The Rhode-Island American, and general advertiser — Providence [R.I.], 1810-05-11 00:00:00, page 2

IFF' ’*' *’* ■■x ’'
hO. »?fr ’«*‘te"** '•*"•
[V •»«• from offici that they mdehc enjoy
I them ’to thrir Mead ?—He daytWot show
[ his face in his native country, skulk
E; ' tog about Europe, trying, by “ plotting Alt-
Chief,** to briag himself again into notice.
I do not say that had Burr been the sue
cessful candidate tor the Presidency, and
Jefferson the unsuccessful one, Jefferson
wo«Jd bare imitated Burr to his subsequent
conduct. Ido not believe he would; for
he Itad not the same fiery, daring, uncon
querable spirit; he was equally ambitious,
but less determined. «nd would probably
have sacrificed ambition to pfodence, soon-
* ' er tisan have attempted to gratify it by vio-
lent measures. Bet the suspicion is irre
aistible, that when Burr’s motives for op
posing federalism were grounded solely in
i the gratification of personal interest, the
Inotives of those who united with him in
the. opposition, and of Jefferson among oth
ers, were not perhaps altogether so disin
terested and so patrfottok as they preteod
'* nd them tobe.
Jfrom the United Stateo Gazette.
LKT UM LOOK LiCX.
Iv the year 1801, the presentdynasty
took the government into their hands.—
When Mr. Madison succeeded to the Pre*
• 'ridency, H was believed by many,' it was
hoped by all, that he had discovered the
i er roars of his immediate predecessor, and
£ had virtue and wisdom enough to shun
B them. At the close of Mr. Jefferson’s cs
■' Over, so manifest had been the deceptive
& | new of his promises, so gross and palpable
k bto.Mfeconduct, so disgraceful, degrading
to the nation, his policy,
that Oven the warmest of his partisans be
a * gan tn abandon him. It it notorious, that,
" a Wrponse time before his last term expired,
fe bp Was ftemned and despised by those who
' ;hribefore worshipped him as their idol.
Hi« violating of the constitution, his disre-
F* gird of the right of the citizen as to person
•nd property, his puerile projects of gun
boats arid dry-docks, his wicked and sys
f * tematick attacks on the reputation and in
dependence of the judiciary, his embargo
and non-intercourse schemes, his follies
and his crimes, in shm*t«every thing which
r characterized his administration, were no
longer defended. By the virtuous and dis
cerning part of the community he was re
garded with derision and soorn, and even
those men who had been more immediately
partaken of his crimes, and partners ot
his folly, listened tn the torrent of reproach
which was deservedly poured upon him,
Without daring to palliate, much less to
justify. In the present Congress, an allu
sion to bis ttvourite measures, produces
nothing but the smile of contempt, or the
frown of indignation, except that now and
> then a fiery spirit threatens to vindicate
him, but sinks into contempt in the very
threat, and never attempts the execution
of it. Never bad mortal a more miserable
exit from pubiick life, than Mr. J— -hi.
Whh such a beacon before him, it was
supposed, even by those who had been hos
tile to the advancement of Mr. Madison,
that it was impossible he should run upon
the. rocks and the quicksands which had
Wrecked his friend and the nation. Mr.
