The National Register. — London, England, 1815-12-17 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER. , mur Mine, Conatitution anb Lame. PUBLISHED AT NO. 89, CHANCERY-LANE, LONDON. No. 416. SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1815. Pats g3d.- r• POLITICAL DISQUISITION. HOSTILE DISPOSITIONS OF AMERIC IN the absence of all matter for political speculation on the transactions of Europe, within the last week, we eagerly embrace the opportunity of adverting to the actual rela. Lions bettceen this Country and the United States of America. We say the actual relations, because there are in political, no less than in mechanical or chemical affinities, powers of negative as well as of positive qualities ; and 1 because two countries may be, with regard to each other, negatively at war, though positively at peace. The mean of these two discordant powers forms the actual state of affinity or association between the two countries now al luded to; and, as the subject is, we conceive, almost of vital importance to ourselves, it may be well deserving of a little serious consideration. The Government of the United States is restless and en. terprising. Jealous of the military and naval prowess of Great Britain, her commercial greatness, and her political weight in the settle of nations; it has ever wanted the means, rather than the inclination, to annoy us openly. Having discovered the vanity, and by dear experience the futility, of their attempts to establish their impudent system of " maritime rights", they have of late avoided uniting them. selves with other nations against us, for two very good reasons : the one, because they gain little or nothing by an alliance with anytother European power; whereas we have , taught them to feel, and that severely, the impropriety of any hostile ostentations on their part;—and the other because they avail themselves of our engagement in the troubles of Eu- rope to enrich themselves with the commerce of those coun tries. These troubles being now at an end, and some of their principal objects in a peaceable neutrality being removed, we could almost assert our disbelief of the sincerity of their present pacific dispositions, from the conviction that their ambition is of no ordinary kind, and that it will want but little inducement to throw off the flimsy disguise of tempo. rary conciliation, to lavish once more openly and delibe. rately in its darling pursuits, and strive once more, with no other plea but that of self provocation to satiate its crav • ings niter ourNorthAmcrican possessions. What we might say under other circumstances, we should do well to attend to now. Europe is, perhaps, unconscious of, and we may be insensib:e to, their object and designs; but we scruple not to assert, that they tend to nothing less than to devour the coltole of :North America. The iuterchau;e Yid. VII. NO. CGCCA77. uou • o f A ~..41.4.1.414,nd • • r r•rf .411 tt7l.‘7jl dors and Consuls between two States at amity, nay he the outward and ostensible signs of pacification, the symbols of that positire quality of harmonious relationship before mentioned but while questions of weight are pending ; the tone of generous feeling is gradually weakened by the reaction or dissentient interests, and the links of amicable connexion must be ultimately dissolved. Other reasons induce us to believe, that our present rela tions with America will not be of long s•anding. To that country, ever since its foundation as a British Colony, have been resorting men of all nations, and of all those who have sought an asylum against oppression, as well as these who have fled from the justice due to their crimes. Among the latter, (and this is the point to wltkii we have to look) how many are there that have now scaperl from the hand of retribution, and from the judgments it has been the destiny of this nation to inflict on the reprobates of that devoted country, France ! how many of them, our unceasing, our inveterate enemies, are even at this mom' nt passing thither i—need we mention a Sault, an Alit, an Er celmans, a Lamarque, n Vandamme ? We cannot be so senseless, so dull, as to imagine that their " occupation is gone." No, " Terrell] non animnm mutant gni trans mare meant." Carrying with them their ancient animosities, the Transat. lantic voyage may inflate their bosoms, still panting from the apprehension of pursuit, with that mistaken spirit of false glory, which they will have no other opportunity of manifesting than by heading an American army against Canada. If such, then, be the case, and we fear we hate not overcharged the picture, it behoves us to guard, with the utmost vigilance and precaution, against the impending danger. This can in no manner be effected, but by raising the consequence of our Colonies in that quarter ; not merely by augmenting their military strength,since this will always be a method which will require incessant observe. tior, and immense expense ; but by such a system of moral and physical organization, as may give them an intrinsic, a lasting, and a progressively increasing importance. Some new regulations respecting the future government of the West India islands, as intimately and mutually connected with the trade of the Northern Colonies, would also, we conceive,be eminently desirable ; since, admitting the possi. bility of the ultimate loss of Canada, that of the Antilles would almost of necessity be the consequence, ari the nil s effects on the parent state too difficult to calcalate ) too dreadful to contemplate or I:4:;ribei