'; that
they had long desired an excuse for such measures as the Orders in
Council, and that the French decrees were exactly what they wished, and
the opportunity was seized with avidity the moment it was offered. They
knew that the Orders in Council bore hard upon the Americans, but they
considered that as merely _incidental_.

"To this I replied that, if such was the case as he represented it, what
blame could be attached to the American Government for declaring war? He
said that it was urged that America ought to have considered the
circumstances of the case, and that Great Britain was fighting for the
liberties of the world; that America was, in a great degree, interested
in the decision of the contest, and that she ought to be content to
suffer a little.

"I told him that England had no right whatever to infringe on the
neutrality of America, or to expect because she (England) supposed
herself to have justice on her side in the contest with France, that, of
course, the Americans should think the same. The moment America declared
this opinion her neutrality ceased. 'Besides,' said I, 'how can they have
the face to make such a declaration when you just now said that their
object was universal monopoly, and they longed for an excuse to adopt
measures to that end?' I told him that it showed that all the noise about
England's fighting for the liberties of mankind proved to be but a
thirst, a selfish desire for _universal monopoly_.

"This he said seemed to be the case; he could not deny it. He was going
on to observe something respecting the French decrees when we were
interrupted, and I have not been able again to resume the conversation. I
returned to town with him shortly after in his carriage, where, as there
were strangers, I could not introduce it again."

After this follow two long pages giving further reasons for the stand he
has taken, which I shall not include, only quoting the following
sentences towards the end of the letter:--

"You will have heard before this arrives of the glorious news from
Russia. Bonaparte is for once _defeated_, and will probably never again
recover from it.

"My regards to Mr. Stuart [Gilbert Stuart]. I feel quite flattered at his
remembrance of me. Tell him that, by coming to England, I know how more
justly to appreciate his great merits. There is really no one in England
who equals him.

"Accompanying this are some newspapers, some of Cobbett's, a man of no
principle and a