d to confirm him in his position as commissioner. Mr. Gallatin
had not resigned his position of secretary of the treasury. The Senate
refused to sanction the cumulative appointment.

Stripped of his official character, he now felt himself at liberty to
follow his own inclination. His first impulse was to go to London, where
he was sure that Baring's friendship would open to him a means of
usefulness in the matter on which he was engaged. The death of Moreau
cut off the medium of approach to the emperor. This event was of no
consequence, however, in the negotiation, as the emperor had been
positively informed in July that England would not countenance even the
appearance of foreign intervention in her dispute with America. But as
yet no official information of his rejection had been received by Mr.
Gallatin, nor did any reach him until March. Without it he could not
well leave St. Petersburg. Meanwhile a diplomatic imbroglio, caused by
the failure of the emperor to inform Romanzoff of Castlereagh's second
refusal to accept the offer of mediation, embarrassed the commission all
winter. Nor yet were they aware that the British minister, driven to the
wall by the second offer of the emperor, had made proposals to Monroe to
treat directly with the United States government. The British note with
this offer was written on November 4. Mr. Gallatin was apprised of it by
Mr. Dallas in January, 1814. Mr. Baring urged him, if he should return
to America during the winter, to take his way through England, as good
effects might result from even a passing visit. Gallatin was then, as he
expressed it, "chained for the winter to St. Petersburg," nor had he
any way of reaching home, except by a cartel from a British port.

No word coming from the emperor, the envoys concluded to withdraw from
St. Petersburg. Before leaving, Mr. Gallatin addressed a letter of
thanks to Count Romanzoff, and requested him to communicate any
information he might receive from the emperor. It was supposed that the
offer of England to treat directly with America might be inclosed in
Castlereagh's letter of refusal to accept Russian mediation. On January
25, 1814, Mr. Gallatin and Mr. Bayard left St. Petersburg and traveled
by land to Amsterdam, which they reached after a tedious journey on
March 4. The captain of the Neptune was ordered to bring his vessel to a
port of Holland. At Amsterdam, where the envoys remained four weeks,
they learned that Mr. Madison ha