The Statesman. — London, England, 1810-08-17 00:00:00

LIBERTY THE CAUSE OF NATIONAL PROSPERITY. " The History of our Liberties was written in letters Of Irked. which oar ancestors shed ; and we should be ready, if called upon, to tranunit a eonlinuaeion of it in the same iudelibk characters down to our posterity."—Cosraacs. TO THE EDITOR OF THE STATESMAN. St It ) —Those w ho think that the long and brilliant prosperity of Britain is the casual effect of local ad. vantages, or adventitious circumstances, are super& Pie politicians. The mildest and healthiest cli mates—the most fertile islands, on whose shores nature has been prodigal of her choicest favours, with the most secure, spacious, and convenient bar. bouts, arc not collectively sufficient to impart and insure happiness and prosperity to any people, with. out the blessings of civil and religious liberty. These are the elements of all that is great or glo. rious upon earth. The human intellects expand beneath their genial influence. Men possessed of these blessings become hunest, brave, and noble, And daily approximate to that divine similitude in which the beneficent Creator formed our first parents. But although these blessings are as lovely as the vernal dowers, they are, alas! equally as transi ent, unless watered by the dews of honest inde pendence, and protected from the blights of base and luxurious sycophants and slaves. Greece drank at the fountain-bead of liberty. Her rocky shores, barren mountains, and disputed coasts, were first illumed by the rising beams of this auspicious luminary. Like a potent magician, at her fiat sages, poets, heroes, orators, painters, sculptors, architects, &e. rose in rapid and magni ficent succession, until Greece, irradiated by the splendour of such an aggregate of transcendent ge niuses, resembled the celestial galaty. Arts and science', temples, palaces, &c. whatever was mag. uificent, elegant, or noble; whatever was sublime, comprehensive, or profound ; whatever was delight. , fill in peace, or formidable in war, emanated from ber smiles, and adorned her reign. The surroundirtg enslaved and barbarous nations, felt and owned the vast superiority of her arts and arms. The Straits of Salamis, the defiles of Thermopyle, and the plains of Marathon and Plates, beheld the km merpble hosts of barbaric slaves tremble at the man. jy , and intrepid looks of these invincible patriots, who wpro determined "to conquer or die." What cannot such men achieve ? Persian gold first sowed the seeds of dissension among these great and Inge. nious people. Bribery and corruption, like art in. fernsl mildew, blasted the independence of their minds, and left their bodies, and those of their M retched successors, a prey to an mulles' system of slavery, poverty, and insult. Thus divided, and Consequeotly exposed to the intrigues of the crafty Fume, they fell an easy prey to his More fortu. nate sun. The martial energy which centuries of freedom infused into their souls, survived their de. gradation, and enabled the tyrant ALEXANDER, ter.. Tile)y called the Great, to accomplish the conquest of the world. The Romans, by similar virtues, rose to similar ernfneoce in arts and arms; and by the introduction of foreign gold and silver, and its application b i r ciEs 4 R, 4evroNy, &c. to bribe and corrupt the people, Rome received a mortal wound. The ci. lizens were either destroyed abroad by wars, or' corrupted at home by bribes. Thus, Rome fell into a fontpuiptible insignificance, after a proud Pro.eminence of seven centuries. Princes or Rings nuty flourish, or may fade, A breath can mate them, as a breath has made; But a bold peasantry, their country's pride, If once destroyed, can never be supplied." Venice and Genoa, merely from the influence of fillierty on the minds of the inhabitants, became powerful, wise, and eminent. In process of time wealth was confined to a few hands--power accom. panics wealth—aristocracy ensued, and strangled the prosperity of these flourishing Republics. Whenever the people have not a full and compe. tent share of personal security, liberty and pro. petty, and also an unequivocal voice in the forma tion of their own laws, which, in a word, cos. prises the other three, they never will heartily re. silt an invader, because