The National Register.
London, England, 1811-07-07 00:00:00

POLITICAL DISQUISITION,

No. 170.

DUPLICITY OF AMERICA.
If every word uttered by an enemy ought to be
deeply considered, a declaration stamped with un-
questionable authority, as made in the most public
and official manner, ought to attract a still greiter
degree of attention. We find, however, that as the
very simplicity of their nature retarded for ages the
most important discoveries, men thinking that what
was plain was too well known to retain any latent

use or virtue, the careless way in which BUONA PA RTE
revealed, in his last speech to the Lep-,islative Body,
the new treaty of offensive and defensive alliance
formed between France and America, has totally
.blinded all our political wri:ers, not one of whom has
properly noticed this important fact. His words are

indeed few, but their meaning Ls most extensive. He
says : " America is making- efforts to cause the
freedom of her flag to be recognized. /trill second
her." Most politicians have supposed that NA-
POLnox alluded to the querulous disposition of the
Government of the United States towards this
country, so clearly manifested in the petty wrang-
lings which have attended the ciurse of our nego-
ciations. They have imagined that the. aid he
spoke of, would consist merely of the writings and
speeches of the American demagogues, in his pay,
who would be ordered to throw increased difficul-
ties in the way of pacification, and to heap flesh
insults on our Envoys and our Government, but a
single glance at late events will prove that their

• -
suppositions were, not only too confined, but un-
founded. NAPOLEON says : 44 America is making
efforts to cause the freedom of her flag to be recog-
nized, Scc." And at what a time does he impart
this official intelligence to the members of his legis-
lature ? At a time when an American frigate was
actually, knowingly, 'wantonly, and cowardly, batter-
ing a Biitish vessel scarce one-third her force, on
account of its inferiority, and probably in conse-
quence of this hitherto secret treaty, by which, it
seems, the Americans had. bound themselves, by
-the unprovoked and unexpected destruction of our
cruizers, when met by a superior naval strength,
and without a declaration of war, gg to-Cause the
freedom of their flag to be recognized." Hitherto,
the non-arrival of dispatches from Halifax had left
the true origin of the unequal conflict
Yol. IV. CLIXXIV.

President and Little Belt, involved _in doubts,which
this imperial declaration might haVe totally dis.
perked, had 'it been sooner plated in its proper
light. At a time when the •news or the action
could not have reached Europe AUONAPARTE not only
knew, but informed his Legislative Body of what
was taking puce. Fie could not, it is true, name
the particular vessel from which the AmeriCans
would attempt to reconquer " the freedom of their
flag ;" but he could tell his people that " America
was MAXING efforts" to that purpose ; which plainly
spews that these " efforts" were the result of an
arrangement previously entered into between the
American and Frendi Governments, the latter of
which was fully acquainted with every step which
was then pursued by the former. What these efforts
are to be, we have now learnt from what they have
been. Unwilling to spread the devastations of war
over those parts of the-world which modern revo•
lutions had spared, the first feeling excited in this
country by the Americans own account of the al;
fair, was that of indignation at the unprovoked and
outrageous conduct of Commodore ROGERS ; but
mixed with a confident hope that investigation
would prove his act, an iudividual, not a national
offence; which would be sufficiently expiated by
the punishment of its unant:torized perpetrator, and
would not draw down a necessary and. terrible vew•
geance on his native land. Unfortunately for
America BUOYAPARTE'c declaration Must render
her plea of ignorance, were she disposed to urge it,
unavailing. It is note evident that long before this
encounter occurred, she secretly pledged herself to
our bitterest enemy to arm and wage war against
out cztizers. It is vitally plain that she obtained.
from him great promises of assistance, Which as a
further eAcottragement to persttere In her proposed
course, he thought proper thus -lately and publicly
to renew. He probably added, Vat In a more pri.
vase manner, in_ or to seduce hetilkom her long
boasted neutrality, promises .of rewards He map
have pOinted omit Nova Scotia and cAltda as the
meed .of such distinguished bratery and stirvices on
her part, and have bound himself to send li,Nerops to
co-operate in the reduction of these ettenttire and
valuable provinces. In all he has done, however,
in all his vain representations; and the still vainer
hopes Which he has excited, he has only deceived
America by a false but specious :hew of zeal for
whilst Ira has not for one moment lost

„ r walfatet
betty' ,: ,4 -- . ,
1..
~
•• Ao.
?. ,
..'‘ `I.. e . 0
.. .•3 . . ! 4; f5l
41, X
• -.,,_‘' 0,„