Jenks's Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland [Me.]) 1799-1802, 1800-06-09
INTERESTING EXTRACTS.
From Mr.. HARRIS Letter TO bis Can
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THE valuable informationr and excellent argument.
contained in thee Extracts cannon fail Of gratifying
every rational and candid reader
I" a MONG tie mot important laws Of the
\ = FELTON, thus terminated, is the . Bark
yabt .4a"; which has long been an obie9 o.
attention in Congreia, but hitherto delayed by
the difficulty and extent Of the fobjea itielf, d
by the prctnre Of matters more Immediately
interefing. Its operation is confined to mer
chants and dealers, an5 will be rarely felt ex-
cePt in great commercial towns-for perlor
mutt owe AZ Left 4 thoufand dollars before ii
can afef him-Its Object is, ia the fra place
70 tnPport mercantile credit, BY protecting The
rights OF creditors agaiuf the fraud Of dilhonef
and the folly Of imprudent debtors, who may
waite OF conceal their property, while The ordi
nary forms Of law are going on aganf them
and tecondly to encourage fair indu(try and
prudent oaast5, by enabling honea DEBTORS,
reduced by misfortune, to give up their proper
tY, free themlelves- entirely from their debts
and begin the world anew which no man viii
ever have the courage 70 do, while load Of
old debts is hanging on him.
"A fyten, 10 new, 70 exte1Gve, and opera
ting % fuch a variety of uaforefeen cafes, will
no doubt, be found very imperfect at iif, and
n need If frequent revilion and amendment
according to the light which ex7c ience alone
can afford. It may alfo be liable to abufc il
many mRlnces for what human iuhitutior
may not be perverted. But the example o
other countries proves thar to 4 trading people
bankrupt law is highly beneficial, if not alb
t-iutely necefry.
4 In my LAT letter I informed YOU. that
motion was made early in the felton,, for th
fe9nttion Of the army which was oPPofcd anl
rcjested on the ground, that The tate of thing
Waa yer 90 uncertain 10 warrant fuch a mea
luTe, the tcrdcrcy Whereof if adopted, III TIL
beginning OF negotiation, NUT be to render
far and honorable djpfmento IF differences Ter
ealy, bT imPrefiag the oppoife party with ar
opinion, thai we were TOO weak, too ava.cious
Or ne much divided, 10 fuPport the mearure
tor rclila &c. Thelc re7fons. had il a degree
cea!cd before the clole Of the felton,. I was
then known, that our commit Jners mutt have
reached Paris about the 10th of March; and
consequently that the fate OF their million, hav
ing, r. All probability, been decided before the
middle of May, could not be aHefed BY any
thing r. bc done here, after that period The
late revolution in France had alfl taken place
Cen. Duonlparre had fuppreltd the dire1ory
and this iacobns, and erc6ed his own power on
their runs. Fe maui(efly aimed " acquiring
popularity in France and in Europe, for his
new government, ~ holding out the appear
ance, at leaf Of jnt and pacific lylem, if not
by adopting il in reality. This plan would
Hrongly incline him to 4 rccOnciltion on fair
and honorable terms with America TIE quar-
rel with which was always unpopular in France
and had Uecome much more 70, Gnce fhe dir
played the will and the means of reftlance
and iince the effe6 Of her sneafures had been
felt ID the French commercial towns and co.
lonies. Hence it was TO be prelumed, that The
relult Of the negotiation would be favourable
and 1everai mealures of a nature to confirm this
opinion, and 70 thew that the new government
wiih:1 20 be on good terms with this country,
we're known to have been adopted by it. 1T, "a
the other hand, the refut of the negotiation
lhould prove unfavorable, and our quarrel with
France continue, it was to be prelumed thst
BuonaParte's failure aud mistortunes i'll Egypt
would render him very cautious about attempt
ing 10 attack a country more diltlnt, far more
powerful, and which had unaffected a deter
minlrion TO defend ittllf Should lie feel tie
dilPoi ion. yet The formidable combination
a5tintt him in Europe, would find him full
employment for All the means which his coun-
ry, 'n his preleat exhauied tate could turnilh
And il cafe of new change III the government
which might place the jacobins again in power
or OF tid- ot flccefs, which nigh: revive the
former ipirit of conquetl, dominion, and iniur
tice; we mutt have waning fafacieutly long,
ro enable Us to provide anew fo9 our defence
which the Gpirit and alacrity formerly difplayed
by the couauy, when threatened with attach