The gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1798-1799, 1798-07-09

Ma Il Withdrawal or A favor, the grant 81
which manfe1ed 10 Grongy the attachments
Of tie U. s. far from ultitying the reGentments
which have been expreicd in coniequence Of il,
can only be attributed TO the folciiude of the
American government 70 render perfectly w
exceplionAb'e its obletvance Of that neur Atty
which It profeGes 70 maintain.
Ii has been fhown unequivocally to have been
the opinion oF the contracting parties, thar the
treaty Of commerce Of the 9th Of Feb. 1878,
di not give TO either, being al war, a right to
fell its prizes in the ports Of The other being at
peace. It's not pretended that this is one of
the rights sccruing without fpccial liquidation
Under the laws and ullgcs Of nations.
1t is not then a right Al all If granted it is
voluntary favor. Bue voluntary favor esen.
tiAl in the proie r the war it granted by
neutral to one belligcrcnt power, and of necef
fifty refuted 10 the other, affords 70 that other at
Leaf a more plauGble pIetexr for complaint
than has been given by any other act OF the gov
eminent Of tine United States. What in fuch
ftuation would have been the language OF
France? Would this republic permit a neutral
n2tion nor bound thereto by any obligation
whatever, to allow in IT'S ports as a voluntary
favor the fale OF prizes made on French citizens,
while the fame favor was Of neceiIity denied 70
the cruiiers of France
It is believed that iuch an ufe Of neutrality
would not be permitted, and the undersigned
f-lcitate themlslves and their country, that the
government they repreient has never intention
ally given to this republic any caule of dGatis
faEien as Grrious as this would have BEEN
You viii not fail to obferve, citizen minieer,
that this heavy accu(ation, when analifed, is
- - l~F Fa
on the part of the American government, lie
grant Of which might have been dangerous to
itftll, might have drawn It Fl ON hat neutral
Ration which it is its duty to obferve and which
favor France had prev;ou0y, in the mott explicit
terms, declared It's determination not to grant
under Gmiler circumRaaces 10 the U. S.
81. Your fecond allegation is " that the Jour
nails known to be indirectly under the control of
cabinet, have redoubled their invectives and
calumnies againA the Republic, lis Magiarates
and its ENJOYS and that pamphlets openly
paid for by the Minifer Of G. Britain have re
produced, under every form thole infllts and
calumnies without having ever drawn the at.
teRtion Of the Gov. % Gate Of things 70 fcan-
dalous, and which it might have rePrehed."
The geniouS Of the Contribution and the
opinions Of he people of the United States can
rot be overruled by thofe who adminiter the
Government. Among thefe principles deemed
iacred in America among theie facred rights
conCdered as forming the bulwark Of their
liberty, which the Government contempiateS
with awful reverence, and would approach only
with the mot cautious circumfpedion, there IS
no one Of which the importance is more deeply
impreGed on the publ mind than the liberty Of
the preGs. That this liberty is often carried to
etcefs, that it has fometimes degenerated into
liccntouinels, is leen and lameuled: but the
remedy has not YET been dfcovered. Perhaps
It is an evil infeParable from the good With
which It is allied perhaps i: is ihoot which
cannot be Rfipped fromthe talk, without woun-
ding vitality the plant from which it is torn.
However deirable tho(e meafures might be
which might correa without enlaving the prefs;
they have never yet been devifed IN America
No regulations exit which enable the Govt. 10
fupprefs whatever calumnies or inve6ives any
individual may chue 10 offer to the public eye
or to puniih luch eAlumnies and inveaycs, 9TH
erwife than by legal Pro4ecution in courts
whi,h are alike open 10 all who conGder them
lelves as injured. Without doubt this abufe
Of valuable privilege IS matter Of peculiar
regret when it is extended TO the government
ola foreign nation. The undersigned are Der.
fuaded, il never has been 70 extended with the
appreciation Of the gov. of the u. S. Dacur
fons Rejecting the conduit Of foreign powers.
Especially on points refpe8ing the rights and
interets of America, are unavoidably made in
a nation where public meatures are the refult
OF public opinion, and certainly do not furniih
cauie of reproach but it is believed that cal
umny and inVeaive have never been fubRituted
for the manly reafoning Of an enlightened and
injured people, without giving pain to ihofe
who adminiter the affairs of the union. Ger
tainly this offence, if it be deemed By France
of frficient magnitude 20 b. worthyofnotce, has
been confined to this Rpublic. 1t has been
Fill more profu(ely lavifh-d on its enemies