The National Register.
London, England, 1809-12-31 00:00:00

NAL H,EuisTER.

P.C. 31.

independenee; they Shall serve as a tretlititia of the reprisal of
war with regard to England. Peace shall he immediately con-
cluded with Sweden. Nothing shill be changed Orate political
relations of the Confederatimi of thenbia.'and the Helvetia
Confederacy. Holland tact, only a part of France.
definitionsof that country may he given by saying that it is an
illusion of the Rhine, the Meuse, sand the Scheldt ; that' is to
say, of the great arteeies of the French Empire. The absolute
inactivity of her Custom-house, the disposition of her agents,
and the seniiments of its inhabitants, which tend incessantly to
a fraudulera trade with England, have rendered it 'nerestesry
to exclude them from all commercial intercourse with the
Rhine ; and thus placed in a slate of morbid compression be-
tween Frad:e and England,'Holland is deprived both of the
advantages which clash with our general system, and which she
must relinquish ; and of those which might enjoy. It is
time that all this should be set right. The elan Provinces
cover Italy, give her a direct commemicattion with Dalmatia,
procure us a point of immediate 'contact with' the Empire of
Constantinople, which it must he the wish and intention of
France for so many reasons to support and protect.' Spaid
awl Portugal are the seat of a mad revoluii,ba ; the nun
onerous agents of England keep up the cinitlagration winch
, they have raked. The forte, the power, and the calm woo
deration of the Emperor will restore tit them peaceful days.
Should Spain free her colonies, it will he through her owu fault:
The Einperitir wilt never oppose the independence' of the' con-
tinenta nations of America; that independence is in the uatural
order Of events; it is just ; it agrees with the true interest of all
European Potters. 'Should the people of Mexico and Peru
wish to raise themselves to the eleJation ofa noble independence.
Friince will never oppose thins, provided • they enter
into no connection with England. France •is not motet
the necessity of vexing her neighbours, or imposing on
them tvrannic laws, 'to secure her prosperity- and trade:
We have lost the colony 'of Martiuico, and, that of
Ca% enne ! they were both badly defended. The circumstances
which led to their loss form the object of a strict inquiry t
though' it is not of any weight in the general balance'of affair',
since they will he restored to us in a more nourishing condition
at the general peace. ' - • ' • •••
• • 'f

SPAIN.
GENERAT.b 011. DER OF TllE'sawir Ditc• 4, No).

" His Majesty makes known to the army, thin the 'Spanish
army, commanded by the Duke Del Parque, who imprudeutly
engaged on the right bank of the-Tonnes, v•as completely de-
feated on the 28th November, at Alba, by the 6th.corps of the
army, and the second divi&ion of 'dragoons. Fifteen pieces of
cannon, many caissons, six standards, 10,000 muskets,- and 2000
prisoners, fell into the hands of the Imperial troops. The eneJ
my had 30Q0 men killed ; one General, several Colonels, and a
great number blailicers. The remains of the anny, favoured
by the night. fletriin all directions, abandoning their arms• and
baggage, Thus the last hope of the insurrectional party is de*
stroyed. It is,to be'hoped, that by the pursuit of these de.
tached corps, and the iugurgents who are dispersed in the pro-
vinces which is about to• take place, internal tranquillity will
soon be ?e-established. (Signed) •,
The. Marshal of the Empire Duke of DA LMAT4A.I.I
• •

•

A AfERIC,iN CONGRESS.

. z
~+~

OPENING OtP TIIE SESSIONS, NOVEMBER 27, 18Q9.

•
'THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.
•
gi FELLOW CITIZENS ng Tag SENATE AND or Tag ROUSE
•
OF
•
REFRES.iNTATIVEs. •
" At the period of our last Meeting,. 1 had the satisfaction of
corantunicating.an'adjusimetit with ans of the principal .bellige.:
rent militias, higkly importaiit-ia ittielf, and still snore so, as pre-
snine a more.etlended accommodation. IA is with deep con-
cern •,1 am pow to itaforat yak 4 that the favourable prospect has
been overclouded, by refusal of the firirish.Government to
abide isy,t he•aet of it. Minister Plenipotentiltr,r and by its en.
suing policy towards:. (he United States, as seen through the
rinnenunications.of the Minister sent to replace him.
" Whatever pleaß way .-he urged for a disavowal of engage.
ments formed by.diplontatic functionaries, it) cases,where by the
tglilf..4 ppgetacat a mutual ratiftcatiew is reserved iog

I
.....61.

