to the United States, meriting instantaneous rejection, and demanding the united exertions of every citizen of these states, in the vigorous prosecution of the war until it shall be terminated in a just and honorable peace.’ The publication of their despatches was not anticipated by our commissioners, and great was their astonishment on perusing them in the newspapers at Ghent. Their fears were excited lest it should have an unfavorable bearing on the negotiations, if it did not put an abrupt period to them. The English negotiators maintained a guarded silence on the subject. Mr. Clay being solicitous to ascertain their opinions in relation thereto, addressed them, beginning with lord Gambier, whom he accosted by saying, ‘you perceive, my lord, that our government has published our despatches, and that now the whole world knows what we are doing here.’ ‘Yes,’ said he, ‘I have seen it with infinite surprise, and the proceeding is without example in the civilized world.’ ‘Why, my lord,’ said Mr. Clay, mildly, ‘you must recollect that at the time of the publication of those despatches, our government had every reason to suppose, from the nature of the pretensions and demands which yours brought forward, that our negotiation would not terminate successfully, and that the publication would not find us here together. I am quite sure that if our government had anticipated the present favorable aspect of our deliberations, the publication of the despatches would not have been ordered. Then your lordship must also recollect, that if, as you truly asserted, the publication of despatches pending a negotiation is not according to the custom of European diplomacy, our government is organized on principles totally different from those on which European governments are constituted. With us, the business in which we are here engaged is the people’s business. We are their servants, and they have a right to know how their business is going on. The publication, therefore, was to give the people information of what ultimately affected them.’ Although unable to controvert this explanation by Mr. Clay, of the reasons for publishing the official papers relative to the negotiation, he expressed himself not perfectly satisfied with it, and his opinion was concurred in by his colleagues. However, the injurious consequences apprehended from their publication were not experienced, and the business of the treaty proceeded as if it had not been made. Mr. Clay reciprocated an act of kindness of Mr. Goulborne, who had sent him a British periodical containing an account of the taking of Washington by the arms of his nation, by sending to him some American papers which he had recently received, describing a splendid victory won on lake Champlain or lake Erie, by the navy of _his_ country over that of the British.