The Rhode-Island American, and general advertiser — Providence [R.I.], 1810-12-11 00:00:00, page 2

peaceful, while the depraved end ambi- |
tious are, on the contrary, the most active,
it follow* that the conduct to which a
crowd is instigated will, more probably
than not, be destructive of its own interests,
and inconsistent with justkflf Those acts
• in which it esteems itself most free, are the
most flagrant proofs of its slavery* Heat
ed by a Demagogue, it destroys a patriot.
Charmed by an Orator, it rescues an assas
sin. By the direction* of Themistocles it
subjects Aristides to the Ostracism, be*
cause there is fear that Aristides wishes =
tadirect the state. To-day it forces hem
lock to the lip of Socrates; to-morrow it
calls down curses upon the heads of his ac-
Ct|eers. Now it decrees death to the man
who affects military force : now it appoints,
for the protection of u favourite, the guards
with with which he tramples opposition,
and subverts the laws.
Such were the Grecian democracies.—
Led by the ambitious, and divided by the
artful; nesting from the wara which as
sailed them fram abroad, to wage, with
more vigour, those which awaited them at
home i till, weakened, weary, and discon
tented, they at length found rest under the
conquering wings of foreign power.
VALERIUS.
Baltimore Federal Refiublican t
Holland, after enduring every oppreV
eloi> that could he inflicted, since the nation
coalesced wl'h France™'after loosing all
her commerce—after being bereaved of
her sorts, and drained of her substance—
has been at length incorporated with
France, her name extinguished, and her
glory set foi ever. To render resistance to
as impossible as her groans
have hitherto been unavailing, her towns
and her pm ts have been filled with French
soldiery, w|yn have superseded the author
ity of the civil magistrates, and who will
be changed and replaced, as often ns fa
miliarity with the inhabitants may be pre
sumed to soften the heart, as it sometimes
will, even of Napoleon’s cut throats, and
•pm an access to pity for the Sufferings
and wrongs of that most unfortunate peo
ple in the world.
As the wnpernurs of Rome made a spec
tacle r.f the degradation of conquered kings,
* so the empctour of France puts a period to
■ nations, by Chaining, as it were, the im
ages of their departed existence, to his
triumphal car. Aftef 1 a treaty had been
purch ised at the expense-of • large sum,
and the miserable remnant, consisting only
of the shadow of independence, was stipu
lated to be continued to the Dutch, who set
* to high a Value spun the sound of their
Country’s name. Bonaparte having pocket
ed the money, flew the bargain, and de-|
termined 'on the incorporation of Holland
with France. On this occasion he re*
quftrd a national deputation to attend him,
’ to whom he delivered an address full of
vanity, falsehood and insult; and compel
led them to return an answer,, displaying
as much meanness and dastardly submis
sion, as Smith or Giles could have convey
ed, had either of them been the orator of
the deputation. Every Dutchman’s feel
ings must have been wrung at the ignomini
ous display, whilst he remepbered the
pride of his ancestors, and tjie blood and
. pleasure which they had spent for the sub
ject of K,t day’s sacrifice. Every Dutch
man must have .hudderetl at the horrible
slavery ahd poverty to which his country
was'fiom that day completely delivered.
Is }hete an American so far divested of
human feelings or of a generous sympathy,
sharpened by casting a glance upon the
possible fate of his own country, as not tn
feel indignant at the unmerited wrongs of
the Dutch ? The answer must be, Yes!
Hundreds and thousands of the profeS
sors of democracy approve of every thing
that Napoleon perpetrates. We yesterday
quoted a passage'from the official paper of
Maryland, justifying his condyat towards
us. in general, as ** open, ingenuous and
manly,” ami therefore meriting '• appro
bation.” The same persons who dwell with
eagerness upon the tragedies acting in
Spain and Portugal, who are rent with im
patience kt the delay of the termination,
* which they fondly hope will be favourable
ta murder and usurpation—jhete same
masters rejoice thu. _our old friend* and
x fellow republicans the Dutch, are oblite-
X'rated and absorbed in the vortex of French
tyranny. Let us be condemned if we have
been uncharitable—We wish not to be
Credited without producing evidences of
the facsf but, for the present, we shall
confine oUr selves to specimens of this spirit, '
pres. nted by the Essex Register, a demo
craflck paper, published at Salem, Mas
sachusetts. It is conducted with more uni
formity and talents than any other paper
of the party In New-England. Its reputed
editor is Dr. Bently, who was, a few years
ago flattered by the appointment of Chap
lain to Congress, but he did not find it con
venient to accept the honour. In the month
of October, the editor of that paper ex
pressed himself in the following manner,
alluding to the address of the Dutch depu
tation, which we have mentioned above. J
From the F.ttex Regitter.
