Jenks' Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1803-1805, 1803-12-10
fsr t5s Poa4LAyo GAzz77E.


fays celebrated writer, ssdepends 70
much upon the administration Of its gov
-ernnent, that, to be acquainted with the
merit Of a miniifry, we need only oblcrve
the condition Of the people" If we apply
this rule to the men WAC at preient guide
The dcftinies of the United States, fear
we hah dilcover no extraordinary realons
TO excite our admiration or arretf our ap-
plaufe. 1t is impoihbfeto contemplate the
prelent fit1ation Of the country, without
feeling alarm and apprehension. In the
treaty between France and Spain, conclu-
ded at St. Idelphonfo, on the flt O6tober,
1900, Spain tromiGsto cede Louifana to
France i'll fix months after the fill ana entire
execution of the conditions and itipula-
tons in the fame treaty, relative to his
royal highnefs the duke Of Parma. One
of the principal of thefe conditions was,
that France lhould procure the duke of
Parma to be recognized as king OF Etrufia
by the ieveral European powers. The
mode, in which this undertaking on the
part of Spain is exprehed, demands al
tention. AS though diitrultfal Of the fl
deity of France, and doubtful whether
the conditions relating to the duke of Par
ma Would ever be performed, Spain de-
cl!nes ceding the province at that time,
and barely promiles to make the celIion
after France ihall have performed the few.
eral conditions. The promi1e thus made
on the part of Spain amounts to what, in
law, is fyled contract executory, and
France can have no fort Of pretence for
calling on Spain to make the cefion, until
ihe herfelf has fully performed the condi-
tons ihc had itipulated to perform. By
the late treaty of Paris, France cedes Lou
ifana to the United States as jully and in
The fame manner as it had been. acquired to
the French republic by the above mention
ed treaty of St. Idelphonfo. 1t now. be-
comes important to aicertain. whether any,
and what right France had to the province
at the time of making the cefion to the
United States. We we'll know that Spain
never has given poheAion Of the PROVING
to France, and his Catholic Majelty, thro'
the medium of his miniiter at Wathing-
ton, has fatty declared to our governments.
that he never quN give poheilion. 1t is,
too, an incontefible fact, that France ne
yer has performed, JuNy and entirely, thofe
conditions, on the performance OF which
alone depended the fuIEilment of the-pro-.
miie or the part OF Spain. This being the
cafe, the proR1ife of Spain ceaies to be OBJ
ligatery. and France is without lhadow
OF right to- the province. France is on a
worfe footing than even a common Squat
ter, who, how poor ioever may be his ii
tie in law, can fill make this forcibe ap-
peal to the compaaion of the true propri-
etor, that he came upon the land while
entirely new, and had, by dint of labori-
Gus indufry, juf got it 80 produce fluff
cient for himlelf, his wife and infant chill
dren. The treaty Of Paris, therefore,
about which 70 much has been faid, and
on account of which the jeferfonian fac
ton are 70 highly elated, will indeed a.
mount to a qmt-elaim by France Of her
right, but, after Juggling us out offifteen
millions Of dollars, will. leave US Go uie a
military phraie) sas zoe z0sre.l
| That France intended, and calculated
on fuch relult, is put beyonda doubt,
when we conGder the utter needIeanefs of
theexrad in the treaty Of Paris from the
treaty of ST.. Idelfonfo, and the diplomat
ic fkill, or, in other words, the low craft
and cunning, the fly, infiduous policy for
which the French cabinet has immemori-
/, ally been fgnalized. Could the bulinefs
be itopt here could we, after prodigally
expanding 100000 dollars, bepermit-
ted TO remain ar peace, we might politely