The Mirror — Concord, N.H., 1798-01-30 00:00:00, page 2

"The fubfiquent decree of the
^ 11th Ventofe, 2d March, goes
more immediately to the point,
v but rather beyond ir. The Mifr
Sifter of Justice, to whole province
this matter belonged only inci
dentally, ffiould have confined
himfelf to meafurei absolutely co
ordinate with the principal objed,
and not been ii fluenced by con
federations of ignorance and of in.
tereft, which have originated chul
ei tending to bring an odium up
on any system of reprisal however
other wife well founded and correct
The Minister who has digested
this decree, will readily perceive
what article it alluded to. He
Ought not, in particular, to have
adopted literally the article respect.
iag pirates, which is nothing more,
in the treaty of London, than a
provision ofually introduced into
treaties, and copied from our#,—
In (hart,l fay of chia decree, that
the Direabry has done its duty,
but that the Minifteri < have failed
in theirt. This article as it ftauds,
will become the source of num
berteh vexations, which will only
prejudice our cause, and cause
great embarrassment in the ap
proaching negotiation.
" The decree, such st it
Should have been, could not have
authorized any objection on the
part of the American govern
ment ; and if any had been ad
vanced, they might have been re
plied to by presenting the treaty of
London. But now, they com
plain that we exceed even the
British treaty ; &nd it is difficult
to answer the objection,"
After a number of obferva
tions on the sincerity of the
French Government in making
the Treaty of 1778, the impro
priet, of inftrudiag Genet to
charge with perfidy the ancient
Government, feme cen fores on
that Diplomatic Agent, bur mote
prarfe ;an after' lo " that Wa(h
ington had been unfavourable to
the Revolution fierce the flight of
Fayette and the Death of the
K^og ; notice of the publication
in the Gazette of the United States
and Porcupine's Gazette, of the
recall of Mr. Munroe, &c. He
[ proceeds,
;'' The Executive Diredoty, af
ter catifiig the French nation to
be refpeaed, and securing its in
terefti from the attempts of the
Federal Government, should neg
left to means of effacing thole
falfe impreffiona by which it has
been endeavoured, a tPhiladelphia,
to reduce us ;o trace out to it# a
genrs 1 line of condud that will
equally shield us from the suspi
cion of an improper ioterferance
in their doroeftic affair#, and from
that indifference which naturally
generates contempt. Every iilu
fion withwhich the American ad
mioiftrattan endeavour, to mifrep
refect our views, fhou^d be diflipa
.red by a condud both just and
candid. We have too much to
gain by conciliating the esteem of
a nation, where public opinion
notwithstanding the intrigues of a
^foreign power, is ffill independent,
not to attempt th, hftern which
Q^ triumph over p^
dice.
'•• The United Stem are, gen-!
eriHy, either too much underval
ued, or prized bejond their io
^iofic importances' Both these
opinions are erroneously formed
&L the national mariner#. The
fitft it derived from viewing,
them a# a herd of Jews, engaged
only in over reaching one another
—the second, actuated by an en
thuftafm equally grouadlefr, find
among them modles of wi/dom &
virtue, no where discoverable in
Europe. But, thtfe opposite
judgments arise from caufs to
which the Siatefmaa cano^M-'
.tach any degree of value. , Na
tional manners ought never to
be configured as decisive for
estimating the charader of a peo
ple. Ldrpereent of whatever
may be feenworthy of prrife or
blamein the American mariner#
there exists an inconvertible truth
which mull be reseted to, for con-
Rituting the grounds pf a system
with retpea to that power; I
allude to the political impa, rance
to which as a nation, the United
State* * f e rapidly approximating
—This importance is so much the
more certain, as id iocretfe will
cot be fettered by the obstacles it
would experience if they were so
fitoated,as to partk/ in the dis
ftntiQos of Europe. It would b^
wrong to attribute to crcumftan-'
ces merely, the progress m^de b
the United States liuce the adpp
tion of their new conftiturion—•
period when the internal dift^b
atkes of France, and the misfit
tunes of her Colonies commenced
—Exclusive of these accidental
causes, the Uoired States by the
extent of their territory, the na
tore of their population, its genius
and activity, atd the situation o^
their coasts, are evidently called to
exercise in North America, a con
siderable itfleence The power
that knows g> conciliate their as
tedions, will have in them io ifr
terefti g friend—and their .new
trality ought not perhaps to be
less courtedthan their abiance.