“ We have been favoured with a view of
the nddreus of Holland, to the Emperour
of France. If ever Holland could re~
Lnounce it* political exigence with glory, it*
mutt have been on tuch an occasion”
That It might not appear dtmbtful, co «o
favourable an occasion for clearing up the
point, whether he ia an equal admirer of
monarchy with tome of hie distinguished
colleagues in the editorial employment,
who have favoured the world with their
professions of political faith, he goes on to,
any, by way of comfort to the fallen and be
trayed Dutchmen
“In a monarchy, they have much to
hope from a spirit of enterprise, and the
talents of a great Emperour and nation."
I A
xx who travelled several
observations upon the state of the country
and the opinions of the people, has commu
nicated to us the following statement As
he had access to every class of society, and
made it his business to visit and converse
with them, his remarks are mote to be
confided in than the anecdotes and hasty
sketches of fly-away travellers, whose in
formation Is too imperfect to bo relied on.
He found every party and denomination
of the .English heartily disposed to bo on
friendly terms with the United States, and
none but regretted that our government had
so long frustrated every offer for aA. .rad
justment. Even old George Rose, of the
Treasury, declared that it was high time
to settle our controversies, but complained
that be found the Americans would never
compromise any diflltulty whatever, but on
terms exclusively favourable to themselves.
Although vice arid misery were mingled in
Sthe state of society in the manufacturing
towns, he found the reign of plenty, con
tent, religion and virtue, predominating in
every other part of the country, to a de
gree,. which compared with his observa
tions made in England at the commence
ment of the American revolution, produced
astonishment jn his mind. Improvements
in agriculture were the study of all, and
the' noirttity and gentry emulated each
other in reclaiming the waste and unpro
ductive lands, .so as to multiply the food
and comforts of man, without depending
upon other nations. The number of schools
for the education of the poor was carried
to a 'great and increasing height. The
king, who is totally deprived of his eye
sight, is the moat popular man in his domin
ions. With very few exceptions, whei ever
political discontent existed, it seemed to
have ia view nothing unfriendly to the
itself, which on the contrary,
is by the whole body of the na
tion. Those who have the most right to
complain of the taAes, prefer beat ing them
rather than that the energy of the national
resistance should be relaxed. All are sen
sible that the weight of taxation is vastly
less ponderous than upon the continent of
Europe; and that they endure nothing
which will bear the remotest comparison
with the curses which would cross the
channel with the conquest and sway of Bo
naparte, were a conquest possible. This
gentleman, though free from every undue
bias in favour of England, is of opinion, that
were the British navy annihilated*'and the
British Island, brought by a convulsion of
nature, into contact with the Continent, the
nation could not be conquered, so univer
sally is it pervaded by an immoveable and
determined patriotism, and such is its pre
paration for the conflict, by the numbers,
loyalty, discipline and spirit of the local
militia, which amounts to 900,000 men.
What shadowy hopes must this state of
months in England, with a view to make
things permit to the enemies of Great-Bri
tain, that her fall is at hand. Mr. Jtffer
son-, who has calculated Upon its being
realised from year to year, will sink into
his grave, without finding the progress of
that event, so long and coenflently foretold,
and so ardently wished for by him, ad
vanced the space of a bailey-corn’s length.
Neither rebellion, conquest, famine nor na
tional bankruptcy, is Hkely to lay that na
tion, to whom he owed, and perhaps stilt
owes more money than he is willing or able
to pay, prostrate beforejhis friend Bona
parte., A few months ago we read an ex
tract from a Paris papeh wfiich not only
admitted that France could not conquer
England, but tre«te<Mhe paasihilhy of aueb
an object engaging the attention of 'the
French government.as a libel upon its sa
gacity. The bug-bear embargo of 1798,
which with death in its train, was tomarch
over every land, admitting the British
sway, leaving a dreary void, except where
the spectacle was rendered more fieicely
dismal by rebellion, has passed over them
like a summer’s cloud, and instead of shed
ding pestilence from its bosom, has scat
tered genial showers fomenting every na
tive production. England, therefore, can
no more be.atarved by us, than conquered
by Bonaparte. She is equally safe from
rebellion. What is passing on both sides
of the Atlantick has bad a powerful ten
dency to invigorate British patriotism.—
Her people are not so blind as not to
profit from the lesson which France has
afforded of the unprofitableness of intro
ducing incurable convulsions, under the
pretence of radically ameliorating the ci
vil institutions; of the folly of reforming
abuses by introducing tenfold greater op
pressions; and of the deception of bring
BALTIMORE, December 1. •
STATU OF ENGLAND.
