Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1801-1806, 1806-02-20

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States inconteffibly on q much more liberal
and, a. 10 contended. jsa. footing.
IL propes 70 add, thar the decree OF the
lords comnifioneu of appeals 10 the cafe of the
Efex, produced the fame effefa a. an order from
the government wonld have done. Prior 10
that decree fTcm the commencement Of the
war, the commerce in queRion was purlued by
the citizens Of the United States - has beea al.
ready obicTved, wilhost molcfzfion. Il is
piefunablc that fill then bis msjety's cruifers
were induced to forbear icixure, by the fame
|conhdefations which induced thu American citi-
zens to engage ia the commerce, a belief that il
was lawful one. The faces above mentioned
were equally before the parties, and il il not
furpriIng that they fhould have drawn the
fame conclufon from them. That decree,
however, opened new fcenc. Ii certainly
gave 6gnal to the cruizen to commence the
feizures which they have uot failed 70 do, as
has been fvfficiently ielr by rhe citizens of the
United States, who have luffered under IL.
According to the Information which ha, been
given me, about 60 veiIels have been brought
into the ports of Great Britain 10 conieqeence
OF IL, and there 10 rcafon TO believe that the
fame iyifemis putfued in the Welt Indies and
elfew here. The meafutc IL the more TO be
complained OF, becaufc Great Britain had. in
permitting she commerce for q years. given
fanetion to.if BY her condue. aud had nothing
occurred to create lufpicion that her len,i-
ments varied from her conduct in that refpeet
towards the United States il might rraionably
have been expected thar fcne intimasion would
have been given o! il before the meaiure was
carried into effeef. Between powers who arc
equally dehrous Of prcferving the relations of
friendship with each other. notice might in all
iuch cafes be expected. But in the prcfent
cafe fhe obligation 10 give il feemed TO be par-
ticularly arong. The exiaence OF negocia-
ton which had been fought on tie part of the
u. S. iome comfortable time before my depar-
iure for Spain. for the expreis pufpofe of adjsR-
ing smicabie and fairly, all fuch queaions be-
tween tie two nations and po8poned on that
occsGon TO accommodate the views of his ma
jeAy' government, furnifhed fuitable oppor-
tuniry for fuch an intimation, while il could
not otherwife than increafe the claim to il.
In thi, Communication have made no COM
ment on the difference which 10 obfervsble in
the import of the fever al ordsrs which have re-
gpla.ed, At different imes, the feizure of neutral
veiIels, tome of which were more moderate than
Others. Itis proper, however, to remark here,
that thofe which were ifIued, or even that any
had been iflucd 1nce the commencement of the
preieot war, were circumftsnces not known till
very lately on principle it 10 acknowledged,
that they are to be viewed in the fame light, and
il has been my objeA 20 examine them by that
aandard, without going into detail, OF marking
the ihades OF difference between them. have
made the examination with that freedom and
csndor which belong 20 fabjed OF very high
importance TO the u, S. the refuIt of which has
been a. preismeto TO prove thar all the orders are
repugnant TO the law of nations, and that the
late coudcmpatons which have revived the
pietenion on tbs part Of Great Britain, are not
o My rspognant to that law but to the uudef-
aandiag which il wm fappofed had taken place
between the two powers, refpetting the com.
merce In quetion.
cannot conclude this note without advert.
ing to the other copies depending between our
govcrnwcnts which i is alfo much wifhed to adj
jua at this time.--Theie are we'll known to
your iordfhip, and il 10 therefore upneceHary TO
add any thing on them az prefens. With Q
view to pespetuate the frien6fhip of the two
sarions, no unuccefary colliion fhoud be lcft
open. Thois advsrtca to, are believed to be Of
this kind, fuch 40 the cafe of boundary, stho
impreanent ofieames, sc. Gnce it is preiumed
AitSiS @eu ~ ho AShh NVuhNsn6 iusCsSN VSAWSsh
them, on thole points. The general CONNER
cisI relation may then b. sdju&ed or poRPoned
zs may be moA confident with the views of his
majeHy . government. On that point ALTO il 10
believed THAI il will not be difficult to mako
fuch an arrangement ~. by giving iuficieue
fcope to the refourccs, TO the indu&ry and tho
enterprise Of the people Of both countries, nay
prove highly and reciprocaly advantageous to
them. In the topic OF impreAment, however,
the motive il more urgent. 10 chat hne the
riehs OF the United States have been 70 long
tfampled under foot, and the feelings Of homan-
ity, in rsfped to the fuGeters, and the honor Of
their government, even in their own ports. 70
often outraged, that the aaoniahed world may
begin 70 doubt, whether the patience with
which shete injuries have been borae ought to
to be attributed to generous or unworthy mo-
tives whether the United States merit the rank
to which in other refpeets they are jualy enfi-
tied anong independent power.or have already.
in the very morn OF their political career, loft
their energy and becoms degenerate. The u.
nitcd States are not infepGble that their condsd
has expofed them to fuch fuipicions, though
they we'll know that they have not merited
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