DEC. 3f.

Where notice at the time may have been given of a departure
From instructioni; or, in extraordinary cases, essentially viola-
ting the principles of equity, a disaVonal could not have been
apprehended in a case where no suck notice or violation existed,
where no such ratification was reserved, and more especially
*here, as is now in proof, an engngetnent, to he executed without
tiny such ratification, was contemplated by the instruction given,
and where is had, with good faith, been carried into immediate
execution on the part of the United States.
" These considerations not haaing restrained the British Go-
vernment fruits disavowing the arrangement by virtue of which
its Orders in Council were to be revoked. and the event autho-
rising the renewal of commercial intercourse having thus not
taken place, it necessarily become a question of equal urgency
and importance, whether the act prohibiting that intercourse was
not to be considered as remaining in legal force.. This question
being, after due deliberation, determined In the affirmative, a
proclamation to that effect was issued. It could not but hap-
pen, however, that a return to this state of things, front that
which had followed an execution of the arrangement. by the
United States, would involve difficulties. With a view to di-
minish these as much as possible, the instructions from the Se-
cretary of the Treasury, now laid before you, were transmitted
to the collectors of the several ports. If in permitting British
vessels to depart, without giving bonds not to proceed to their
own ports, it should appear that the tenor of legal authority
has not been sttittly pursued, it is in he ascribed to the anxious
desire which was felt, that no individuals should be injured by
so unforeseen an occurrence; and I rely on the regard of Con-
gress, for the equitable interests of our own citizens, to adopt
*hatever further provisions may he found requisite for general
remission of penalties involuntarily incurred.
66 The recut of the disavowed Minister having been followed
by the appointment of a successor, hopes were indulged that the
Pew Minister would contribute to alleviate the disappointment
which had been produced, and to remove the causes which had
so long embarrassed the good understanding of the two nations.
It could not be doubted, that it would at least he charged with
conciliatory explanations of the step which had been taken, and
with proposals to be substituted for the rejected arrangement.
Reasonable and universel ns the expectation was, it also has not
been fulfilled. From the first official disclosures of the new
Minister, it was found that he had received no authority to en-
ter into explanations relative to either branch of the arrange-
ment disavowed, nor any authority to substitute proposals, as
to that branch which concerned the British Orders in Council :
and finally, that his proposals with respect to the other branch,
the attack on the frigate Chesapeake, were founded on a pre-
umption, repeatedly declared to he inadmissible by the United
States, that the first step towards adjustment was due from them
the proposals, at the same time, omitting even a reference to the
offirer answerable for the murderous aggressiou, and asserting a
claim not less contrary to the British laws, aii.l British practice
than to the principles and obligations of the United States.
" The correspondence between the dopartinent of State and,
this Minister will shew how inessenttally the features presented.
in its commencement have been varied in its progress. It will
chew, that forgetting the respect, due to all governments he did
not refrain from imputations on this, which required that no
farther communications should be received from him. The ne-
cessity of this step will he made known to his Britannic Majesty.
through the Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States in
London. And it would indicate a want of confidence due to a
government which so well understands and enacts what becomes
foreign Ministers near it, not to infer Chet the misconduct of its
own Representative will be viewed in the same light in which.
it has been regarded here. The British Oovereinent will learn,
at the same time, that a ready attention will he given to com-
munications, through any channel which may he substituted. It
will be happy, if the change in this respect should be accompa-
nied by a favourable revision of the unfriendly policy which has
been so long possued towards the United States.
" With France, the other belligerent, whose trespasses on
our commercial rights have long been the subject of nurjust re-
monstrances, the posture of our relations does not correspond
with the measures taken on the part of the United States, to
effect a favourable change. The result of the several communi-
cations made by our Government, in pursuance of the authori-
ties vested by Congress in the Executive, Is contained in the
correspondence of our Minister at Paris, now laid before
you.
" By some of the other belligerents, althongh professing just
and amicable disposition., injuries materially &fettle; oar som•