2&p tjje JBailjS.
flattered with |n extension of power orifr
to injure themselves and aggrandise dema
gogues, until they become mtmsters of ty
ranny. In the United States they behold
nothing to recommend the conduct of the
governing party to their Imitation. They
See on one aide moat of the virtue, talents
and property of this nation engaged io an
arduous and doubtful struggle for self-pre
servation. They see pur feeble govern
ment on the ether side, bullied and insult
ed by the common enemy, without feaist
ance or complaint, ready to yield up their
authority tq,his grasp, and hesitating only
lest the people would not consent to be en
slaved without avenging the loss of liberty
upon those, who ought, but did not defend
and preserve it.
Instead of looking for bankruptcy beyond
the ocean, M(. Jefferson and his disciples
and dupes, have only to examine the “ beg
garly.account of the empty b6xes” he has
left at Washington. Whifst England is
paying off her national debt by a rapidly
active sinking fund, and by - means of reve
nue flourishing bcrind former example,
and iuciwasfogbeyid antieipati<4 our sink
ing fund,- though wa are at pqacepnd too
blindly confident to prepare for jsy, is ap
plied to current purposes* and we are bur
rowing in one single loan near four millions
from a bank, - whose capital is only ten
millions, and which is, perhaps, the only
monied institution having the power, which
would be inclined to lend so much. One
would think here io sufficient employment
for the exercise of financial prophesy and
corrective prudence, without making ex
-1 emsions into the British exchequer, which
the ignoramuses, who are incapable of
sagaciously managing affairs upon a small
scale, cannot be supposed to comprehend,
I much less to criticise.
The period has at last arrived when we
may console ourselves on being the hap
piest of mortals. Mr. Rbea, the Repre
sentative from Tennessee, on his way to
Congress, being asked the other day if
there was much business to be done in the
approaching Session, replied, •• Ab, my
friend, tee ehall make ahort v>QT,k it»
for tbt have nothing to do but to fiaee a
vote of approbation tfthe Preeidcnt'e pro
elamation taking iff the reatrietiiaia ae it
reiatea to France.'* .
STAUNTON, (Virginia,) November 21.
ABOLITION OF TUB SLAVE THADS.
The following interesting remarks on tilt
violation of the Law* of the United States
•nd Great*Britain, relative to the abolition
of the Slave Trade, are copied from the
Belfast Monthly Magazine” of August
last. If the information here given be cor
rect, the eontinual and principal trans
gressors of those laws are citizens of the
United States. It deserves the serious con
sideration of Congress, whether some mea
sure cannot be adopted which shall« ffeetts
ally exterminate a tr a flick so directly at
variance with the plain dictates of humani
ty— so hostile to the laws Of our country,
and derogatory to our national character.
“ On the subject of the abolition ef the
slave trade, we meet with the following in
formation in the fourth report of the di
rectors of the African Institution, an asso
ciation formed to watch over the interests
of the much wronged inhabitants of the
coasts of Africa.
“ It has been discovered that in defiance
of all the penalties imposed by act of par
liament, vessels under foreign flags, have
been fitted out in the ports of Liverpool and
London, for the purpose of carrying slaves
from the coast of Africa to the Spanish
and Porptguesw settlements in America;
and several adventures of this description
have actually been completed.
The persons, however, who are the
most deeply engaged in this nefarious traf
tick, appear to be*lhe citizens of the United
States of America. These shelter them
selves from the penal consequences of theii
criminal conduct by means of a nominal
sale both of ship and cargo at some Span
ish or Swedish port, (the Havana for ex
ample, or the island of St. Bartholomews-,)
they are thus put in a capacity to use the
flags of these states, and so disguised, have
carried on their slave trading speculations
-during the last gear, to ahenormous ex
tent. -:
“ The different communications received
by the directors from the coast of Africa
concur in stating, that in the month of Oc
tober last, thecoast was crowded with vts
seis known to be American, trading for
slaves under;Spanish and Swedish flags.
