Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1803-07-29

be for them an object Of jealousy, and
might again force them under the domi-
nation Of q people whose yoke they had
Just assisted them to shake of. /
lam not ignorant how delicate it Is to
foretel political misfortunes, which
might result to France and the u. States
from the possession ofLouisiana and the
Floridas by the formef. must either
conceal that which truth would have me
say, or on the other hand, frighten Ger.
tain querelous minds, who may fancy
they see threat in my frankness. Ne.
vertheless, p citizen Of one of the two
nations, and strongly attached to the
other. Ihope that those to whom this
memorial may be delivered, win be able
to set \ just value on the motives Of my
conduct, and win see in it nothingbut nv
exertions to remove every subject ofdis.
pute between two people formed to as
Est one another; and although / am too
well acquainted with the resources ofmy
own country to dread the power of any
Of the European nations, II viii easily be
seen, that I am incapable Of conserving
the ridiculous idea of threatening ro--
yemment which his seen all Europe bend
the knee before lie power. =
I have Observed; that France and the
unitedStates are in 9 respective situation,
so fortunate % to have no point of COLI.
sion. They may assist, without being
tempted 70 hurt one another in amy man
-rer. This commerce is useful to both
nations this union of sentiments and In
terests rests upon PRINCIPLES which ought
to form the maritime code, and deliver
the universe from the tyranny founded
! by Great Britain which she maintains,
and which never will be combaited Mith
sueeess, until the other powers, byunis-
ing, win abridge her means, by tranfers
ing to nations Inore moderate q part Of
her commerce, and as there IS no nati.
on on the globe whose consnmptions OF.
fersto foreign manufactures resources
as vast as those offered BY the United
States, if we consider with what rapidity
this consumption increases, the means
which America has Of creating a navy
when her political situation shall render
il necessary, we shall be Obliged to own
that France must have very strong mo-
tives and very powerful, to induce herto
abandon these advantages, and change n
natural ally, from q warm friend, into q
suspicious and Jealous neighbor, and per-
haps hereafter into a declared enemy.
Experience has proved, that tn o natl
cns could not be,ntigh without being
rivals; and If this be true, of two neigh
boring nations, j, may be said and with still
more truth ola colony formed by a great
and powerful nation, removed from the
metropolis, and ola people borderingon
the territory Of the other. The reason
Of this IS plausible, where two nations
are neighbors, every thing passes under
the inspection ofthe sovereign; the quar-
rels are as soon extinguished as kindled:
but when the governor of colony, cal
culating upon the protection Of the me-
! tropoiis, is guilty Of an act of hostility,
the wound gets gangrened, before the
/ physician can be called. The offended
: sovereign, who also thinks that the often.
/ der will be so much the more strongly
supported, as his nation is more power
full, tries every means, in order 70 anti
cipate on the hostilities which he breads,
uses reprisals, and both nationsare atwar
before any explanation can take place.
- = - To Be continued - ! :.