of the United States government in
offering to comply with the wishes of Lord Dorchester, he observed that
the prospect of a war between Great Britain and Spain would prevent or
defer his lordship's departure for England.

"He next proceeded to observe," says Hamilton in his written report of
the interview which he laid before the president, "that Lord Dorchester
had been informed of a negotiation commenced on the other side of the
water, through the agency of Mr. Morris; mentioning, as the subscriber
understood principally by way of proof of Lord Dorchester's knowledge of
the transaction, that Mr. Morris had not produced any regular
credentials, but merely a letter from the president directed to himself;
that some delays had intervened, partly on account of Mr. Morris's
absence on a trip to Holland, as was understood, and that it was not
improbable these delays and some other circumstances may have impressed
Mr. Morris with an idea of backwardness on the part of the British
ministry. That his lordship, however, had directed him to say that an
inference of this sort would not, in his opinion, be well founded, as he
had reason to believe that the cabinet of Great Britain entertained a
disposition, not only toward a friendly intercourse, but toward an
alliance with the United States."

"Major Beckwith then proceeded to speak of the particular cause of the
expected rupture between Spain and Great Britain, observing it was one
in which all commercial nations must be supposed to favor the views of
Great Britain. That it was therefore presumed, should a war take place,
that the United States would find it to their interest to take part with
Great Britain rather than with Spain."

Major Beckwith then, in the name of Lord Dorchester, disclaimed any
influence, under the sanction of British authorities, over the western
tribes, unfavorable to the interests of the citizens of the United
States; and concluded by producing a letter signed by Dorchester, which
contained sentiments similar to those expressed by the bearer, with an
assurance that "his lordship knew too well the consequences of such a
step, to have taken it without a previous knowledge of the intentions of
the cabinet."

Washington's impression of this semi-official overture from Great
Britain is expressed in the following record in his diary on the eighth
of July: "The aspect of this business, in the moment of its
communication to me, appeared simply and no other t