Madison's private character and morals,
appeared to be unexceptionable, and this
was regarded as a pledge of publick and
official integrity. Hie early education and
political impi earions were received in the
school of Washington ; and though be bad
too soon apostatized, it was hoped that the
principles he had there learned, had tri
umphed over the weakness, and the wicked
ness of hie modern echool. To the honour
of federalists, it may be asserted, that had
he commenced his career with barely a
decent regard to the real interests of the
people, they woulfl with a truly patriotick
and magnanimous spirit, hayt given him
their warm and zealous support—nevei
Was opportunity.su glorious, so shamefully
abused. Instead of a manly and dignified
dereliction of Mr. Jefferson's system, Mr
Madison has discovered that he has sense
enough to perceive its tendency, but Dot
virtue enough to desert it. Instead of bold
ly stepping from the slippery and untena
ble ground on which .he found himself
placed, to the firm and commanding emi
nence to which he was invited by every
virtuous and patriotick consideration, he
seems to have gamed his own «Zow leave
to remain in the quagmire of faction and
■folly. He is now gathering the fruit of the
tree which Mr. Jefferson planted. The
overflowing treasury which Mr. Jefferson
left as his inheritance, is now empty to the
Very bottom. The promised surpluses of
revenue which wpre to. be drawn off by
the popular plans of roads and canals, have
proved to be wicked delusions of short du
ration. . The publick purse, which was de
scribed as filled to plethora and bursting,
has shrunk to a size less than the pedlar's
leathern pouch. The pubiick Creditor, with
Ms debenture in his hand, is Dow requested
to call at a future time and then he will be
informed when be may call again. Money
is wanted for the current expenses, the fire
and candles, the Crashing and the market
money, of the political household—loans or
direct taxes, or an increase of the imposts,
or nil of them muse be resorted ta Th<
- . necessity of resorting to these meamres is
avowedly owing to the very men who once
execrated them. The immediate cmer-
gtftcy may be relieved perhaps by ooe of
them, but probably all will sot ere long
yield more than enough to relieve our ne
cessities. And what baa produced this
sudden bankruptcy to our affairs ? Have we
incurred the costs of war, or been wasted
by the ravages of an'enemy? Have we
nobfy expended our wealth in defence of
the nation’s rights, or has it been wrested
from us by a too powerful adversary ? Or
with a prudent anticipation of danger, and
a wise resolution to prevent the worst of
evils, by being prepared to meet it,
we built ships, or erected fortifications,
enlifted soldiers and seamen, and laid up
stores of powder and of ball ? Our mari
time force Is annihilated—our 74’s have
dwindled into contemptible gun-boats, or
rotted in the docks of the Federal City.—
Our army, under the guidance of. treason
and treachery, have been ta part ewamfit,
and what remains above the surface is in
sufficient to every purpose of attack or de
fence—a miserable handful of men, with
out health, and without discipline. Some
thing like a skelleton of it is preserved, to
scare and to deceive those who ought to be
informed and protected, ta Editors of news
papers, fabricators of Mos and libels against
native citizens, aad upholders of the power
that be. The councils of the nation are
directed by a majority of men unpractised
in publick affairs, and incompetent, if they
were willing, to manage them with skill
and success. Talents and ability are in a
state of banishment: ignorance and turbu
lence are in constant requisition.
Such was his beginning, and such has
been our progress since Mr. Jefferson was
raised to the Presidency by the vox fiofiuli,
and up to this period. Good men begin to
shudder at what yet may come. Symptoms
of national calamity, perhaps rarely, if
ever, crowded more closely upon the at
tention ot any people. It is true that the
people individually enjoy happiness and
prosperity. We are blest with a soil and
} climate, which yield abundantly, and
more chan 1 abundantly, to the hand of in
dustry. But we know that society is of
delicate and artificial construction, and
that individual happiness may be swallow
ed up in the political vortex. We are ta
the dead calm; but clouds and darkness
are gathering in our horizon.
In our present situation of peril and dis
may, it is wise in us to look back, to fix the
point we began to deviate from the path
of national honour and independence, and,
having discovered it, instantly to retrace
our steps. The path regained, let us de
sert It no more. Under the administration
ef Washtagton, when our government was
yet to the gristle, when the restless and
discordant spirits which had been inflamed
in our revolutionary struggles, were yet
unalloyed, a foundation, proud and perma
nent, of national union and glory, was laid,
which it was believed, would not »<fon be
shaken. Tht constitution, beautiful in the
ory, was reduced to practical usefulness.
Strong in virtue and to courage at home,
we were respected, we were courted bj
foreign nations. The most powerful among
them did Aot violate our rights with impu
nity. Ample retribution to our citizens
was the penalty of every invasion of their
property. Our laws were mild, and were
obeyed. There was no wrong, by whom
soever committed, for which there
adequate remedy. Our civil and political
rights were protected. Personal liber y
and private property were never tavadeti
with impunity. The citizen was not then
dragged thousands of miles from his home,
to gratify the resentment, or the
vagaries of a traitorous minion of the ack
ministration, and then without trial, or ac
cusation, turned loose to find his way back
to his family and friends, as a vagrant and
a beggar. Laws were not then perverted
to overthrow the rights of property, anu
seize upon the lawful possessions of private
‘ citizens. The courts of justice were open
to the poos, and to the rich ; to the weak
and the strong; and the judges, tortiheu
by publick sentiment, and defended by the
shield of the constitution, could administei
the laws without feat* or favour. We en
joyed peace, and what is better than peace,
security. Our revenue was amply suffi
cient to meet our wants—and so planned
as to increase with their demands. The
yells of faction were drowned in the steady
and rational applause of the great body of
people—and insubordination to the law
was quelled without bloodshed, and proved
nothing but our loyalty and patriotism*—
If foreign partialities were imputed, it was
rather as an electioneering stratagem, than
with a belief of its truth, except in a few
individual cases, in which corruption was
detected and exposed. The administra
tion was not suspected, it never was con
victed of crouching through fear tn one fo
reign power, or sum ndering itself through
affection, to the views of another. Truth
was the diadem of the government—it was
not suspected of perfidy or duplicity, much
less convicted of falsehood and fraud. Its
measures were dictated sok fy by a zealous
regard for the publick good and having no
base motives to conceal, nor dishonest mea
sures to excuse, it neither feared rtor shun
ned exposure. The deliberative assem
blies were filled with grave and tried states
men, whose patriotism, talents, and elo
quence ranked the* with the greatest men
of ancient or modem times.
