The National Register. — London, England, 1811-12-15 00:00:00

754 TTIE NA' Americans will yield nothing. rik that of France they begin by setting forth their devotion to her will, disguised under the name of " justice and fair. ness tow,rds her," as titles to her gratitude. This devotion, the Speech tells us, " authorised an ex pectation" that she would have done what was " due to their reasonable claims as well as dictated by her amicable professions." We may here per ceive a guarded mildness in the language, expres sive of the reluctance with which the writer dis charges that part of his duty, rendered imperatively necessary by the oppressive conduct of France. Had he suffered it to pass unnoticed, his blindness or his corruption would have been the theme of ge neral animadversion throughout the United States. Had the facts been known only by a few, their sup pression might have relieved him from this difficulty, but tit were committed in the face of the whole world, and had been blazoned forth in America in a particular manner, by the Newspapers hostile to what is misnamed the Republican party, at the head of which Mr. MADISON is placed. It was therefore impossible to withhold blame from acts so noto nous ; but throughout the part of the Speech dedi cJted to that topic; the wish of not offending the person or the Government, from whom the unjust measures proceed, is clearly revealed. The edicts under which " the great amount of American pro ro-ty has been seized and condemned," are repre s oted, in a parenthesis probably intended to soften the effect which this declaration might produce on the popular mind, as, " not affecting the neutral relations of America," and " therefore not entering into questions between the United States and other Delligerents." Here A merica either throws off her neutrality and avows het self the Ally, or ra ther the subject of France, or the PRESIDENT has pervet ted every rule of sense and right, in stating that edicts ordering the seizure and condemnation Of a "Venires property, do not " affect its neutral relations !" As those Decrees, however, 44 were founded in unjust principles," the PRESIDENT owns that " the reparation ought to have been prompt and ample," and that " the United States have reason to be dissatisfied with the rigorous and un expected restrictions to which their trade with the dominions of France has been subjected." But does he ask for reparation ? Does he wish the United States to be put into 41 an armour and an attitude demanded by the crisis, and corresponding with the national spirit and expectations ?" Does he ' advise the encrea-,e of the army, the calling out of the militia, the formation of volunteer corps; and the manufacture of cannon and small arms, as a *denunciation of future hostility against France, should she pursue the same line of conduct. ? No ; L,.4d • L REGISTER. these threatenihg demonstrations are expressly di rected against us. What mighty measure does he then propose to maintain the dignity of the United States, and secure the injured interests of their trade, or in other words to punish France for her late lawless plunder of their property, and to pre vent its future seizure and condemnation ? Mr. MA. DISON must be a good natured man and bear no malice, for in return for so many wanton injuries inflicted on his country, so many insults offered to his Government, so many words of contempt ap. plied to his abilities, and on that point we hitherto fancied he possessed most feeling, he only pro . poses that should France persevere in the same course, " corresponding restrictions be imposed on import ations from France into the United States." What renders this self-command still more magnanimous, is the care which he has taken that no one but him self should settle this business with France. Un willing to give any unnecessary trouble to Con• Kress, he has kindly taken this affair out of their hands. He has given " instructions on all these subjects to the Minister Plenipotentiary he has lately sent to Paris," and the result of the nego tiations, which the French Court will find the means of retarding as it may suit its purpose, should ,it arrive before the Session of Congress be over, will, the members are graciously told, be communicated to them, that the fruit of his wisdom and patriotism may be fully perfected. Should the result only be known after the sittings have ceased, the PRESIDENT will then have it in his power to adopt any mea sure he pleases unopposed, and many months will elapse before he can be called to account for the propriety or impolicy of his conduct. In another number we shall conclude our exami nation of the other features of this important Docu , merit. The conduct of the American Government seems to have undergone an essential change with respect to the treatment of those French privateers, who have for so long a period insulted the independence and outraged the honour of the United States, by the unprincipled depredations committed upon Amt• rican traders on their own coasts. A. Gentleman from New York states, that the Government had sanctioned the seizure of two French chips ; one in the port of Charlston, and the other in Philadelphia. It appears, that the vessels in question were captured separately some time ago by the French, carried in. to a port of their own, and there condemned with. out the least justification. They were afterwards purchased by French citizens, who in the way, of trade sent them to America, to bring home cargoes. This circumstance coming to the knowledge of their real owners in America, they seized their pro perty, and were supported in their claims by the Government. All parties united in the approbation of such an act of summary justice.