Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1805-02-27
Fran the United States Gazette.

been able TO ludSe, the P!oFoo'.Icn
ba. been laid before congres by MIR. Crow"
p;oshield, to provide more eifectuaiiy -s'E
the protection Of American seamen, ana
to oountervail the restrictions imposed up
on cur commerce by foreign nations, ha.
met with very general appreciation thFo
on, the United States. Every thinking
and well informed man has long bee" sea-
siblc of the necessity ot some such Pro'l-
s;ons; but we had almost despared OF G.
yer seeing than originated under the pre-
sent administration. However, as one
democrat has at length dared to bring
forward a measure not dictated by the Ca
hinet; and that too measure of immense
Importance to the commerce and revenues
of the country, have some ground tor hop.
ing that the proposition will not prove a
mere ahoytioa, but Chat our commercial
interests, through his exertlo,s, may at
lsup,h come TO be CO.'S! Tered as deserving
some reg lri, especially if commerce Should
continue 70 be saddled with the whole re-
venues 81 tie COVE rnment.
AS Mr.. CrewainshIeld is CT the Jeher'
sen school and vet has ventured to intro,
duce proposition by which Virginia ano
the Virginia faction are not to5e eac'1iSI0F-
In benefited. we are encouraged to recon-
mend to his consideration somo other
FONTS which we deem interesting to the
nation.
We are now pretty we'll assured that
Spain has been drawn into the vortex OF
4 uropean war. Strong reasons exist tor
expeciing that Sweden and Denmark will
soon follow. The United States will then
be the ONLY commercial nation which will
remain neutral of course very extern
slve field will BIZ open for our enterprise,
AID ;mmense advantages will accrue to the
country, provided government will take
such measures as effectually to protect the
fair trader, and at the same time to con-
vince toe belligerent powers that we re-
solve to sustain ourselves upon the high
ground of honorable neutrality.
For this purpose it is of pressing impor-
tance, during the present session Of Con-
gress, there should be plain and expl'.
cie dc claration of what will be considered
as constituting the rights of a neutral natl
on. in order that every merchant and eve.
ry master Of a vessel may know precisely
how far he may depend upon the protec
ton of his government, and for what acis
his property will be abandoned to. seizure
and con6sca,ion. For our government 10
take no settled position upon subjects OF
such material moment, and 10 leave con.
troy erted points in the laws OF nations to
be determined to our disadvantage and to
the subver;,on of our rights. according to
the varying interests or capr.ees OF foreign
powers, argus degcce of cowardice or OF
imhccil,ty dlsgraettul to sovereign and
'indcpenden, nation. Let our government
then boldly avow he principles upon which
they will act, and, by SO doing, proclaim
to the world their determination to pr tect
with the whole power of the government,
suchcilix.ns as shall keep within The limits
prescribed, but to abandon To their merited
fate such AS small wan,oniy transgress Il Gun.
Some new regulations on the subject Of
covering |belligerent property are alrea "
very necessary to the general prosperity
of our commerce, an,f viii soon become
much more so, should the war in Europe
extend to nations who are as yet neutral.
Essential benefit a. We ,pprehend would
result rom a law at once defining our
neutral rights, and directing the several
collectors Of the customs to require salts.
factory proofs ofthe ownership. OF all car.
goes outward and inwards, and enjoining
upon them to seize for the benefit of the
United States, all such as should be found
fraudalen,ly covered. Such regulation
would efectually cut up BY the roots the
pernicious practice of covering belligerents'
property; practice which more than
any ether, tends to embroil a neutral ma.
ton with the eoatending parties, and one
which has hitherto proved very injurious.
TO the general prosperity of commerce, and
profitable only to few individuals. The
effect has been to destroy all confidence
in the truth of our eusson,house papers !;