The slaves thus procured, it is understood,
were afterwards to be carried for sale,
either to South-America, or to the Spanish
West-Indies. Some cargoes (there is rea
son to believe) were landed at St. Bartholo
mew’s, and smuggled thence into English
islands. The extent to which this evil has
unexpectedly and suddenly proceeded, and
its obvious influence on all the plans for
promoting the civilisation of Afiica, have
induced the directors, since the last gene
ral meeting, to turn a large share of their
attention to the best means of restraining
or removing It. Besides making the neces
sary representations from time to time, to
government, they have taken measuies for
communicating to the officers of the navy,
distinct respecting the provi-
NEW-YORK? December 3.
skms of the legislature on thia point, irrd
the manner in which those provisions have
been eluded, as well as to noint out the pe
cuniary advantage whichwould accrue to
them from a vigorous enforcement of the
abolition laws. The inducement to vigi
lance on the part of the navy is considera
ble, the oaptore being entitled to the for
feiture of both ship and cargo. And al
though all slaves found on board are liber
ated. yet there is a bounty allowed by gov
ernment to the captors amounting to forty
pounds for each man, thirty pounds for
each woman, and ten pounds for each child
so liberated. Instances have already oc
curred in which this bounty has been claim
ed and received. r
“ The directors state, that in prose
cuting their inquiries into this case, they uni
formly experience on the part of the Brit
ish government a prompt attention to their
representations, and a cordial disposition
to aid their efforts in preventing the infrac
tion of the laws for the abolition of the
slave trade. >
i “Itisto be remembered, to the honour
of the government of the United States of
America, that it seised an early opportuni
ty of effecting the abolition of this trade as
far as legislative enactments could effect
it. America, however, has few or no means
of enforcing her own commercial edicts.
In despite of those edicts, however, her 1
ships are now the great carriers of slaves,
without any other defence against the
penalties to which as Americans they are
liable, than is afforded by the flag, and
simulated clearances of some foreign state.
“ The directors have also received a let
ter containing much'important information
respecting a district of the gold coast, from
Mr. Meredith. He states, that the benefi
cial effects which might be expected to
follow the abolition of the slate trade by
Great-Britain have been greatly impeded
hy the continuance of it, though on a re
duced scale, by other nations. Accusa
tions, predatory wars, Bcc. are not so fre
quent as formerly; but kidnapping, he
adds, is still practised. That the inhabi
tants are more industrious, and that they
have more confidence in their personal
safety, he thinks is clearly observable. In
short, the effects which havejlowed from
even a partial abolition of the slave trade,
seem to him to prove that a total abolition
would be attended with many more bene
ficial consequences; for though the export
of slaves from Aft ica be now comparatively
tHfling, yet it keeps alive on the coast
many of the mil practices which would
otherwise cease. The total abolition, he
observes, is therefore necessary. <*j
“The directors have continued to re
ceive the most satisfactory proofs, that Af
ricans' are as Susceptible of intellectual
and moral culture as the natives of any
other quarter of the globe
our’a Island was named “ Castle Williams,”
under y salute of 17 guns. On which oc
casion Colonel Williams gave a Collation
to the Mayor and Corporation of this city,
General Armstrong, and a number of mili
tary and naval officers.
WASHINGTON CITY, December 4.
Ths House met this day at the usual
hour; but the Senate did not form a quo
rum until one o’clock, so that the joint com
mittee whp were appointed to wait on the
President, did not make their report until
two. At two o’clock, Messrs. Dawson and
Shaw, who were of the committee on the
part of the House, reported that they had
'waited on the President, and that he had
appointed to-morrow, at 12 o’clock, to send
his Message to both Houses of Congress.—
Immediately after the report the House
adjourned.
The President of the United States this
day communicated by Mr. E. Coles, his
private Secretary, the following Message
to Congress
Fellow Citizens of the Senate, and
of the House of Representatives,
The embarrassments which have pre
vailed in our foreign relations, and so much
employed the deliberations of Congress,
make it a primary duty, in meeting you, to
comniuAfcate whatever may lave occur
red, in that branch of our national kffhirs.
The act of the last session of Congress
“ concerning the commercial intercourse
between the United States and Great-Bri
tain and France and their dependencies,"
having invited, in a new form, a termina*’
tion of their edicts against our neutral com
merce, copies of the acts weft immediate
ly forwarded to our Ministers at London
and Paris; with a view that its object
might be within the early attention of the
French and British governments. '
By the communication received through
our Minister at Paris, it appeared, that a
knowledge of the act by the French gov
ernment, was followed-by a declaration
that the Berlin and Milan decrees were
revoked, and would cease to have effect on
the' first day of November ensuing. These
being the only known edicts of France,
within the description of the act, and the
revocation of them being such that they
ceased, at tjjat date, to violate our neutral
commerce; the fact, as prescribed by law,
On Saturday last, the Castle on Govern-
Rational
December 5.
was announced byt proclamation beating, •
date the second day of November.