made to our Minister at London, on the
part of the British government, in answer
to any note presented by Jum, in pursu
ance of instructions given on the 23d of
November, 1809. Also of the answers
which may have been given to any propo
sitions or overtures made on the part of
the United States to the government of
Great-Britain and France, respecting any
of thd orders and decrees affecting neiltral
commerce, and which have not heretofore
been communicated, and do not require se
crecy.
The question on this resolution was taken
by ayes and noes and carried—ayes 53,
noes 39. Messrs. Pitkin and M’Bride were
appointed a committee to wait on the Pre
sident with the resolution.
A bill further to amend the ceneue act,
was read a third time and passed..
The bill for the erection of certain light
houses was ordered to be engrossed for a
third reading this day.
On motion of Mr. Lewis' the unfinished
business of Saturday was kid on the table
The House proceeded to consider the
amendments of the Senate to the commer
cial intercourse bill, (Macon's bill No. S.)
After a long talk relative to the convoy
amendment of the Senate—the question
was taken on that part of the Senate's
a nendment, which proposes striking out
the section laying the fifty per cent, duties-*
The vote stood ayes 44, noes 49—the
House do not, therefore, agree with the 8e
•>ate.
Reeotved, That the President of the
United States be requested to cause to be
laid before this House, copies of any com
munications made on the part of the Uni
ted States, in answer to the official note of
the 22d of August, 1809, from the French
Minister to General Armstrong; and of
any communication that may have been
A report from the Postmaster-General
was received, containing a statement of the
receipts and expenditures of the Post-Of
fice Department, made in obedience to a
resolution of this House, offered by Mr.
Dank, on the 26th inst.—ordered to be
printed!
Mr. Pitkin offered the following resolu
tion :
The question was then taken on the con
voy section of the Senate and lost. Ad
iourned.
A message w*» received from the Pre
sitient, in compliance with the call of yes
terday, with documents of which the fol
lowing are the most material.
Ma. Cast, through the Speaker, request
ed to lay oo the tables of the Members, a
paper, entitled, Disquisitions on the sub
ject of the renewal of the charter of the
Bank of the United States—the question
was nr; granted.
Mr. Montgomery offered the following
resolution, which passed the House :
Reeotved, That the Secretary of the
Treasury be, and he is hereby directed, to
lay before this House at the next session of
Congress, a general statement.of the an
nual receipts and expenditures of the Uni
ted States, from the commencement of the
government, to the end of the year 1800.
tactodiug the sums obtained on loan in
Holland, and which having been applied
in Europe, do not appear among the re
ceipts aad expenditures of the Treasury;
and shewing the several sums respectively
paid each year on account of the principal
of the publick debt, of the interest oo the
same, and of each other general branch of
expenditure.
“ In pursuance of the resolution of the
House of Representatives of yesterday, the
Secretary of State has the honour to trans
mit to the President of the United States,
the accompanying papers marked A. B. C.
D. E. F.
“ No information has been received, that
any communication has been made to our
Minister at London on the part of the Bri
tish government “ in answer to any note
presented by him in pursuance of instruc
tions given on the 23d November, 1809.'*’
No answers have been given to the “ pro
positions or overtures, made on the part of
the United States to the governments of
Great-Britain and France, respecting any
of the orders and decrees affecting neutral
commerce," which have not been here
tofore, or which are not herewith commu
nicated. All which is respectfully sub
mitted, R. SMITH.
Such U a fatal outline of what we otee
enjoyed. Who c ei look back open tha. pic
ture without the deepest regret and the
most profound sorrow! Would wo return
to those halcyon days ? Let us then recur
to the maxims of WASHINGTON which
gave us aB the happiness, the prosperity
and the security we have been continually
losingsincethpsemaximsweredisregarded.
Co/iy qf a letter from General Armstrong
to Mr. Pinkney.
Paris, January 25, 1810.
