dly intercourse, but towards an
alliance with the United States.

Major Beckwith represented the particular ground of quarrel as one
which ought to interest all commercial nations in favour of the views
of Great Britain; and, from that circumstance, he presumed that,
should a war ensue, the United States would find their interest in
taking part with Britain, rather than with Spain.

After expressing the concern with which Lord Dorchester had heard of
the depredations of the savages on the western frontier of the United
States, he declared that his lordship, so far from countenancing these
depredations, had taken every proper opportunity to impress upon the
Indians a pacific disposition; and that, on his first hearing of the
outrages lately committed, he had sent a messenger to endeavour to
prevent them. Major Beckwith further intimated, that the perpetrators
of the late murders were banditti, composed chiefly of Creeks and
Cherokees, in the Spanish interest, over whom the governor of Canada
possessed no influence.

These communications were laid before the President, and appeared to
him to afford an explanation of the delays experienced by Mr. Morris.
He was persuaded that a disposition existed in the cabinet of London
to retain things in their actual situation, until the intentions of
the American government should be ascertained with respect to the war
supposed to be approaching. If the United States would enter into an
alliance with Great Britain, and would make a common cause with her
against Spain, the way would be smoothed to the attainment of all
their objects: but if America should be disinclined to such a
connexion, and especially, if she should manifest any partiality
towards Spain, no progress would be made in the attempt to adjust the
point of difference between the two nations. Taking this view of the
subject, he directed that the further communications of Mr. Beckwith
should be heard civilly, and that their want of official authenticity
should be hinted delicately, without using any expressions which
might, in the most remote degree, impair the freedom of the United
States, to pursue, without reproach, in the expected war, such a line
of conduct as their interests or honour might dictate.

In the opinion that it would not only be useless but dishonourable
further to press a commercial treaty, or the exchange of ministers,
and that the subject of the western posts ought not again to be moved
on the par