The National Register. — London, England, 1818-02-09 00:00:00

(f 7 a-4L i e teic c „:_ e Oationali itittr+ Our tlina, Contitutiott anZi Ual3)4. No. 52t—VoL. XI MONDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1818. Paw E 94 POLITICAL DISQUISITION. ON THE CONDUCT OF TIIF. UNITED STATES TOWARDS SOUTH AMERICA. THE liberality, the exalted love of freedom, and the philaatrophic policy of the people of America, have so long been tile themes of praise with the " million" in this country, that the recent conduct of their govern ment appears to them somewhat appalling. The "friends of the human race," whom Providence has scattered up and down amongst us, are utterly at a loss to divine what motive can have impelled the sons of liberty to the 'Vest, to become imitators of the" rotten legititna cy" of the old world. With hearts burning fur the emancipation of all mankind, tl:cy faint at beholding the cold-blooded indifference of the •( only free people on the serf ice of the globe" towards a numerous nation panting for the same goal of glory, which they them selves attained. These worshippers of a shadow for get that in the maintainance tf national interests, na tional honour will sometimes he compromised, and, that , however it eity suit the policy of a republican govern ment, to ring the note of libcrlJ in the ears of the peo ple, its very existence will frequently depend on a prac tice, the positive reverse of that dictated by the fine spun theories of Utopian politicians. Without referting to the practice of ancient repub lits, whose governments were doubtless the most eager of conquest, and the most impatient of rivalry of any on record; we have 'a -striking example of this in the preient conduct of' the government of the United States, towards their Southern Neighbours. The people, and when we say this, \ve 111a131, the mass of the population who, either by education are unfit, or by want of indi vidual interee.: , ., are unapt to think deeply on political events, seem, to u man, in favour of the independence of Spanish America. Any popular government, while such a feeling exists on the part of the people, would be required to act with extreme caution; but in the Can of the American government, more than usual skill' is required. For, on the one hand, it has to geard against the creation of a great neighbouring rival power, and on the other, against ()Ending the feelings depopulation, which, notwithstanding the discordant Materialsof which it is compused,isagrced onone point— that ofdeprceating every measure which is not ostensibly in favour of liberty. The delicacy of its situation has long kept the government of America, in a state of pi tiable indecision, it has connived at the most flagrant violations of its neutrality, by the piratical cruisers atta ing under the patriot flag: while, on the other hand, its open acts in defence of that neutrality, have been marked by more than common severity. The impri sonment of the British officers at Philadelphia, however justifiable according to the laws of nations, was a mea s..:re but ill according with the laxity of its practice on ether occasions. This wavering system, unworthy a great people, could not last long, indecision is the bane of governments as well as of individuals, and to quiet the clamour created by alternate severity and neglect, seme decisive step was to be taken. Every considera tion )f national policy must have pointed out to the go sere-uent, 'the propriety of resisting, or at least, of ab staining from encouraging the progress of the patriotic cause. It must have seen, that in proportion as the people of South America, should advance in their inde pendence, in the same proportion would they become rivals of the United States. Their' country is rich in the same commodities, their soil more prolific, their cli mate more congenial, and if the precious metals be a benefit, they have them in a superior degree to the rest of the world. To opp tie the progress of Independ , mev, therefore, Teemed a necessary step, but to do it in a way that should produce an irmr.taiate benefit to the s:ate and be least revolting to the fine feelings of the children of liberty congregated on the soil of America from all quar ters of the globe, was a natural proceeding on the part of the government, for with all its boasted moderation, and with all its subjects respect for the Divine rights of man, we have had sufficient experience to know that where accession of territory can be made to their al already extended wastes, they arc as ready to round their frontier, as any of the legitimates of Europe. To this feeling we owed the late war; for Canada is a tempting prise which Americo still thinks worth contending for ; and to this spirit, coupled with the dread of a rival power, are we to attribute the unjustifiable seizure of Amelia Island. Whether this measure will commit the United States with the Patriots of the South remains to be ssten ; but whatever be the event, the world will not fail to agree with Commodore Aury, that " the only law which can be adduced in their behalf is that of force, which is awar. repugnant to a republican Government, and to the principles of a just and finpartial nature." In these observation 3 we are far from advocating the cause of the American Patriots; we have before expressed our opinion of their revolt, and we have merely thrown out the above reflections to direct our rcadors to the con duct of the United States, who in this iibtance appear to be playing the old game of fast and loose, with considerable demerity. EoveT.