“ France is peculiarly interested
in continuing her connexions with
America It ii lets the fituition
other inerts th«t dictates this,
than the pefition of Spain, v,hofe
irtereth might be deeply hazard
ed by the combined effort of
England and the United Statts.—
Whatever be the afeendency de
rived by Eng^ndover theft States,
from her commerce, we may sty
wiys contend, with success, a
gainst the political connexions at
tempted by that power. Jty
ing from the piefem ftatel of
commerce between the Unied
State# sod G. Britain, we might
be led to think the former ftih a
colony cf the latter, or, at leift
apprehend they would become so.
This opinion, was tran(mined
from Philadelphia by the prefect
miniver of foreign affairs, who,
ta having avowed it, has incur,
red the hatred of every parrizaaM
England ; so just a view cfthiqgQ
and the franknefs with which hit
opinions have been declared, h
the more honourable to him,h
every probability derived from hu
known connexions in the United
States, seemed to anoouace a very
different one. -Yet it would be
highly improper to conclude frot
ibis rircurnftance, that the United
Spates ought to be abandoned to
themfelvei, and treated with the
;Contempt necessarily inspired by ^
truth which cannot be conmdid
ed. There are abundant means
of refining the impulse caused by
the commercial/)afeendency of
England and even of counteraa
iog her influence. ^^
l /''Whit then Cnri we corc'^e
from all that has beer hid? Th^t
the United States a d the French
Republic are in a fixation which
may lead to extremities ? France
in particular, has ffrong re^fons
for the refentmemts which form
the basis of her recent conduct. —
The United States, on th° co^wa
ry, have only unfounded prerex,
. for (opposing their recriminations.
Both are, notwichftanding, i:re-
Gftabiy athided towards each
other by the fame powerful force
of similar principles. These two
causes of union should be allowed
their full efficacy, and check, in
both, those passions and that felf.
love, which might contribute to
prevent a reconciliation.
" Whatever warmth the British
party in Congress may have di(-
pla,ed in their declamations, they
will perceive, on reflection, if they
peffth a single rational fenciment,
that the interefis of England and
America will forever be at vari
ance ; that footer or later, her f^-
11 ricendancy wi;'l dilate laws ;
that America far from having a
oy veil founded motive for let
feeing the counterpoise which
France oppose, to the maritime
Superiority of England, ought, on
he contrary, to with us fuccefa in
our fruggle with that enemy of
whatever prospers. We on cur
part, have a strong interest in la.
veuring the maraime prosperity of
America, were it from no other
view than to : e&n the power of
England, by depriving her of ev
ery part of it, not derived from
her own resources. The United
States have nothing to with for,
on the (core of territory. The
deceptions bait which England
may hold out, by promising her^
the spoils of France or Spain,
would have a fat^liffue, whatever,
might be the success of a combi
nation formed on such principles.