they possess nothing worth a struggle. Switzerland, possessing all these bless.l jugs; bade a noble and stseceoll stand against the tyrannic - encroachments of Austria; defeated her mercenary myriads, and left their bones to bleach i in the northern' blast, as a memorial to future in. i vatting Satellites of tyranny. The brave Belgians ihook off 'their cowardice with the Spanish yoke, ind taught the ferocious and despotic Spaniards what a few free Men can l'itk:Ct Against a host of slaves ! Holland triumphed—rose to greatness, Wealth, and learning, under the auspices of Li. beriy; end in process of time even dared the British thunder on its own acknowledged element !!! Rngland, from the earliest period of her history, seems peculiarly piopitious to Liberty. He's. Con. atitu"tion, which was at various times wrung piece. meal felt the iron grasp of ieczorable and sangui. nary tyrants by a brave and generous people, is better sec Wreak from the fluctuations of Athenian democracy, and the hanghty, overbearing, and pernicious usurpations of Roman aristocracy, by a wise and provident union of all the known forms of genuine Governments, monarchy, aristocracy, cy—so equally poised, mud admirably • r • LONDON 8 FRIDAY, AVGUST 17 ISM .:. ADVICES have been received from Rio Janeiro, and by the same opportunity dispatches of a very flattering nature have- been transmitted to his Ex cellency Don Dossrecto as SOUZA, at this Court. We understand that the Patxce Reatwr his con. (erred upon him one of the highest titular lions in the gift of the House of Bragenxe, with the Grand Cross of the Tower and Sword. He is also raised from the rank of Minister to that of Ambassador. By a former Treaty with this coon try, it was stipulated that the Representatives of the two Sovereigns at their respective capitals, should not be furnished with credential! In a higher character than that of Meister. Under the present Treaty. this restriction has been removed, the article respecting it, howxlver, requiring that both the public Agents should sustain the same dignity. It is there. fore to be presumed, that when the new Treaty was lately transmitted to the Brazils,it wasocompattied with the regular authority investing Lord STIIAWO. roan with the Imitatel function, at the Court of , Rio Janeiro. On the Continent.'Om ,. diplosaetic gradations are much more familiar aminthey are in this country. •VATTIL (Liv. 4, 4.41.) defines an Ambassador as one who sepreseats kb 'Sovereign in his dignity, and a Foreign Minister as representing him only in his concerns. It will be recollected that the remittance of die. monds from the Portuguese settlements, which ar rived some months avows! deficient. The total quoin. tity expected was 50,000 tants, English weight, and on opening the case at the Bank, it was found to contain leas by 1567 (arab. In order to pro. vent any unfounded suspicion of fraud in the trans. action, we understand, that the Portuguese Main seder has written* circular letter, explaining that the variation has arisen from the supposition, on the other side the Atlantic, that 50,000 earats were to be transmitted according to the received weight in the settlements, and not according to that adopt • ed in Great Britain. Before the last remittance ass made, we presume, this misunderstanding had ,been. corrected, as we are told on the same authority t ikat there is rather an excess of quantity in the present c.ousigment. By letters received from Carareas, dated ginning of July, and by the Captain's infortnitirt in whose vessel they were transmitted,' it is as cap tained beyond a doubt, that those provinces. rigidly adhere to the principles adopted in the capital ; and it was expected that very soon the districts of Coro and Maracaybo would join in perfect harmony with their neighbours. Se far from there being any civil disorders, as represented in a Morning Paper, the aspect of affairs improved every day, .and the value of colonial produce progressively augmented.' The military preparations had no other object than pro. tectiun from external hostility. ~.:. WE yesterday took a view of the motives that might have influenced the French EMPEROR, in is. suing his late unexpected Decree. Among other• motives, some persons have insisted upon the fact