Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-07-06

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4 able right has been given up 10 France
or abandoned by England in the ger
eral abrogation Of foimer treailes, fha
the very unsatisfactory and critical rela
ton now fulfilling, that we lament
General reckoning, it is faid, however
will fupport all our jua rights ard refut'
thofe of the enemy. We never heard az
obfervasion 70 unworthy Of a fatefnan.
/ The advantage and the very object Of
treaty is toput an end to general reafon-
| ing; fit does not 70, il is. an abfurdity.
/ Treaties are the relult Of general reafcning.
| They are poGtive Laws among Nations,
| which like the municipal laws of a fate,
fix and define rights and duties, and ba-
nilh every thing arbitrary. A 2iru!ati-
on is better than an argument, iniomuch
as it fhews what has already been argued
and folemnly enacted. If between na-
lions, as between the fubjetts Of indiyi-
dual Aates, poftive law is abolilhed, there
is an end Of all juiice: caprice or force is
then the Law!
ToProve how vague how incomplete,
how illulory the thing called a Dzfxitive
T,eay is, we have only to mention the
treaties enumerated, renewed and confirm
ed by the Treaty Of l7s3:-they are tie
treaties of Wefphalia, of l64S; the trea-
ties OF Nimeguen, of 1915; Of Ryfwiek,
of 1857: OF Utrecht, in 1913; OF Ba-
den, Of lila; of the Triple Alliance OF
the Hague. TIT; the Quadruple Ali
ance OF London, I7iS, the treaty ct
Peace Of Vienna, 1888; the Defnitive
treaty Of AK La Chapelle, 1915; and
that Of Paris, sof i 1853. Every oione which
is condgned TO the duff by the treaty Of
Amiens, without fnglc monument to
tell wha, they were. It's perfectly well
known that thefe treaties conferred mutu-
ally many rights and privileges, contain
ed conditions calculated to preferye tran
guilty and rules for the deciGon of future
difputes. Thefe were mott importan,
chapters in the general Law of. Eu.
rope---and they are all cancelled; they are
abfolutely at an end! Long ufage had Gre
a,ed belief that Peace placed US where
we were at the beginning of the War; and
as Treaties always did 70 in political
view, this popular notion let the advanta-
ges of Peace in more agreeable light.
II there was any difference formerly, it
was in an iiland more or an iland lefs.-
The difference at leaf was palfable and
ineligible. The efate was the fame;
and whether little corner was taken off
here or added there, the manor, on the
whole, was what for ages it had been.--
Now indeed the boundaries are the fame,
but the title deeds are thrown into the fire.
No man knows by what tenure he holds,
under what fervitude, by what laws of
neighbourhood, what cueom. He cannot
turn himfelf round on his own eaate, but
he finds the fubjett of a quarrel from new
and undecided pretenGon. A captious,
ambitions rival, who has artfully depriv-
ed US of our title, will next proceed to diff
pute our moi practical rights. The whole
property is thrown into litigation.
We conclude, therefore, that, as De-
fuaive Treaty, the Treaty of Amiens is
without any parallel. We aaert, without
fear of contradiction, that almoa every
thing, that properly fpeaking ccnlitutes
the Code Of Peace between nation and ma
ton, mutt form the fubje6t of new Nego.
citation, inRead of being completed TO mott
practical purpcfes asrin former cafes, by a
Dehnitive Treaty of Peace ,eae4vixg for-
mer Treaties. Here War ceafes, Peace
does not begin, and the Treaty of Amiens
is the only one in modern times, in which
the obiervatioa of the ancient Hiforian is
literally applicable. Every thing is YET
TO be negotiated, and when we conGder
the character Of our rivals and the talents
of our Minifers, we cannot doubt in Whole
favor the refult will prove. It is indeed
the greateft Negotiation this country ever
was engaged in, that lies before us. Its