Every view of the fubjed didstes,
on their part, candour in negotia
tion and a perfeft reconciliation
with us. Let Mr. Adams, in
particular, be penetrated with the
magnitude of the pars he is called
to aft. Let him forget the little
animosities which th„apfe of years
must have cooled down, and
which his elevated pofi r ion bids
him reje% The President of
the United States ought not to
avenge the injuries received by
the American plenipotentiary in
1782: The qutftion is not, a
bout reviving petty rival(hipr;
they cab now have no exigence,
for his opponents are fuck into
the tomb. Whatever may be
Gid of hit character and enmity a
gainst us, we have every thirig to
hope from the reairude of his
judgement. But let him remove
the men who will continually a
waken in hit breast pillions which
it is their inured to perpetuate.—
Let him take op the pen himfelf,
and digest the inftruaions for hi#
Commissioners. If he abandons
this t^fk, to the hand that framed
the manifefto„ot 16'th Jan. he will
most imprudently hazard the dear
eff iaterefti of hit country., The
Republic, after forcing all hfafe
miei to fall at her feet, and every
falfe neutral to make reparation
for the, wrongs they have done
her, cannot Ucrifice either her
confederation or her treasures, by
negotiating in a fate of things
^whith bears every Cbaraaer of
hoftility.fr
, Oh cur pm, let tf%&te§ the
injuries cf admiuiffraticn more dis-•
tingorihed by ierwe^mfs thxn i:s
malignity. Our lucceffes hive
fufficienrly avenged us, on out to
cret foe, and cowardly friends.—
Let us fierifice our refenrmec%
however just they may be, to a
paramount interest. The pretence
crisis; arrested in time, will pro
duce the most faluwy cor.fr
quences ;= prolonged, with the
circumflances which hive hither
to attended it, might become a
source of melaocho'y recoliaion,,
and perhaps, the germ of a nation
al antipathy, unaccompanied by
any of the advantages, real or im
aginary, which often cause them
to be corfidered as political means."
'■*!=to^#Bt_mtt^_mCTtßfaHtmßre
United States Legijlature.
FIFTH CONGRESS —.-Second Seffiou.
HOUSE, &c.— JAN. 10.
CT,HE confideraiion of the Tennessee
remohftrance was postponed until
Friday.
Mr. M'-Dowell gave notice that to
morrow he sh uld call op the business
of W. Blount's impeachment,
Mr. Harper, from the Com. of W.
and M. reported the following :
“ Refolded, That there be appropri
ated, on account, towards defraying the
txpenfes of finishing the United States,
Constitution and CoAfteßation frigates,
dollars."
Committed for to-morrow.
Ja n. it. Mr. Tillinghaft laid on the
table, ihuruaieis of the Legiflalure of
Rhode island agairdt the Stamp. Ad.
' A petition from paper makers in Con
neaient, pra, ing tor encouragement,&c.
was committed.
FEDERAL FRIGATES.
Mr. Harper's refjltoion prefenied yes
terday was taken up. He Rated that for
finishing the frigates, 10,198 dols. were
now wanting; of which 20501 was at
»ready appropriated. He proposed to al
low on account 20,000 dollars.
The eftimites were called for,and Mr.
# Harper, after reading five of them, laid
them on the table.—By them it appears,
that 26,275 dollars are naceffiry to com
plete the Coiftitution- 2z,,g, iheCon
ftell&tion—and 23,557 the United States
—75 5 7§9 for military stores—and 3,376
for arms and accoutrements for marines.
Considerable debate ensued. It was
contended there must have been misman
agement, and that no money ought to
be granted, until the bufintfs had been
inquired into. At length, without a
decision, the .committee rose, reported
pfogreft, and had leave to fit again.
Gen. K&fkiufo's, the Miffed de &af
fe's, Mrs. Carmichael's, and the appro
priation bills, have passed the Senate.
The fitft with an amendment.
Mr. Livingston laid on the table, a
motion, for an inquiry into the naval ex
penditures, &c.
Jan. 15. Mr. Tilfoghaft, a
greeably co notice he gave os
Friday last, proposed a resolution
for the adoption of the House, to
the following effed :
"Resolved, That a committee
be appointed 40 bring in a bill for
the purfofe of repealing the ad of
Congrefa puffed the lift feffioo,
levying a duty on fUmped vellum,
parchment and paper."
Thia resolution, it wax wiffied,
should be referred to the commit
tee of way# and meant. Inthia
wiffi the House finally concurred.
Several petitions on this fubjett
from Virginia, were read and re
ferred for further con fideration,
On @otioD of Mr. Liviogfton,
a Committee of fivi wa# appoint
ed to inquire into the expenditure
of the money appropriated for the
naval service, and &® the cautet.
which have produced & delay in
Ifinishing1 finishing the fame, v
Much private and local bufineft
ffcefted ifefetto.4# the boule. {