The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1806-02-14 00:00:00


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have *tad se eivenrostavitiery, a. to lave' no doubt en the .
soujeer, that two k detriens vessels have been captured by
Smite% trier ,maltliz r.motance Pelt I hive ..trim
It••••••• 4•• t • tootte,.. that the ne•tio ate ri of the ...her,' Itirttcttl:s•h,
Sheet liens the ro.t of PM•1•4•1-li•I•ie, has neeii with C•t%•••
Of •vaitti.teattd articles to the eireinses' possessions its the lout
and West Lidies
ss Let their dastinatlon, however, be what they may, it em-
ote?, I Conceive, bit be iudly con.advired, that such atilt ••1••••14,
on the part of the Citizens au a neutral 0a..., must b- 'mended
with ^onsi'squenees prejudicial to a bell.gen :it power, and icier,
therefore, be deemed rightly as o:feneive; for which reason, the
Law of Nations Itas staid one of th. first oblrg uiuns of lieu.
tralitv, to be that of aheaining from all oarticipatioii in war- .
like expert sinus. The armed vo-ii 1.• alluded to, may lamellae
the property of the kiries t itemise, ei:h.er lay capture at sea, or
by perchase hi the pots to which they are destined, and are
thus reedmess to he converted immediately into Ina; sterols
of hoitilisy against Hit Nl.4ests ; whilst, in another point of
view. they are a acolated to pteteet the Teasels, when they ere
Inaile I with contrahaud, against the lawful as arch and detention
of a lawful ceminisionned cruiser, when the later shall be of
inferior forts. Indeed, 1 cone-let, that it may not be giving
ton great an extent to the principle of the Law of Nations,
without attending to the nature of the cargo, to consider the
*eft arms, ammunition, and other implements of war, with
which such vessels an furnished, a. oentraband articles, when
the vessels hue* been thus equipped, without the authority of
the nation tie wh,• • they belong
" I ur tentaM, Sir, that the armaments in question have in
Vol taken date ..railer nneonimission or autheiity whatever from
the government oldie United State‘. I have therefore thought
it my duty to have th, honour of making you acquainted with
the infoon aim. that r is rennet me on this subject, and if the
olvervanons which I have t.ikesi the liberty to make open it
should be conformable to the sentiments of the American go-
venom-et, I can safely trust to their justice, as well as to their
jealousy ..r rao.orine the most strict neutrality in the present
war, ti take such measures as shall appear to them the most
proper tot slope sing the illegal proccedinp complained of on
the part of those I idividuils, citizen+ of the United States, who
shad' appear to be concerned to them"
Ina letter from the Charge d'ifffai"as of France,
dated the 7th of May, 1804, and addressed to the
Secretary of State, he observes,
" The undersigned is informed, in a manner which leaves
him n., room t a dou'.t it, that the American merchants, who
pursue this commerce meaning the commerce with St. Lha.
;wage) publicly .out tit the im•tti if the United States, semels
which are intended to siroport be force a tiafSc contrary to the
law of oations,and to repel the effort. which the cruisers of the
Fiench Repuhlie are authorised t., make in order to prevent it
These armaments have ales for their object to c .err the coo.
veyarice of ammonium. to the revolted of that colony. The
Government tho Uoited ',tants canton he ignorant of these
facts, which ate public; the coosequencis thereof have already
been niaudested in the West holies, where the public pa•
piers miner, that there have heat mliont between the French
cruisers and Aineiican ye awls cairvii gun this commerce. Is
considering the matter merely under the view of the law of
patrons, it is manifest, that American eitirsi.s, under the vent
eyes of their Guisennent, carry on a priv.ite and piratical w ar
egaitnt a power with whole the Muted States are a, peace.
The Undersigherl would be warning in his duty if he dal not
vindic.de, ender such circumstance., the rights end divot, of
be Government, which :re opeuly mimed, and if he did not
eall the attentioo !sir Madinat', to the disagreeable refleflion
ertneh the F'e.ieh Government wound have a right to make, if
the site me er the Inca! authorities, rioottchng aft* of this es
tore, should be imitated by the Government of the United
State..
" Th. French Government certainly could not see, withnut a
prolennel r-ret, that after h..ning te-n to the (Tooted States
tn. meet marked prods of the desire to place the gond under.
vending of the two nation. oleo) the mon immoveahle fouorlae
time, by abendeeieg national intestate which might have
enoito th y pm.doc..d eolnlitase, indi•idual interest should now
be pennitted to roinromit this good understanding. Its ie.
reset would be still ninth glister, if, when the divine mid
ere' y of France are openlyirs etrea iii the United States b, their
eloei.e, the American da••••ttnient should preserve, roved-
inat these molariosis, a silence which would appear to eater an
eireose, end el•eot a sort nf enc imagemnit, to all the excesses
which impidite may attempt Remelr that the peace of the two
St•eitislt comsat Inn IA eenostely compromoted by the proceed-
ings tithe indiestiels, anal by the remisals ern which they m 44
oroealoir lead. state of Ihtuas Wftehi infallibly tend to
d ietnish the amicable disposition which the two Governments
wish to cuttivate."
Dr. L. oLserved, tlat the commerce, as caried on
by the cittzer.s of the united States, is not only a vi-
olation of the law of nations, which the United