—An article from Constantinople gives the following particulars of the condue! of the Paella of Egypt :—" According to the latest accounts, Egypt is in a flourishing condition but the Pacha does not ap pear to conceal his pretensions to independence. Ile has raised his army to I 000 men, without reckoning Arabs and Arnaets. These last. who are very much attached to him. ti).an his guard. All his forces are estimated at 100,000 men, but it is prolehle that this is very much c'sag,gerated, for how could the revenue support this number of troops ? It is certain that Eu rope:vas of every rank fled: to the Puha, and that he gives them the most flattering reception. Ertl& Of ficers obtain the prefirence, and all his artillery is com manded by them ; they exercise it every day in the European manner. The Puha has purchased two fri gates art Calcutta, to serve for the protecting the com merce of the Red Sea. He has built one at Alexandria, anti he is trying to purchase one in Sweden. To sup port his expeaces, he has entleuvoured to concentrate all the commerce of the country in his own hands; he firms the inhLitinus to deliver up to him the produce of their fields anti of their industry, ut a very low price, which he again sells to the merchants at double value. he has established commercial houses in the principal cities in Europe; but this system of commerce is too disadvantageous to &reign merchants to have it last long. The Paella still seeks to attract European ma nufiteturers, principally Swiss: and he has sent some young men into Europe to be brought up in the Eu ropean manners, and instructed in the arts and sciences. He is now causing money to be coined with his own likeness. The subscription at New York, for the relief of the sufferers by the late fire at St John's, Newfoundland, amounted, on the 9th ult. to about 3,000 dollars. An application had been made to Mr. Bagot, the British Mister, for permission to load an American vessel at that port with pnvisions, for the distressed at the above place, and there was no do.ibt of its success. The Lords of the Admiralty have appointed F. G. Hampton, Esq. Receiver-General of the Droits of Ad miralty, in the room of the late Sir C. C. De Crespigny, Bart. Admiral Sir George Hope retires, it is said, from the Admiralty Board through ill health, and, it is added, will be succeeded by Admiral Sir George Cock burn. The Crown has instituted two new Professorships in the L:nlversity of Glaavw—Chemistry and Botany.— T 4) tLr fOrlilk:r chair Dr. Thos. Thomson has been pre scnt:Nl, and Dr. Robert Graham to the latter. An elegant taunument has recently been crecte.l Ickworth Park, Suffolk, to the late Earl of Bristol. Bishop of Derry On one of the pannels of the ycdrs tal sn approviate inscription in bronze iettcrs, , FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. FRANCE. PARIJ, re!. L—The Moniteur contains a Royal ordinanre. elevating the Count de Cares to tltr dignity of a Peer of the realm, as a reward " fur the good and loyal vemet s he It As tell'lcretiondeontinue4 to render to the King'. perpoa, and the Slitie." The Duke of iVetlinfton ariivccl ou Saturday at nine o'clock. Ilk Grace 1.4i1 in I. carnage the Due .tt . litigtori, his sister-io-law, and Col. Harvey, his hi:4 Camp : iu another earriiii;e were Col. Fit:mantle and Lul d Arthur Hiii. AMERICA. STIRRI.NDER OF AMELIA ISLAND. fly the Commodore Porter, we fear that the United States corvette John Adams, Commodore lieulcy ; I.tigs Enterprise and Saranac, tool Schooner Lynx, with one gun-boat, arrived off Amelia Island on the 18th ult. On the 2241 Commodore Aury was summoned, in the name of the United States, to surrender the island to the United States force ordered there for that purpose, which summons was cow plied with on the 23d, when 2SO United States' troops from Point Petre took possession of the island. A messenger to Washington, die. patched by Commodore Aury, arrived in the Commodore Porter, nod furni•hes a copy of the document ; The Answer of General Aury to a letter from the Ametiean officers, demanding the surrender of Feu nandina. Ileadluarters, Fernandina, Dec. 02. 