The National Register. — London, England, 1811-07-07 00:00:00

4P, miii THJE NATIONAL REGIsTEIt. _ • '... Our fling, conotitution, ant) Latuo. rc° 184. SUNDAY, JULY 7, Isll. PRICE 9d, POLITICAL DISQUISITION, No. 170. DUPLICITY OF AMERICA. If every word uttered by an enemy ought to be deeply considered, a declaration stamped with un questionable authority, as made in the most public and official manner, ought to attract a still greiter degree of attention. We find, however, that as the very simplicity of their nature retarded for ages the most important discoveries, men thinking that what was plain was too well known to retain any latent use or virtue, the careless way in which BUONA PA RTE revealed, in his last speech to the Lep-,islative Body, the new treaty of offensive and defensive alliance formed between France and America, has totally .blinded all our political wri:ers, not one of whom has properly noticed this important fact. His words are indeed few, but their meaning Ls most extensive. He says : " America is making - efforts to cause the freedom of her flag to be recognized. /trill second her." Most politicians have supposed that NA POLnox alluded to the querulous disposition of the Government of the United States towards this country, so clearly manifested in the petty wrang lings which have attended the ciurse of our nego ciations. They have imagined that the . aid he spoke of, would consist merely of the writings and speeches of the American demagogues, in his pay, who would be ordered to throw increased difficul ties in the way of pacification, and to heap flesh insults on our Envoys and our Government, but a single glance at late events will prove that their • - suppositions were , not only too confined, but un founded. NAPOLEON says : 44 America is making efforts to cause the freedom of her flag to be recog nized, Scc." And at what a time does he impart this official intelligence to the members of his legis lature ? At a time when an American frigate was actually, knowingly, 'wantonly, and cowardly, batter ing a Biitish vessel scarce one-third her force, on account of its inferiority, and probably in conse quence of this hitherto secret treaty, by which, it seems, the Americans had. bound themselves, by -the unprovoked and unexpected destruction of our cruizers, when met by a superior naval strength, and without a declaration of war, gg to-Cause the freedom of their flag to be recognized." Hitherto, the non-arrival of dispatches from Halifax had left t he true origin of the unequal conflict Yol. IV. CLIXXIV. President and Little Belt, involved _in doubts,which this imperial declaration might haVe totally dis. perked, had 'it been sooner plated in its proper light. At a time when the •news or the action could not have reached Europe AUONAPARTE not only knew, but informed his Legislative Body of what was taking puce. Fie could not, it is true, name the particular vessel from which the AmeriCans would attempt to reconquer " the freedom of their flag ;" but he could tell his people that " America was MAXING efforts" to that purpose ; which plainly spews that these " efforts" were the result of an arrangement previously entered into between the American and Frendi Governments, the latter of which was fully acquainted with every step which was then pursued by the former. What these efforts are to be, we have now learnt from what they have been. Unwilling to spread the devastations of war over those parts of the-world which modern revo• lutions had spared, the first feeling excited in this country by the Americans own account of the al; fair, was that of indignation at the unprovoked and outrageous conduct of Commodore ROGERS ; but mixed with a confident hope that investigation would prove his act, an iudividual, not a national offence; which would be sufficiently expiated by the punishment of its unant:torized perpetrator, and would not draw down a necessary and. terrible vew• geance on his native land. Unfortunately for America BUOYAPARTE'c declaration Must render her plea of ignorance, were she disposed to urge it, unavailing. It is note evident that long before this encounter occurred, she secretly pledged herself to our bitterest enemy to arm and wage war against out cztizers. It is vitally plain that she obtained. from him great promises of assistance, Which as a further eAcottragement to persttere In her proposed course, he thought proper thus - lately and publicly to renew. He probably added, Vat In a more pri. vase manner, in_ or to seduce het i lkom her long boasted neutrality, promises .of rewards He map have pOinted omit Nova Scotia and cAltda as the meed .of such distinguished bratery and stirvices on her part, and have bound himself to send li,Nerops to co-operate in the reduction of these ettenttire and valuable provinces. In all he has done, however, in all his vain representations; and the still vainer hopes Which he has excited, he has only deceived America by a false but specious :hew of zeal for whilst Ira has not for one moment lost „ r walfatet betty' ,: ,4 -- . , 1 . . ~ •• Ao. ?. , ..'‘ `I.. e . 0 .. .•3 . . ! 4; f5l 41, X • -.,,_‘' 0,„ MI