Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1808-10-24

Wise 3CCQSdDic. Dut Wlses. S1A~' VIZ o 80
ment itself First, our vessels were seized
by it's order in its own ports. because not
furnished with what we had never been told
was required, !" A role dEquipage, (llst OF
the crew. Secondly, they were seized Dy
its order because unprovided with what had
never before been heard of A certificate
of origin After this came the Berlin de-
cree, declaring the British islands in a state
of blockade under color OF which our yes
sells going to, or from Great Britain, were
subjected to seizure and condemnation
Then came the Milan decree declaring all
our vessels good prizes which were laden
with the manufactures productions OF ill-
fish countries, though purchased by, and be
longingto us. Under this decree they have
ever since captured and burnt all our vessels
they could seize orhad any British produc-
tons on board. But, not to dwell too long
on atrocities whichis painful to contemplate,
! let me only add, that France has kept us
from accommodating our differences with
Spain, and from settling the boundaries OF
Louisiana, and for why Mr.. Madison will
tell us, because " France wants money and
we must give it." She embargoed our ships
at Bordeaux for many months seized and
condemned our vessels under pretcnce that
they were trading to ST.. Domingo 10 which
nevertheless, we had an undoubted right to
trade forced loan from orr merchants IN
Leghorn, at the point Of the hayonet; con
hscated our property in Hamburgh and
has now, it is said, capped the climax OF her
mi guilty by decree from BavoEpe which
subjects ali our vessels nadiscriminately, to
capture and condemnation.
Such, sir, are the mere, outlines OF thai
picture, which in your circular YOU ought to
have drawn in vivid colors and presented to
public view. Then, vousmight have had
some claim to impartiallity. We might then
have supposed, that although through ,atoo
great sensihility to the wrongs done us,you'
had overcharged your picture Oh British IN
iuries, YOU had been infuencedS by a pratrl-
otir 1ea! but when we you dwelling on
the Injustice of one beiligerent, and seem
ing almost to forget tlfst the other had eyer
offended when We see you charging as
crimes on the British what thcy had rlSht
10 do /; making it criminal il them to take
their own seanen from our merchant vessels
calling proclamation which commanded
their officers 10 act with caution and dehca-
CIV in the exercise Of this right, a $ command
to British cruizcrs to impress all native born
subjects, wherever they should &c ionnd on
board our merchant vessels, thus endeavor-
ing to pervert az act Of consideration and
respect, INTO An act OF aggression and insult;
when we see such shings, what else can we
think, or say then, that when such men as
you are found to have so fer yielded to
revengetul hatred OF Great Britain, there
can be little hope that friendship can be &c
newed, Or peace maintained. NO, SIT 1t IS
that spirit, in a portion of our citizens, SO
hostile to every thing British, and which ap-
pear almost every where, from the debates
in congress, and executive messages, to the
addresses of democratic clubs, and the
toasts of drunken bachanalianss; and in eve
~ man Of your party from the president to
the meanest understrapper OF government;
and to the meanest favorite OF the executive
influence it is this spirit, the existence OF
which is too we'll known to the British,
which causes theE2 20 treat Us, not as they
would wish to 90, as brothers and friends !;
but as strangers and aliens; and which ere
long will involve the TWO countries, so well
fitted to minister to each others wants, and
to each others prosperity, in all the horrors
of war.
Ii surely behoves us to consider what may
be the consequences of such war-Ir be-
hoves us to count what it may cost us, and
our latest posterity; to remember that an
inconsiderate yielding to an angry spirit is,
at all times, wrong but that, at this tlme,
it might lead to consequences the most fatal
might plunge us into all the calamlties
and abasement Of complete subsection to eH-