The National Register.
London, England, 1818-04-26 00:00:00

NI)A'Y, APRIL $6, 1818.

-i
log for a moment the right on 5.i, le part of Ame-
rica, to march her troops into tlte Floridas on the
plea of self defence, awl no le assumption that
Spain could not or woald not to a the neutrality of
her territory to be respected case exactly in
point with the occupation of Ca • . gen, with which
the English Government Las been often reproached
by these conscientious Republic' ), on what plea do
they now persist in retaining ' a,sofsitie territory,
now that the enemy is wittuTrawnt , a thin a whir'
w
England stems, unless s; sight I'r. Ly theiuselves, no
longer probable ? How will the reconcile the con.
trarieties of the doctrine that Spa' Las lost her claims
to the Floridas, whilst she continues to preserve her
claims to Amelia island?—Because an Act of Congress
has already decided that she shall lose the one, and
it is not yet resolved whether or not she shall lose the
ether ! An Act of Congress I Such is unquestiona-
bly law for the people of America; but to insist on its
application in the case between themselves and Spain,
is adding insult to injury. We :nay 'indeed perceive
on which side is the balance of power ! Fortunately
for ourselves the day is not yet arrived fbr America to
amuse tie with such logic in aerver to our claims to
. our West India Islaniis !—but that day may be ap-
proaching. Her rapidly increasing population, the
energy of her governitent, her 11i:exhausted soil, the
rapid d'Susion of useful knowletga, cannot fail to place
her, in a fhw years. amongst the Toast powerful of :lo-
tions. Still in her infancy, she' has appropriated to
herself all those advantages, winch the most refined
nations in Europe ha.:c been otiaturies in accumulat-
ing, and which, like fortune and knowledge, in the
life of man, are seldom ettainci until those who do
attain them are an the decline. With such adrantagos,
i...r0tc4.1 by that ambition w1441t0 evidently begins to
tnanife.st itself i trut• tiF the Coital States,
what is the result, old lit extrartsant to anti-
. ...

Orate.
.•
The same mail which brings the emrespondettet be-
tween
America and Spain, brings also that between the
former power and the Government of Naples, by which
it appears, that Amerim urgently insists on remunera-
tion from the present Neapolitat, 'Government, for the
Confiscation of American property under that of Murat.
We cannot see, with some of tha daily journals, any
thing so eNorhitant in this den.and ; neither can we
discover why a Paper, which he ever so strenuously
supported the -claims of the Allies paint the existing
Government of France for loss sstained undei that of
Napoleenoshoull find it unreasonable in America to
hold the present Government crf Naples responsible for
the conduct of the one pre:Wing.
With revrect to the relations •betn.,cett the United
States sad the Independent Provinces of South Ame-
rica, the forme:- Government ta!s credit to itself for
the ohsQrranen of perfect wuti•rdily, although it is very
evident that the pains it tails to prevent the supply of
warlike ammunition, Sec. to t '• 4 the Ileligerents can
operate only a.;:iiitist oat of -t• -'es. In short, it is
ea4ily perceived, t;bo.3latisnyi.‘. Meat of the United
Statio-;ilri-a'v :i;.?reciate the fri.'.. dable -rival it has to
esiaret in Sonth America; but e the fox in the fa-
'..'.c, irl tic, i,i a: I lig that the resait .
,t.,
f. lis sanguinsry strug-
i;lo between Spain And her colcni,. -ill be the mutilation
(.f brth, sten:ls akof, ready in sluli an event to take
aUnatatre of it at their espeoce.i.- W.ui there no other
=lir:. for wishing success to the rause of South Anie-
r.can Independence, we could fir,.: one in the eon% ietion

we fe,.l of t;le ac+it we shouldd imrsclves derive from
it, were it wily in tiie salutary died: it might hereaflor
n nmbition of the United Statci of
wLo:n (as comparc.(l with the Nukilolitan, or any other

prove

power tltreataned to prone a dangerous rival
to this country) ...re r1;!:ht say with Svllu, in his

prophecy coneczning (akar "Se cciiru in
Ca::Jare, multos vidcru Iklarios."