Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1808-08-05
FROM THE AMERICAN CITIZEN.

FROM THE AMERICAN CITIZEN.
PEY0LUTloN IN SpAUN.--old and
New Spain are both transferred 10 Mare
leon. The population and the wealth q t.'s
Indies are now Freael4. Except hngiaad
and the u. States the arms OF the Impsrza
gaco5in embrace the u4iyerce. England
he cannot conquer, and il rests with our rus-
ers whether the only republic on earth siiai
BE subdued without blow.
Will the transfer of Spain and her Deepen
denotes materially affect the d. S. is qu@s-
ton which those infatuated men may ask
who do not know that for every independents
nation tllat expires, the world, OF necessity,
feels a pang.
That the transfer viii IN many points q
view, Immediately and greatly affect Us, no
reasonable man can, entertain doubt.
All the Floridas ON THIS side Of New Or
leans, including the part adjoining TO It, viii
be under the controul of France, II not ac-
sually occupied by her troops.
The island of Cuba, and the port Of La
Vera Cruz, commanding the Mexican bay,
and therefore our 7ueste1n commerce, viii
henceferth be under the direction of Napo-
leon.
Mexico, with her riches and physical
strength, is at his beck. twill not be for
gotten that Mexican force, directed by a
feeble Spaniard, kept at bay the army OF the
u. States, when under the guldrnce OF the
immaculate Wilkinson. state fact
tell you what was, not what might have
been.
Napoleon then is our neighbor. Con any
thing be added to the alarming fact What
plaques and pestilenccs are there IN the
wound Of time that we may not nationally
anticipate from the uxta-poaision Deadly
poisons, more deadly than these which are.
nov circulating among US by French ennis
saries, viii be Infused. The Spanlard
bearded our government with IMMUNITY, but
the Corsican, if it sleep, will cut off its
hair! Thus circunnstanced, is MIR. Madison
fit to be Our president? Think not that Task
an electioneering question. See we not IN
dependent nations daily toppled, without
seeing the hand by which the ruin is effect
ed? Behold Spain! The most terrible of
force has been used, and yet nothing OF con-
pulsion is visible!
But without arguing from what is, towhat
may be, the transfer OF Spain to France
brings us into direct collision with her,
VIII the reader patiently walk with me lit
tie upon this road? l will not dctain rim
long.
For spolia;ions committed upon our conf
merce from the year 1897 to 1901, Span
owes our merchants between 1f0e end sas
millions q dollars. dare say that nineteen
twentieths of the community are igaoraE: CT
this, for as France backed Spain il Plunaer-
ing US, nothing has been said about II So
admirably are great national questions ma
naged by tarty spirit and passion!
The spoiiations are Of two kinds: ships
and their cargoss captured by Spanish arm
edvessels, and condemned by Spanish tri-
bunals and ships and their cargees captur-
ed by French vessels and condemned, in
Spain, by French tribunals. IT'S odd e.
nough, to be sure, but French tribunals
were really erected within the territory of
Spain! We see the upShos. Spain is de-
funct
In the summer of 1901, Mr.. Jefferson
directed Mr.. Pinckney to make the neces-
sary arrangements with the court Of Madrid
for restoring the amount of the spoliated
property to our merchants. A convention
was accordingly concluded in 1902, ratified
by the president and senate in 1904, andre