The National Register.
London, England, 1811-12-15 00:00:00

NAL REGISTER.

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No. 194..

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PRESIDENT .IviADISON'S SPEECH. •
. (Cpitillued.from our last.)
•
After having set Soitlf.soine of our imputed' of-

fences, in the. most aiming light, this document pro-
ceeds to point out to Congress the line of conduct
they ought to adopt. Unlike France, we had al-
ways actc.i openly. We had not pretended to re-

peal our Decrees, enticed the Americans into our
harbOurs, and then put in force provisions which
they thought had ceased to exist. Yet our guilt,
deemed far deeper than that of NAPOLEON, is made
Uy the impartial Pe..i:sineNT to call for measures
portending an appeal. td the sword. • 66 We have
beftri,": he asserts, « that the -British 'Cabinet perse-
veres not only in withholding a remedy for oilier
terangs so. Wrig and so loudly calling for redress, but
in the execution brought home to the threshold of
our territory ; of measures, which under existing cir-
cumstances, have the character as well as the cifect
of war on our lawful commerce. With this evi-
dence of hostile iylntibility in tramp)in.g on rights

into
sis, and
.corresponding with the national spirit

and

evectations."
Here is not only a pretty clear intimation of the
private sentiments of the PRESIDENT, And of his in-
clination for war, which not daring to advise openly,
he recommends in a defensive shape ; but here is
too an additional charge against us, worded. in such
a manner that our offence may be construed into
whatever is most injurious as well as most insulting
to an independent state. The Americans are told
that we have not only denied them proper redress
for former wrongs, but have obstinately persevered in
the execution of measures decidedly hostile, "brought
home to the threshold of their territory." Who,
on reading this Speech, uninformed of the conduct
we have held, would not imagine that we had
formed a cordon of troops along the frontiers of
the United States, to prevent the free circulation of
their persons and their goods throughout the Ame-
rican Continent? But what are those measures so
designedly unexplained ? If we err in our concep-

4650 PICK ETT*STREET, VPRAND, NEAR TEMPLE BAR.
•
SUNDA:Y,:DECEMBER PM.

solely to the obscurity in which he skilfully involves
certain-parts of his official communications. Those
very offensive measures, calling for " an armour and
attitude" of war, consist of a very friendly but firm
remonstrance made through our Minister to* the
Government of the United States respecting their
invasion and occupancy of the greater part of the .
Floridas. Bound by a solemn treaty, the terms of
which have been proclaimed to the whole world, to
assist the Spanish nation in its struggles with fo- •
reign enemies, were we to prevent the French alone
from subjugating a brave and spirited people, and
allow American plunderers to ro!) them of their dis-,
taut provinces, because the Mother Country could
not supply arms and men for their defence As
faithful Allies, we attempted to check injustice be-
fore it had grown into hardened iniquity : to rescue
the Floridas by a timely interference in negotiation
from the grasp of an invader, before oppression had
settled there too deeply to he uprooted by other
means than the fury and violence of war. This
written interference, this moderate, but manly
avowal of our intention to maintain the integrity
of the Spanish territory against all foreign enemies,
' this request that the American Executive•
pause before- it c.ornrnitted an act of open
,;e, are distorted
,into measures which have
the character as well as the effect of war. The char
racter, perhaps because we bold out hostility in per.
spective, should the invaded provinces not be re'
stored ; and the effect, because the Government of
the United States feels itself compelled by the der
nunciation, either to abandon its prey and abstain
from iniquity, or to commence in .defence of its
oppressive acts, a war as impolitic as it must be
unpopular. This is probably the true explanation
of the repeated attempts made from that
quarter to start and multiply unreal grounds for
war, in the hope thus to entrap the feelings and se-
cure the approbation of a people led by different
views and torn by factions, but easily blinded.
After showing what an hostile disposition the
Speech of Mr. MADISON is calculated to excite
against us, we shall examine the tone which it hold;
towards France. It is that of humble remonstrance,
not of threatening authority. In our case, a call
for what is termed redress is made, 'which dog
away the idea of reciprocal arrangements : in a
Wog is required ilvaa- us, whilst the

THE NATIONAi
out ng, Conitinttl
'fiLIBtI3IILD AT -No. 44, PICK ETT*

brUM,iO an ft Lf.314.L.Q v vv!..44,4,•••••cy •
which op. indfirOc", c,111.,, :T10(11.34.111. Con, and thi
gra; Wilk eel the.flutot.of putting the rnitea
into an armour and -an attitude demanded by the. cri- injustic,

Lion of them, let the PIiZaj.D4NT •l•• • d, every cling is regutrea Arqui4- wio‘go w•b7
Ye?. IV. No. ccra. „sc.. • .6
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