~~ 7

merce have not been duly controulcd ur repressed. Jn tiiese
cases, the interpositions deemed proper on our part have • not
been omitted. But it well desenes the consideration the
Legislature, how fat both the safety and the honour of the Ame-
rican flag may be conetiltell, by adequate provisions 114iii114 that
collusive prostitution of it, by indivldual3 unworthy of the 4 MO.
rican name, which has so much favoured the real or pretended
suspicions under which the honest coimuerce of their fellow-
citizens has suflered.
" In relation to the power; on the coast of Barbary. nothing
has occurred which is not of a nature rather to ia.pire
cuuti-
deuce than disgust, as to the continuance of the ex i.iieg amity.
With our Indian neighbours, the just ova benevolent s‘ stein
continued toward them has also preserved :tenet., and is more
and more advancing habits favourable to their civilization and
happiness.

"-From a statement which will he made by the Secretary
of War, it will be seen that the fortifications on our maritime
frontier are in many of the ports completed, aflinding the de-
fence, which was contemplated, and that f!rther time will he
required to render complete the works in the harbours of New
York, and in some other place. By the enlargement or the
works, and the emploN meat of a greater number of hands at
the public armouries, the supplying small arms, of an improv-
ing quality, appears to. be annually increasing, at a rate, that
with those made on private contract, may be expected to go far
towards providing for the pubic exigency.
" The act of Congress providing for the equipment of our
vessels of war, having been fully carried into execution, l refer
to the statement of the Secretary of the Navy for the laform.,-
(ion which may he proper on that subject.,--To that statement
is added a view of the-transfers of appropriation, atithori,ci! by
the Act of the Session preceding the last, and of the grounds on
which the transfers were made.

" Whatever may he the course of your deliberations. on the
subject of military establishments, I should fail hi my duty in
not recommending to your serious attention the importance of
giving to our militia, the great bid ark of our security, and
resource of our power, an organization the best adapted to
eventful situations, for which the United States ought to be
prepared.
" The SUMS which had been previously accumulated in the
Treasury, together with the receipts during the year ending on the
SOth Sept. last (and amounting to more than 9,000,000 o fdo Ita rs),
have enabled us to fulfil all our engagements, and to defray
the current expences of Government, without recurring to
any loan. But the insecurity of our commerce, and the conse-
quent diminution of the public revenue, will probably produce
a deficiency in the receipts of the ensuing year, fur which, and
for other details, I refer to the statements which will he trans-
mitted from the Treasury.
" In the state which harbeen presented of our affairs with
the great parties to a disastrous and a protracted v.ar, curried au
in a mode equally injurious and unjust to the United States as a
neutral nation, the wisdom of the Nation•,l Legislature will he
again summoned to the important deci.i.in of the alternatives lie-
lore them. That these will he met in a spirit worthYthe coun-
cils of a nation, conscious both of its rectitude and of its .right 4,
and careful as well of its honour as of its peace, I have wren-
tire confidence. And that the result • will be stamped by an tic.
animity becoming the occasion, and be supported by every por-
tion of our citizens, with a patriotism enlightened and illy igoi.
aced by experience, ought. as little to be doubted.
" In the midst of the wrongs and vexations experienced frosa
external causes, there is much room for congratulation on the
prosperity and happiness flowing from our situation at home.—
The blessing of health has never been more universal. The
fruits of the season, though in particular articles and districts
short of their usual redundancy, are more than sufficient for
our wants and our comforts. The face of our country' every
where presents the evidence of laudable enterprise, of extensive
capital, and of durable improvement. In a colt ivation of the
materials, and the extentiun of useful manufnct ores, more espe-
cially, in the general ftpplication to household fahrics. we be-
hold a rapid diminution of our dependence on foreign supplies.
Nor is it unworthy of reflection, that the revolution in our put..
suits and habits is in so slight a degree a consequence of those
impolitic and arbitray edicts, by which the contending nations,
in endeavouring each of them to obstruct our trade with the
other, have so far abridrd our means of procuring the proditc-
(ions and manufactures, of which our own are now taking the
place.
6' Recollecting always, that for every advantage which may