St des, as an ;mitsentient nation, is bound to obey ;
but it is in direct violation of a treaty made in
ISO°. between the United States and France,
a treaty on the most liberal principles as to
the rights of nentrals and highly advantageous and
Lonenrahrle to both nations.
To remedy the evils complained of, a law was
ena!ted dung the last session of Cowes:, to re-
gulate the clearance of armed merchant vessels;
this .s et has operated as a deception, as since the pub-
lication of the law, the trade to St. Domingo has
been carried on to as great, if not a greater. extent,
than farmed v. The only merit of the arming law.
is. that in a eat; oral s.ew it removes the respon-
sibility it,sm the individual who may be engaged
in the trade, to the government by which it is autho-
Tiftd.

Whilst we are anxious t^ have our own national
tights iespeleJ, is it booms! hie to violate the rights
of a friendly poser with whom we are at peace?
or is it sound policy to cherish the black population
of St. Domingo, whilst w•e have a similar popula-
tion i.s our Southern states, in which, should an in-
s.:rreetian take place, the Government of the United
States is hound to render efftqloal aid to our fellow
eitivens in this part of the Union ? Dr. L. con-
elude.l by obsnving, that in bringing forward the
bill mule. considevation, hr was not influenced by
views of friendship towards England or France,
hot to preserve the immediate honour, and future
peace, sot the United States.

An tmfortunate difference previa; in the territory
of Upper leuti-iana, between the Governor (Ge-
ment, Wilkinson) and the Judges (Lucas and
Easton) a the Galatia Centre. It ,eem the Go-
von., had commissioned James L. Donaldson,
EA;. as &stria Attorney. but he was refused to
he I.4cognsiod by the Court. after repeatedly plot:w-
ing vimmossion. The Grand Jury took the
mazer into considcration, and remonstrated against
it ; and bier hkcwi.e brought forward a charge
against one at the Judges (Easton), for swindling ;
particul..rly an the case of a poor man. of the name
of David Mme. rertstitng vr.r the river Merrimack.
who has a wife and seven children. " and whom
the said Judge tiast-ii did," says the Grand Jury.
" s• cue at ne in the riontb of May List. being then a
Jativr nt the terri.my ol Louisan.. undo' the most
it oid dror p,eienees obt f.ont, a deed ler
,ut f; Acres c.t !cad. wi"icstit tiiei. g him any
inassieration rue the acme." Wnen the Court
fiend this the Gr. td Jai ir were going on to
iszami^e to est ihlish tars fraud ag tinst
F-a.ion, they ordered the jurors nut of a convenient
room whereto they sat, aitd compelled them. 21
in number. to :it in a Solt ID of diasensi-rts scarce
splficurnt to enotain their Wy.1114, tle:oit no snore than
e`even fe"t M e"hs and a hth fee? —Some et the
Jul ma &Moab ta.ate.l. (

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