Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-06-23
FROM THE AMERICAN CITIZEN.
LOUISIANA.


fringment by foreign powers, to be atten-'
tive to its fafety and tranquility. That
we are intereaed in the ce!iion Of Louid-
ana TO France, all parties will readily ad
nit. Confdering ghe poiity ofthat coun-
try, IT'S incompatloiiity with our owniyi-
tens, the fpirir ofunjuitidable aggrandize-
ment which marks lis progrefs, its plaah-
BILE pretences for the fuojugation OF foreign
powers; and withal the reitlefs ipiEit and
iniatiable ambition of him who empkatlcal
" leads the $ Great Nation by the
sno(s, we cannot feel indifferent as to the
consequences .yhich may iilue from the
pulillsnimous ana feryiie cefion. We
entertain, however, 10 predominant OF
being fabdued il any podlble event. We
have full confidence in the wiidom, the
high fpirit, and proweiS Of the Onion
We know that it will neither permit IT'S
freedom to be tapped by foreign intrigue,
nor overturned by foreign force. We
have arms to ufe and courage TO weld
them 10 CIR defsnce. While we iedulout.
lyavoid giving umbrage TO other nations,
we will not with impunity fufter any 10
place It's facriiegious hand on our hallow-
edfreedom. We may deplore the pltia-
BILE fate of Batavia and of Switzerland,
but the UNITED STATES will never form an
item in the catalogue ofvittims to the alt
graphing power Of the 3rslSat megare92 OF
Francs.
That the ceilion is fully made cannot
be doubted. Our Miniter, Mi. Living
aon was inaruefed 10 remontrate againit
il, but he arrived too late.
Itfesmsto be on allhands agreed thatthe
two Floriaas will necei1arily fall into the
hands ofthat power which lhall pofiefs and
colonife Louiiana. The Mififhppl, there
fore, from the thirty >frf degree of lar.
north of the equator, the fouthern boun-
Diary line of the United States on that RI
yer, to its mouth. will belong, by right
of fovereignty, the FRI Co4tM. Our
right TO the navigation of this portion OF
the Miilidippi is itrittly coaVs1hoanl.-
1t isnot necedagy to expatlate moment
on the commercial advantages which will
accrue TO France from having the exclu-
five polIeflion of the outlet of this immenle
river, nor of the advantages which will
mott probably refult from it to our welt
ern citizens. They are too obvious to
require comment. The produce of Ken
trcky, of the Natchez, and OF all that
immenie portion of our territory which
lies contiguous TO the river, will be of
little value to its owners. 1t mutt fufain
depreiIion in its price almof in the ratio
that the channel, through which it has
been ufuaIly transported to opponte mara
kets, ihall be clofedto it. This will nor
only be injurious to the agricultural
intereR of the country, bar It will natu-
rally excite dilcontent, which, fotered by
the fubtle policy which the +" Firf Con
ful'' may mark out for the new colony,
may have powerful tendency TO induce
many of our valuable Wefern citizens 10
ihake off their allegiance, and become flb-
iees of the IS Great Nation In iuch
cafe ielf interea, the protPeet OF acqulr
ing unbounded wealth, may fubdue patri-
otiiin and when this celeRial fire ihall
be extinguilhed by forbid motives, it will
be eafy TO -aep over the imaginary line
which divides the two countries.
Thole who are acquainted with the
New Orleans market will readily admit
that French merchandise, of all kinds, is
preferred to that of any other nation.
France, in poaelhon of that important place,
will exclude our merchants from tt.
Hitherto between three and four millions OF
dollars annually, in fpecie have been drawn
from thence to the u. States. ms Will,
in future find its way to France. So far
our circulating medium may be abridged
and the profits, which have accrued from
commutation OF merchandise with Spa