of his ending himself, and his former Decrees, fulled by our resistance, and national strength, and flourishing trade ; and therefore compelled to retire before our victorious Orders:in Colwell. There is such manifdt absurdity in this, is scarcely to need an answer. Our commerce nearly rained, our kerchaots actuitily IN our Governntent competed "‘ • so resort to every little or daring expedient in finance, to raise the supplies, misery in our 'manufacturen' houses, and sickness and want in the artisans' lusts and garrets this is the real scene of things, and this besought on by the French Emeeeoa's blows at your trade, and talk of his being compelled to change his system ' because the former failed! How dimmed are ell r such men as Don QUIXOTE, when represented by fiction as insane, when their fully is compared with such conduct as that of these talkers ! For Goo's sake, if we have no honesty, let us hare some sense ! Let us not be despised by Europe, as we have been and are hated by her.—if our Ministers destroy us piece-meal, let them not make us the scoff of the world, by their per , seeding us to echo their hirelings, and talk of health where there is nothing but pestilence and death ! But another motive of the French Empe. ror's Decree, it seems, is urged by these same able abettors of Ministers, to be his want of money. •Who knows that want, and what appearance is , there of It, in any part of the world ? What ap. pearance is there of it s eicii in this Decree? Very little as we shall soon skew. And, meantime, people forget the description of Empire this man possesses, when they talk so confidently of his wants. They forget the extent of France itself : ,They forget the state of the Continent (all but the Peninsula, as it is the rage to call it), all open to her manufacturers and merchants. They forget, there' ' ere such things as riven and canals within the Con. tossent, as well as seas without ; and they do not_ seem to know that France is thu commercial dep6t of Europe ; and which, by the way, you made her! —They forget, too, NAPOLEON'S POWER, and rea. diners to exercise it for any purpose !—But if you take all these things into the account, it mak not, perhaps, appear so very probable, that the French nuances are so low as represented by aide. No doebt . the Fairies' EMPEROR'S expen. diture is immense, but his revenues are also im. manse, Ono pbject he may have in view in the Decree, may be to augment his coffers, and no doubt it is so; but it is but one, and you may be ...soured, an inferior object. And, indeed, how can that be the main object of a measure, which cannot be accomplished by it? How are the imports of ' Colonial produce only, into France, to make all the Menace, if her EMPEROR% coffers MPS empty? Has any one who talks in this way, itonsideied what is likely to be the amount of that be. pertation ? Tide leads .us to an important point 'of this very surprising west, both as it concerns awy political, or any commercial speculation on its results. The country is WOW by ir, and thrown late one of those dangeromi situations which bawl been so often lejurioos to its credit, end its peace. But let us dissect this a little, sad see both what, emit jtimmadli aid the Fentress &seamen is IrkOly' 'to derive from his decree, and what relief it will probably afford our commerce. The following is : the rate of NAPOLEON'. new duties, ea reffilied halo English 'abilities Other Dna CA* paydolly of 30 4 s' Wed, Coes - - t Tdriey CAIN 4 - k`, Otber Cathy • - Raw &or . .1 . • Hysou Tet - - 374 •• • • 81174•Telo . : : :;4 • FilseCbmwma - Coe hleeal 8 4 • Mslisso - -- • -- 4 4 Coco- - ' -4 $ , 11 Cleves • . 6 This will be seen to be lamemieely high, and if FranCe is impoverished (reasoning ea that supra sitiop) how are the duties to be paid ? What great population can there be in France to consume a great deal of Colonial commodities at such a rate ? We are enabled to give, from a neurdeaux Price- Current, the former duties upon some of these ar. tides of consumption, namely: 4 ‘ Frincs. Centimes. " Cokes, the hund►ed Killogruses . . Coffee, French Ditto, Foreign Raw Boer, French ...,I . . . Ditto, 4 oreiga Cloyed ditto, French Foreign ditto Indigo At the same time the price current of those goods was as follows :... Cotton (Brazils) from . . . . 