1917. " Gentlemen,-1 have received your official letter of this day, by %Inch. in the name of the Government of the United States, you sum mon Its to csactiate this place with the troops under my command, as soon as it will be convenient, as pessession tiiereof is to he taken by the forces under your connuand, under certain conditions specified i n your said letter. " Neither this republic, that of Mexico, nor any other of South America, being at war with the United States, obliges me to state to you, that the contents of your letter greatly surprised this Govern ment and the people of this State. You have, nevertheless, intimated. that in case of our acrieseence in your demand, we shall be Fer ri:Sled to evacuate this island, which neither is, nor ever has been, a part of the United Btates. " Allow me to observe to you, gentlemen, that from the moment we took Fernandina, by the force of our arms, we ecured into the tall possession of all the rights appertaining to o u r enemy , an d to this day we have supported these rights, at the risk of tur lis t :1111%4 fortunes. " The boundaries between the Fioridas, and the United States haring been fairly settled on the 47th Oct. 1795, we are at a loss ht.w to ascertain your authority to interfere in our ino2mal eoneeriss. " Our surprise increases when we reflect, that your ci.:,pmitinica tion comes authorised by the Government of apt who, in ;Li s respxt. :., 1 1ory in the right.: of catinns, whether great (sr small. awl aria), no doubt, sympathize with their sonthern bit:herr, ia the straE gle for liberty and indepentler.;:.e ills which they are engaged, as were the united States ao years ago. " Oa the other band, you promise to hold sacred such •, , f vi;:r p,,- perty as tutquestior.ably belongs to our citizens. Who :::o IA toe judge nt that arse? The United Stater? They can by no 'nears shut any kind ofjurisdirtion. from the source of the river St. Mars down to the ocean, on this side the centre of the channel. We enter tain ton much veneration to believe fire a mor.scnt that res. (suppoied already in poscr:sion of this isione, which has never bievn conceded by the King of Spain; or by its inhabitants, to the United States) can bring with you a competent tribunal to decide upon this quection. The only law you can adthr.:e in your behalf i s t h at o f force, which always Is . reptignant to a republican Government, and to the principles of a just and imp:nine nature. The same obser vation way be applied to yoar interference for thb property of the inhabitants. winch we have always respe,:ted ar.d constea-exl as , ca. cred. You order us, also, as if we were sub:ects of your Governna; rt, to leave behind. when Fernandina is evacuated, all the public 'crte. petty that was Munt'l at its surrender. l'hisdetni.nil is directly ci,as trary to the public rights, by which public property captured from the enemy is avowedly that'll the captors, when not otherwise stip'. dated. Xre you acting in the name of the King of Spain or of EIS Allies 1 As we consider the people of the United States to be skt questionably the only free people on the sarfs.ce of the globe, we cannot admit that you have already an•ivcd to stt.th a poilit of dev,ra.. dation. Otherwise your demand is i:udlnirsih:e and un j uit iti at ,!, in the eyes oldie world ; and if w•e must ►USatlt to it, all the rests with you. •' Permit, me therefine, gentlemen. to request you to lay be .:re the President of the United States these remark,, in ondtr that a matter of so serious a tendency may he duly considered. We h.:ye read his Excellency's Message at the opening of Congress with !I - A ueinost concern, and have concluded that the political situation rt this Republic has been greatly misrepresented in the United Ststc•, through the intrigues of our enemies. We have certainly a right to be heard; for winds purpose I shall have the honour of forwarding to your Government the necesiary documents if you aro not di,. posed to let the thing remain in :tout trio, until the Presidt - nee further determination beknown, I am authorised toassure youthatwe respect end esteem too highly the people oldie (Jutted States, to carry matters to extremities. " 1 hive the honour to remain, with the liiihest wnsicicration, Gentlemen, yours, &e. (Signed) " Aux " S. L. Holmes, Stcretary." The alledged indecent and mercenary coruiuet of aome persona attached to St. George's Chapel, at Wind sor, on the ceremony of the funeral of the late lament. ed Princess Charlotte, lnes drawn upon them the an. ger of the Prince Regent . Not on ly, it is smo, were immense sums demanded fo r admission to the b o dy 4 the chapel, but the Prince Regent's Pages, :Ind °the, Members of the Royal Household, trere e \eluded, to make room for this profitable traffic. This subject has brought about a new arrangement.-14 order of the Prince Regent, the Canon! are remo , 7cd front the Stalls wi l icit they have occupied for tentny years, and arc now to sit I.);:ltind the poor Kniilits. ' - siv./ 4$ Ale 1 ' A t i r tAir, 1 f r. A I I -