of the United States of the proffered mediation of his Imperial Majesty, stating our readiness, in pursuance of our powers under the mediation, to treat of peace with Great Britain, and requesting information as to the measures adopted by the Russian and British governments to give effect to the mediation.

On the first of August, Mr. Gallatin and Mr. Bayard, in an interview with the Chancellor, represented to him the strong impression of their government, in immediately accepting the mediation of the Emperor and sending to his Court a special mission, that Great Britain, influenced by a consideration of the relations subsisting between her and Russia, and of the personal respect due to his Imperial Majesty, would not hesitate in acceding to the mediation; that in this conviction no provision was made by their government for a different state of things; that their powers were confined to a Russian mediation, without which they could proceed to no negotiation; that it was extremely material for them to be informed as early as practicable of the intentions of the British government, especially in the case of its being definitely ascertained that Great Britain would not act under the mediation; in which event their government and their country would expect of them not to protract a public residence abroad from which no beneficial result could be derived. The Count, in reply, stated that he had been engaged in preparing an answer to the official note which we had sent him, by which we should find that the British government, in a note addressed in the month of NA, 1812, to Count Lieven, the Russian minister at London, after noticing in a very civil manner the friendly intentions of his Imperial Majesty in offering the mediation, had intimated an opinion that the acceptance of it would be fruitless, on account of certain pretensions then advanced by the American government. The Chancellor added that for his own part he was not acquainted with the pretensions which were referred to, but that he wished information from us on the subject, and especially as to the nature and history of the dispute on the point of impressment. These were detailed in conversation, but he requested they might be put into writing, not in the shape of an official note, but of an informal memoir. He remarked that he had heard of an Act of the American Congress relative to the employment of foreign seamen, the nature of which he was desirous of understanding, and he was in consequence promised a copy of it. It was thought material in the course of this interview to put the question distinctly to the Count whether, from the terms or nature of the answer which Lord Castlereagh had given to the proposition of Russian mediation, it was his opinion that the British Cabinet designed that the Russian government should understand that the mediation could not be accepted. The Count replied that whatever the real intention might be, he did not consider that there was anything in the answer of the British government which ought to be deemed final, or to preclude the government of Russia from renewing the overture, even in a more formal manner than had yet been done; and that he had, on hearing of our arrival at Gottenburg, already written to the Emperor, whose orders he was waiting on the subject. He expressed his desire that we should remain at St. Petersburg until further advices were received from Count Lieven, and gave assurances at the same time that so soon as the Russian government should be persuaded that the determination was formed on the part of Great Britain not to admit of the mediation, no time should be lost in communicating the fact to the American ministers.

On the next day, the 2d of August, we received from the Chancellor an official note bearing date the same day (21st July, O. S.), communicating in substance the answer of the British government to the offer of mediation made on the part of his Imperial Majesty. A copy of this note is marked No. 2.

The aspect of this answer did not favor the expectation that the mediation of Russia would be accepted, but, considering it as addressed to the Russian government, we thought it belonged more to that government than to ourselves to decide upon its interpretation, and upon the ulterior steps proper to be taken, with a view to a more distinct and unequivocal knowledge of the intentions of the British Cabinet.

On the same day we addressed a note to the Chancellor, proposing the negotiation of a commercial treaty between the United States and Russia. To this note we received an answer dated the 5th (24th July, O. S.). Copies of these notes are marked Nos. 3 and 4.

In an interview which Mr. Adams had with the Chancellor on the 10th instant, he informed Mr. Adams that he had just received despatches from the Emperor, in answer to those by which, previously to the arrival of Mr. Gallatin and Mr. Bayard, he had informed his Majesty of the acceptance of his mediation on the part of the United States, and of the appointment of their extraordinary mission; that he, the Chancellor, having suggested to the consideration of the Emperor the expediency of renewing on this occasion the proposal of his mediation to the British government, the Emperor had fully approved of the suggestion, and commanded him to carry it into effect according to his own idea. The Chancellor added that he should immediately prepare instructions to Count Lieven in conformity with his Majesty’s commands, and that, from the authority now given him, he should feel himself justified in transmitting them directly to the ambassador without previously sending them to the Emperor.

In compliance with the desire which the Chancellor had expressed, to be distinctly and accurately informed by an informal memoir of the nature and history of the controversy between the United States and Great Britain on the point of impressment, an inofficial note was prepared on the subject, and transmitted on the 14th. This note was accompanied by a printed copy of the Act of Congress of the 3d of March, 1813, relative to the employment of foreign seamen, and by copies of the other public documents to which the note refers. A copy of this memoir and translation of it are marked No. 5.

At a subsequent interview, on the 19th instant, Mr. Adams having intimated again to the Chancellor the earnest desire of Mr. Gallatin and Mr. Bayard not to be unnecessarily detained here without any prospect of ultimate success to the negotiation, the Chancellor again explicitly assured him that nothing had been received from the British government which could be considered as a refusal to accept the mediation; that, on the contrary, from the tenor of the memoir which we had transmitted to him, and the nature of the proposals which we were authorized to offer, as indicated in it, he had strong hopes not only that the British government would accept the mediation, but ultimately would be perfectly satisfied that the negotiation had taken this direction.

We are now officially informed that the despatches for Count Lieven will be sent off in the course of one or two days by a courier, and that a duplicate of them has already been transmitted to the Imperial headquarters.

If events should render it necessary for Messrs. Gallatin and Bayard to wait for the answer which the British Cabinet may give to the renewed overture of Count Lieven, they must incur the hazard of being detained in Russia during the winter, even in the case of failing in the object of their mission. But that object is deemed of so high importance that they would not feel themselves justified in abandoning the pursuit of it whilst the remotest prospect remained of its being attainable.

We have the honor to be, with great respect, sir, your most obedient servants.

P.S.—30th August. We are this moment honored with your despatch of 23d June last.

31st August. We enclose the copy, marked No. 6, of a note received this day from Count Romanzoff, and which covers the copy of a note to be presented by Count Lieven to Lord Castlereagh. We beg leave to observe that these papers are not intended for publication in America.