1660 to 1670 • Illartinkine aed anadabispa ditto 1480• to 1600 Cahn (per proved) Bliss**, and Gusulnlospe, ordienrj Rio' sugar, third•quilitg, the him dred Killogrames, Mint . . . 450 to 460 Cloyed ditto. dine, from . . . 610 to 630 Indigo (the pound) from Bengal, second polity, from . . . . . It to 31 nitro Carraccas Flores, front . . . 60 to 68 From thsatitnala, ditto, ditto, from 68 'to 70 And the ottsei: sorts 'in proportion. Cochineal (per. pound) Campeachy wood, Spanish, the cot. . The difference between the two rates is prodigious. Is, therefore, the former usual French conning). don of Colonial produce to be expected, under bur. . thens so much heavier? The new duties are not only very heavy in themselves, but will appear more lit from comparison with former times, and therefore i will prevent the Freoch from consuming the articles. generally. But it is only a very general consumption , , then.ean produce any great revenue to the Fasiett. Enenton from these duties. It may theeehrei hi . fairly.concluded, that he could not calculate much upon a source et revenue little to be rebel e l sod, 6 y - •-•:- - 50 • that the money he is to get cant cause or motive of the Decree. degree of relietis our distressed wive from this neasure? • First factures, no English'proddie, intti'France„ under thia . Di looi And the anvil that want coplfk, Mod . employ And mar/ would find busieeo and weals rolief is partial. The Decree Planters itnd .1)66'1116ns Tr of least impoitarice of any Blanchester wont be relieved; ham, Birmingham, or Sheffield. lief will come to trade from oer Merchants Ought to coasidsr Let them not only have ezperient but let them avail themselves of Caton, for instance, which the may export to France, with to stand in competition wit charged only" sixty.siz francs servetiou applies to ifedigat It dues not Appear, that the can have any chance 'if he `market, under this Decree. doing sot The Berlin and aot annulled' by this, itad 'men, then, not liable to (confiscation without forged papers of origin not liabloto he seized by our , nay papers of origin ? We hope will have a little consideration this transaction. It would become formerly belonging to an English we n ish to see that restored! On not see the cause for triumph haveezhibited, on the arrival bare Decree. 7 ,111 1.10, T is with extreme Of:astir() firmly believea;' that a genera. siiners is, jtaally• settled hctr France. • • l—wawsr— . have sees an lAA lk • pew stamp on it ! This is'a and most odious duiy. Wither Troilism cannot publish a hand . .. 1,0 19 endesrour to all s few customers to his ilstip, Pit be most pay GOTHS. went so enormous premium fur the privilege. The privilege ranituo still, thank God, with liagtbil l men; althorsols not so poor as the Irish. Where, then, are *oft equal laws which were to stage Eng. land and Ireland in one bond of love auilkkoefilenesly Ministers must either undergo the kortird of flunk; a tat of one perm on every g n o s i s ipad„w i h, to place 'reload Oft a par wittiest (coosiderbsgibi 00111. partitive wealth of Illstwto cowatries), or seal, th• moment. Paribas.* Poets, (he "alma!' 1001 epos hood:bilis, f3ut Dili Exot.oxis, is a. moved from ghat apathy andakinaints, was her reproach among oitiorkow•vrin PA O* sgreatly relish ik tits 4 f i t ,s plainy, ittrorowirmAkr, thing, on °ire, laatt!billf Aiss • as hearillfl: Otte; !P149114 "'SuPP*l4l"*" poor 'luta /611143111,11.1 . 1" this ,metropolis, eat Po hist . rolartamiliiii. oet land,bilisi or poefing4slll tit nilleirikblli heart, and gill the usothoef iojll/10 ) la isito theirartet may be regeiaed r ratall hem to Qoierat meta-asmuch as the whole efiPeneet4lll9 both . paper and printing, for' the father?? eet; err • white is .wane, lose, for wont of Oa sea or tax, the right rod power of using the natural Of* it regaining his child ? This is to task the ezereissof virtue, and the best of the human peahen ifetor did Government descend so low I We moy 110111f41 our flourishing finances and our weskits bet * is sorry proof of the reality' of the mood of * boast! We are, in fact, either so poor as tg /IP driven to the lowest means of finance to mill. 61 1 Supplies, or are so rapacious, that we Most to Opp vile means without