Sir—A letter from Mr. Secretary Smith
■f the Ist of December last made it my
duty to inquire of bis Excellency the
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
- Momj>av, Apmil 30.
Department of State,
May 1,1810.
Tuksday, May 1.
Congress
The cause of this decline in our market
is the general belief tn the high probability
that the differences between this govern
ment and America will be adjusted, or at
least so for so- as almost immediately to
admit of a direct trade between the two
countries; and this opinion seems founded
nut oofy on the apparent disposition of the
American Legislature, but also on a report
current here and sanctioned by the minis
terial prints, that sqch arrangements have
been made between Mr. Pinkney and Lord
Wellesley as tend to secure that object.
Notwithstanding the* reduction ta the
price of cotton, from the above mentioned,
it is satisfactory to be able to state that
the general demand for the article is great,
.nd the manufacturing trade in a more
flourishing condition than it has been for
years. Since the commencement of the
present year, from the best information we
can procure, the consumption of the coun
try has exceeded 6000 bags per week.—
The spinners of twist having, during the
greatest part of this time, been manufac
turing to order, having no stock of their
own on sale. The demand has been prin
cipally for the continent through Heligo
land and Holland; and whether the French
Emperour will even now succeed in putting
a stop to this trade it is impossible to say.
The stock of cotton here and in London is
rather heavy; the supplies also excepted
from the Brazils are considerable ; and an
extensive import from the United States
would probably depress the market.
Co/tyaf a letter from a retfiectable mer
cantile houee in Liverpool, to another in
thie city, dated March 2hth, 1810. t
Im referring to the annexed quotations
you will doubtless be led to contrast the
present low prices of American produce
with those which were obtained during
the period when we were without the pros
pect of a dire-t and free trade to the United
States, and when the spirit of speculation,
by aiming at monopoly occasionally gave
rise to high and extravagant prices.
A falling market is always a dull one }
for some weeks this has been the case with
ours, and in consequence of the successive
abatements in the price of produce, the
purchasers are intimidated, and sales could
not be commanded except at a considerable
reduction from the annexed quotations,
which of most articles may almost be con
sidered nominal.
Tobacco and turpentine are particularly
difficult of sale. For tar it is probable We
shall continue to experience a more regular
demand.
Very extensive shipments of British Plan
tation Pot and Pearl Ashes are making to
France direct, for which both governments
grant licenses; and as the market will
shortly be cleared of this description, the
circumstance will have a tendency to sup
port the American Ashes.
Besides much other business, the bill
concerning commercial intercourse has be
come a law, containing merely tbe exclu
sion of British and French armed vessels,
and the authority to renew the noo-ioter
course law against either, belligerent ta
case the other shall revoke its orders or
decrees. •
The loan bill was also finiuiy passed.'
Both Houses adjourned at 13 o'clock at
•tight.
ANSWER,
** The only condition required for the
revocation by his Majesty the Emperour of
tbe decree of Berlin will pe tbe previous
revocation by the British government of
her blockades of France, or part of France,
(such as that from the Elbe to Brest, flee.)
of a date anteriour to that of the aforesaid
decree.”
. W® V* < i ■ 1 -pf'V ’l* •' *
Dako of CadoftvhAt wm tip enditiopf
cm which bis Majesty tbe Emperour week
annul hla decree, commonly called the Bpr-
Bn decroe, and whether .if Grcst-BrUar
revoked her blockades of a date anteriou
to that decree, his Majesty would consent
to revoke tbe said decree ? To three ques
tions I have this day received the foliowing
answer, which 1 hasten to convey to you
by a special messenger.
Wheat is at present steady at the quota
tions, but appears to us more likely to de
cline than to improve in prlte. The stock
of rice In the kingdom is immense, and we
can scarcely expect the current prices to
be maintained. There is no sweet Ameri
can flour at present in our market.
Timber also in the event of the trade
opening with the United States must be ex
pected to decline in price.
Of Quercitron Bark there is very little
of good quality to be met with. ,
Import of cotton into Lirverpool, from
the Ist January, 1810, to the present data,
49,770 bags.
Trade is out nt the question here just
now, and God knows when we shall see
it on a regular footing again.
Amstksdam, March 27.
It is said a treaty between the Frencn
Emperour and our King was concluded the
16th instant. That Holland will remain a
PHILADELPHIA, May 2.
fnirjrg connxseonDtnet.
tfjt
BALTIMORE, May 3.
Rottbrdam, March 26.
CAMToM, September 39, 1809.
