time he
intimated that he wished the British government to be informed of the
object of the mission. For the expenses of the commission the
ambassadors had authority to draw on the Barings. The reply of Mr.
Alexander Baring must at once have opened Mr. Gallatin's eyes to the
futility of the errand of the commissioners. His words clearly state the
British grounds of objection: "The mediation of Russia was offered, not
sought,--it was fairly and frankly accepted,--I do not see how America
could with any consistency refuse it; but to the eyes of a European
politician it was clear that such an interference could produce no
practical benefit. The only question now seriously at issue between us
is one purely of a domestic nature in each country respectively; no
foreign government can fairly judge of it." Pointing out the difficulty
of establishing any distinction between the great masses of the
seafaring population of Great Britain and America, he finds that no
other country can judge of the various positions of great delicacy and
importance which spring from such a state of things; and says: "This is
not the way for Great Britain and America really to settle their
disputes; intelligent persons of the two countries might devise mutual
securities and concessions which perhaps neither country would offer in
the presence of a third party. It is a sort of family quarrel where
foreign interference can only do harm and irritate at any time, but more
especially in the present state of Europe, when attempts would be made
to make a tool of America." These, he said he had good reason to know,
were the sentiments of the British cabinet on the question of place of
negotiation and foreign mediation. He also informed Mr. Gallatin that
the mediation of Russia had been refused, and that the British
government would express its desire to treat separately and directly
either at London or Gottenburg. He warned Mr. Gallatin that an opinion
prevailed in the British public that the United States were engaged to
France by a secret political connection, which belief, though perhaps
not shared by the government, would lead it to consider the persevering
of the American commission upon bringing the insulated question before
the powers of the Continent as a touchstone of their sincerity. He hoped
that the American commissioners would come at once in contact with the
British ministers, and pointed out the hesitation that every minister
would feel at givi