necessity. Which do the eilik tors of Mr. PirICETAL and Mr. FOrTng chair 'Ol say Is our condition; fur they must tak4 ono dlr., .grace or the other, there being no other efioiait Which, theo, do you. cbsise ? • It is little mint* which, since either is a disgrace that iso liontotable Minister could bear. To boost 4,90'0444 14 `,1 iources, in the midst of the eseoriest sod Piet feeling arts of finance, is a thing did itilegelksithi else palliate, and cannot be practismtby tuiy hot $llO. linked ; or most prellipto of then I . ry The price of Sugar rose it per cent. yesterash in consequence of the new French Degree. Ti account of the late Decree of the Fronts Idatraaang ' we understand, was received by the bats at DAVI SCOTT and Company. • Whatever may be the • fate of the Pilate!liala,' resistance made by the Spaniards erode a profits • proof of the importance of intersadeg the paps! Lion in the defence of a country. -Spain, vietk any regular army—with dilapidated 004 * B4 wretched Government, has made a farm...gm& debits resistance by the energy of her #.00 10.9 though an ',neigh redisvd by isegisiswensegoto than those continental nation who had the hot *P peintedliod moilhamerous armies in the wet* Private letters (rum the amyl of Lord Wassuith TON Rate, that the troops ufre, well supplied Id° ' everr:aertiole of necessity, uAl i with wins Is Ow dance.• The officers, howesies wildy to a limited space et time st-raele every dub WMck on no `uccaalau A eaceedettitreastwat the Irbil° k ! k • 'I, 1 .-• t .q lit! 41 V . • IT e t •111 th xfil "ata dfi eta fir MI moi fr • Os ser l'• tic sh h 4 •al PS WIN alt 4 req wU Fi. Ryt ar fire ;Pee :anuot be the prin c i pal t .ce. And now, on dt iseel commerce to re. st—no English ass oc . :1, is to be import e d cave; But it a th a lot employ. If th e , c rkets, the Kerala% I filth again ; if not, At !e may relieve a. f te • Graders ; but they at t body to the oath*, . • cl; nor will Notti ot ld. Little or no re. n this' source. A s d nsidsr of that in tti,,,e perieuce in their eye, of that ! flow is tt ia el the English htercbast a duty of too fra nca iih that of lyspi edi ics The nuns ob. .r. t , *ad other article, he Eoglish •menhan t 1 goer to the 'Mick Al4d Is Iw safe is • l Milan . Amara an d are oar taarektat. X education a ass , h i s sin T Aved are they • crullers if they carry f• hope our biercluan • C on rot the - wolves its A ecoatcs the cbalackt Wish liferchant d and tl Op the wholn; we di i which some peuom Fro ft( this celebrated' a we state,, that Pa. exchange of pri. is tweet, England oe4 tM Id-bill, with * hull/. a most burtheasoip i tl hoe. /risk TIISISIONII • g . - - PRICE OF STOCKS fills DAY Al' ONE O'l' OCK. 3 per Ceot. Red. 69j 9 per Coo. Coos. 61311 e Osmium I dia. THE STATESMAN, THE STATESMAN. . hilim. blended, that it promises a duration beyond' any thing of human contrivance. The people of Nag. land have for centuries enjoyed more rational liber. ty, that is, more personal security, personal fiber ty, and the right of private property, than any other nation of ancient or modern times : hence l'her long pre.emitience in sciences, arts, and arms ; her undisputed dominion of the ocean ; her prepon derating influence in the kale of nations, and the industry, ingenuity, and proverbial courage of her inhabitants. These all are the glorious, but natu ral effects of Liberty. So long as the House of Commons is in reality what the Constitution intended it to be, the real Representatives of the people, so long will these inestimable blessings, like rays of glory, encircle the British Isles ; but should it unfortunately ever happen that the majority of the Members of that House become the servile creatures and pliant tools of a blundering and corrupt Minister, or the Re. presentative' of the Aristocracy, who are constitu. tionally represented in the House of Lords, then this noblest fabric of human invention, this hap. piest amalgamation of .practical jurisprudence, will, like Greece, Rome, Venice, Genoa, Switzerland, and Holland, as certainly 66 dissolve, and, like the baseless fabric of a vialgo, leave nut a wreck behind." • v • Weiverlumpton, August It DENTATUS, 'Arrived. I Wats. 1 1 0 ....... .. . Waterford V rt‘ r .. , : 1 0 i sr ••••••••= . l., • . . . •••.,, .tl..