It would have well. accorded with the
conciliatory views, indicated by thia pro
ceeding on the part of France, to have ex
tended them to all the grounds of just com
plaint, which now remain unadjusted with
the United States. It was particularly
as further evidence of
jpst dispositi ons towards them, restoration
would have been immediately made of the
property of our citizens seized wader a
misapplication of the principle of reprisals,
combined with a misconstruction of a.law
of the United States. This expectation
has not been fulfilled.
From the British government no commu
nication On the subject of the act has been
received- To a communication from our
Minister at London, of the revocation, by
the French government, of its Berlin and
Milan decrees, it was answered that th*
British system would be relinquished aa
soon as the repeal of the French decrees
should have actualfy taken effect, and the
commerce of neutral nations have been re
, stored to the condition in which it stood,
previously to the promulgation of those de
crees. This pledge, although it d<>ea not
necessarily import, dees not eXßlmle the
intention of relinquishing, along with the
Orders in Council, the practice of those
novel blockades which have a like effect
<>f interrupting our neutral bommeree.—
4nd this further justice to the United
States is the rather to be looked for, inas
much as the blockades in question, being
not more contrary to the established law of
nations, than inconsistent with the rales of
blockade formerly recognised by Great-
Britain herself, could have no alleged ba
sis other than the plea of retaliation, al
leged as the basis of the Orders in Coun
cil. Under the modification of the original
Oyders of November, 1807, into the Or- /
dersof April, 1809, there is indeed scarce
ly a nominal distinction between the Or
ders and the blockades. One of those ille
gitimate blockades, bearing date in May,
1806, having been expressly avowed to be
still unrescinded, and to be in effect, com
prehended'in the Orders in Council, w*»
too distinctly brought within the purview
of the act of Congress,' not to he compre
hended in the explanation of the requisites
to a compliance with it. The British gov
ernment was accordingly apprised by our
Minister near it, that such was the light
in which the subject was to be regarded. '
On the other important subjects depend
ing between the .United States and that
government, no progress has been made,
from which an early and satisfactory result
can be relied on.
In this new posture of our relations with
those pdVrers. the consideration of Congress
will be properly turned to * removal of
doubts which may occur in the exposition,
and of difficulties, in the execution of th*
act above cited.
Thfc commerce of the United States with
the North of Europe, heretofore much vex
ed by licentious cruisers, particularly un
der the Danish flag, has latterly been visit
ed with fresh and extensive depredations;
The measures pursued in behalf of our in
jured citizens not having obtained justice
for them, a further and more formal in
terposition with the Danish government to
contemplated. The principles which have
been maintained by that government in re
lation to neutral commerce, and khe friend
ly professions of his Danish Majesty to
wards the United States, are valuable
pledges in favour of a successful issue.
Among the events growing out of the
1 state of the Spanish Monarchy, our atten
tion was imperiously attracted to the
change, developing Itself in that portion of
West-Florida; which, though of right
appertaining to the United States, had re
mained in the possession of Spain; await
ing the result of negotiations for its actual
delivery to them. The Spanish authority
was subverted ; and a situation produced,
exposing the country to ulteriour events,
which essentially affect the rights and
welfare of the Union. In such a con
juncture, I did not delay the interposition
required for the occupancy of the territory
West of the river Perdido; to which the
title of the United States extends, and co
which the laws, provided for the territory
of Orleans, are applicable. With thto
view, the proclamation, of which a copy to
laMbetbfe you, was eooffded W the Gwv
ernour of that territory, to be carried into
effect. The legality and necessity of the
course pursued, asture me of the favoura
ble light in which it will present itself to
the Legislature ; and of the promptitude,
in which they will supply whatever pro
visions may be due to the essential rights
and equitable interests of the people thus
brought into the bosom of the American
family.
Our amity with the Powers of Barbary,
with the exceptioo-of a recent occurrence.
at Tunis, of which an explanation is Just
received, appears to have been uninterrupt
ed, and te have become more firmly estab
lished.
With the Indian tribes, also, the peace
and friendship of the United States are
found to be so eligible, that the general dis
position to preserve both continues to gaiar* •
strength.
I fyel particular satisfaction in remark
ing that an interiour view of our country •
prelects us with grateful proofs of its sub-