The Ladrones ha<e increased in the
moat astonishing degree; so much so, an
to threaten the permanence of this govern
ment. They collect Jn fleets of one, two r
or three hundred sail, carrying terrour and *
destruction wherever they appear. A plats
wap laid down to seise the gentlemen of tho
factory, when they went down tn Macao,
after despatching the fleet for England, and
they bad not passed Hungsbam tea hours
before the Ladrones came there with the
design of cutting them off. * They have
since had complete possession of the inner
passage, and a few days ago were within
three miles of Canton. They take posses
sion of every small town and village which
they can approach, murdering, indiscrimi
nately, men, women and children, burning ,
their habitations, and carrying off what
property they please. Numbers of persons *
of both sexes io the vicinity of this place
are daily flocking to it for security. Seve
ral engagements have taken place betwsga
the Ladrones and the Mandarin men of
war, which always terminate to the disad
vantage of the latter. Jn the last instance
they loot about thirty of their largest and
beat vessels, which carried upwards of an
hundred men each, all of which were im
mediately afterwards manned by the. Lm*
drones for their own service. Another large
division has got possession of the river be
tween the Bogue and Whampoa, which
renders it impossible for a single ship to
pass. All vessels at Whampoa bold them
selves in readiness, in case of an attempt
to bum the fleet, which has been threaten
ed, and for the protection of Whampoa
town.
The Viceroy and Mandarins, as much
terrified as other people, are about to make
application for assistance to the Company,
to whom they will confess their
They have already purchased a brig, to be
heavily armed, and anchored a* little be
low the Lower Folly.
The Ladrones have attacked several
vessels as they arrived, and were proceed
ing up the river. Two grabs, from Ben
gal, have been attempted, one of them
when undfer the protection of the country
ship Auspicious. Three Americans have
been attacked; the last one was a ship
from Boston, which arrived on the last day
of August; alter she bad anchored in Ma
cao Roads, and ao officer with a boat's
crew had gone ashore for a pilot, she was
attacked by twenty-one large junks, one of
which had twenty-eight guns an& throe
hundred men. A desperate conflict en
sued, which lasted an hour and a quarter,
when the American finally succeeded in
effecting her escape by cutting her cable
and running for protection under the fort;
She had on board one hundred and severity
thousand dollars.
The Dedaigneuse friggte whs lying tn the
Typha, but the not allow her
to get out in time Jhhe, however, convoy
ed the American m far as Chumpee, but
finding her grgptest danger would be after
she had pasfll the Bogue, she returned ,
again witb the frigate to Macao, to wait ,
the arrival of other vessels for Whampan.
On passing Lankut, they saw h hundred
and seventy of thoae infamous wretches.
♦ a
?
ktagdri.; .* cession of territory end a pe»
t uniary sacrifice, will be the conditions,
nothing more is known oo the subject—
The King will return to bis states after the
uarriage feasts of bis brother ere over ;
Meantime our decrees prohibiting the ad
mission of American vessels into our ports,
remain ta full working—on the other hand
our out ports are guarded by French por
sairs, that capture every vessel they can
lay hold of on approaching our shores;
which are every ooe condemned by the
prize court at Paris. We have noticed the i
nomination of a new French Ambassadour
to the United States. As it is said the Bri
tish ministry have concluded an arrange
ment with Mr. Pinkney, your Ambassadour
at tbe court of St. James; we sincerely
hope France and Great-Britain will both
rescind their orders that affect your neu
trality. We are, however, sorry tore
mark, that every whore, where French In
fluence prevails, the Americans are treat
ed and considered as tbe Instrumental me
dium used .by the. English merchants to
carry on their trade with the continent of
Europe. No kind of colonial produce can
be exported from the Duchy <ff Holstein to
Germany. This Interdict will bear heavy
on the American adventurer to Tcnntageo.
We continue debarred from our' commer
cial intercourse with Germany and France.
Rumours of a pacifick nature have of late
been in circulation, but nothing certain is
yet known whether overtures have really
been made for that purpose. Prices are
merely nominal. Coffee is pretty abundant.
Raw sugars scarce. Cotton more on hand
than is sufficient for wants of oar manufac
turers, and without foreign orders prices
are not likely to rise. Pot and pearl ashes
are requested. Carolina rice heavy on
hand. Tobaccoee have attained extraor
dinary high prices, but we apprehend when
the captured cargoes are brought to mar
ket, (which it is expected they will be short
ly,) they will undergo a considerable de
cline. Dyer's wares are quite standings—
In France they are imported direct from
England with French Imperial licenses.—
Pimento and pepper in little demand.
I
* .