Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1804-11-10

peace, commerce, aud honest friendship
with all nations, changing alliances with
none"
This is the cardinal point OF the present
administration with regard 10 our foreign
relations; and it ought to be the cardinal
point OF every administration that aspires
to The hohor oil being denominated repub-
lican.
TO prove this, it is only necessary to
take conc Sc view &C the s,ate OF our 70.
reign relations when t: present admins
tration came into Office and 10 compaxe it
with their present situation.
During the stormy period of Mr.. A
dams's Presidency we we're in state Dor
dering on war with The two most powerful
nations Of Europe, and through them.
with many of the minor powers. This
was, in great measure, the ehcGt Of The
British Treaty, which while it failed 10
secure Ms the amity OF Britain, drew upon
us the resentment Of France. I'm conse-
| quence al this eIobroiIcd state, the war
ike measures OF the government during
the fopr years Of his administration cost
the United States about eighteen millions
OF dollars. Near the expiration of his
Presidency treaty was formed adjusting
, our differences with France.
| This treaty has been observed with good
faith, as hav- also all our engagements
/ with other powers. Under this treaty,
and the ineXecuted treaty with Great Bri-
I tain, various objects OF great importance
remained to be settled, which indeed. un-
: der the latter had been for some time on
( trely suspended. On the adjustment Of
these depended the recovery OF large sums
due To our citizens, and the assertion OF
rights which had accrued to us from the
i stipulatlons into which we had enter
ed. To have failed in The attainment Of
these, would have been to have sacrificed
the just claims of Our citizens, and to have
compromised the dignity of the govern.
menI; by which the harmony between
those nations and the Uuited States would
have been disturbed to probably danger
GUS extent.
The administration has been charged
with an eXuavagant friendship 10 France,
and an inyeterate hostility TO Great Bril-
tain; with settled purpose OF counting
the favor Of the one, and of exciting the
enmity of the other. Were this tact, a
/ golden opportunity presented for the gra-
| uHcatloh of TINS disposition when they
came into pOwer--.fhe recent treaty
/ formed with France might have been seized
asihe pledge %! rene val Of old friendships,
( and have laid the foundation for a COM
nercial treaty Intervening the interests
OF the two nations. The dark as1e9 of
our affairs with Great Britain ard the un-
certain issue OF depending negotiations,
would have furnished piaus:hie pretez,,
| Tor an alliance with France, in order the
more eiiectua!ly 10 coeIce Britain into the
adoption of just measures towards rs
While, on The other hand, the ipexccuii-
on OF The treaty by Britain might have
\ been embraced as iusli!icatory of stem
| de-9and On our part, which, addtessed to
her pride, would scarcely have failed TO
! produce reply illustrative of all concili-
alton. The step, from this state of ,hinqs,
TO war, would have been easy and nalu
raj.
his course not having been pursued
IS irretragabie proof that the motives as
cribed to the administration were aise.
One OF the Gfst measures Of the admi-
/ nistration was the suspension Of the en-
bassies to Berlin and Lisbon. Whatever
may have been the object of these appoint
i menls, their natural tendency was to en-.
! gage the United States IN the compeliti-
/ ons and quarreis to which Prussia and
Portugal were exposed. With the for
mer We had no commercial relations that
! justified The nomination Of a minister, and
the lille consequence Of the ether nation
I in the scale of Europe rendered her The
least worthy of preference. i'm addition
/ to these considerations, many circumstan
ces, attending the formation and progress
OF these missions excited well founded
alarm hat they were principally intended
as a cover to political negotiations with
other powers. BE this rs it may, their
abolition was sufficiently justified by their
uselessness, and experience has fully con
lirmed the measure. not The slightest in
jury having arisen from i.
1t has been attempted by The opponents
OF the administration to make them an
swerable for the direli6lion of The claims
OF our merchants on France Tor The spoil.
atoms committed on their property but
the facls attending this transaction prove
that the whole merit or dcmerit Of this
aci is ascribable 10 the preceding admins
traton AID lis friends.