Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1806-01-07

nas
have been ssderivsd from British sources
This, fancy, is carrying the principle !,
contamination further Than ever ente,sd
the head Of the most inyefa,e enemy Gree,
Britain ever hac. After this, it will \"
be safe for any young merchant, in hi,
country, to establish his credit for industv
,,punctuality and integrity, and !heryby Oh
/ tain assistance from his friends in England
Scotland CT Ireland, 80 as to carry on h,
BUSINESS appn a more extensive scals; e,
/ should French pr;yateer capture his Pic,
perry, the American minister stands read,
to assure he captos tt1st tits. a good priz;
having been ! ds rived from sources.
Wei. might the writer in the. Charlesto,
Courier say, THAT Tits very extraord;aary
diplomatic production rlafns-the mosvss
rious atiention-of our mercantile men, and
every person who feels for the dignity ars
Independence Of his country,
What safety or protection tasks hs,esa
our commerce receive, If car ministers
who are aPpoinSe d TO represent thehonot
and assert the interests OF their country
and their fellow citizens, shall inyeigh !.
gains, the mercantile character and repua.
ton Of ourbest citizens, and expose their
property to the lawless plumber of free,
boo,ers? Messrs. Nicklin and Griffith, he
adds, are merchants Of uuexcep,ionabls
character, who from the industrious appi
cation of mercantile talents, have been able
TO advance the responsibility of their house.
Under the sanction Of tie laws Of the tout.
try they embarked large properly in the
ship New-Jersey"; and when, after III.
vessel had been captured, they prosecuted
their claim III a foreign country, for the
recovery of their property, behold, the
American minister an official letter to the
French minister of the public treasury
has the temerity to assert that these gentle.
men were "not in acondition to fit Oh: "a
ship of such value with ttleir own meaus.
and that therefore they must have derived
them 6 from British sources, and this he
does for the express purpose Of preventing
any restitution. And are public agents
commissioned, fitted out at great expencs
and sent abroad with large salaries for The
purpose Of lbellipg our citizens, and caul
ing them the most serious losses IN Their
property!
But the las: ground taken by the ambs;.
sador 70 defeat their claim is the most eZ.
traordinary that ever catered the head Of
rational being
After stating the probability that the pro-
perry was,insured, he proceeds thus:
I" If these insurers are American, they
have been amply paid in their profits which
in 1897 were equal to 90 per cent. per arm.
on their capital; and if English, they eau'
not come within the treaty."
Ii other words, if the property, though
American, is insured by the English Il
must be condemned, because the insurers
are English, inasmuch as the English are
not within the treaty if insured by Anne
ricans, it must DC CONDEMNED, because The
insurers are Americans, inasnuch as f.
merican insurers in 1897, gained 20 perl
cent. per ann. on their capital, and conss
questly could NOT be losers, aud if not los
crs, SIT fair claimants. This two.edga
argument doubtless sitsered very much
the eyes Of oer diplomatic agent, and he
could not resist 1t. But since when We
take the liberty to ask Mr.. Armstrong,
have insurers become outlaws ana
whence does he derive his principle thai.
man who upon the whole is prosperous 10
his affairs. thereby becomes fair max
for the highway robber? And where oia
he learn thar before plaintiff who appears
in court of justice, to prosecute his clam
Tor loss sustained in his transactions WIN
a particular individual, can recover, 10
must, preliminary, shew that he is beg
gar, Or that he has been unfortunate WIZ
his other debtors on an average! anu
with still greater force may it be asksh
where did he discover, or whence does ~
derive his rule, ssa. when man in an'
,iysn hrapcb &c Iiucinesc onopars hefOlo