Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1808-12-06

s.,liublc and niean-splrtsd as to sqDinit 70
His rla.ldape, enacts a rctaiiatofy pr oflloi-
ton upon our commerce with tna french
fscRainions. Ey these two acts, efs mari
tinle siisrhts Of America have been destroy
cd. snd IL has becoms a question With our
national legislature. whether they vii aoan-
don the ocean, anil reiinquiSh theIbenehts
,of commerce, or maintain the Independence
OF the nation. In this state of things what
~ conoress. done? By a solemn and de-
~ rate act Of one branch of the legislature,
r,l3srh we cannot entertain sHops will be
rejected by the other, a law has been passed
.esrrving into f,ll! and complete execution
the ssunrighteons edicts" Of the belager-
.,.n.s. IE one 5feath congress has solemaly
y,.sdged itself to the world that ths United
States would not submit to the DEGRADATION
and outrage offered BY the unjust powers OF
Europe, and IN the next they tacitB acqai-l
esce IN the justice. Of foreign restrictions
UPON our commerce, BY giving IN effectial.
operation to their DEGREES and ordtrsand
Withdrawing entirely from the otsan--Is
rot this implicitly recognizing theIEright of
the bsllige- cnts to deny rs tse tres naviga-
t;op of the hissh seas? Is It no. submission
Of the most DEFEATING and s.ay:sh eaaraetelr!
But it viii be said, that in return tbr ADAM
doninr the r;s7zt 60 traverse the Ocean, we
hove adopted tie suaartis! s III 33;Gsaiza0pss
measure OF 8. excluding from or. ports and
waters all vessels either armed or hHarmed,
belonging TO France OF. England Is this
re manner in which the pledge OF re-
s:ssance is to brperiorIned !: Or VII, it o2e-
rats at all as a etss.,slat:on upon tie injuries
which the party ia power have ieen com
PEELED reluctantly to admit, We have sls-
tanned at the hands Of France? II cannot
Be denied that the whole force and ven
geance Of this soa-il,tsrco2i.se with the belli-
gerents IS exclusively directed against En-
gland. What s armed or unarmsd vessels
: cf France viii come under the operation Of
this law Comparatively. speaking, she has
neither. With the exception ola lew French
vessels which have been permitted by go
yernment to carry esrgoes OF provisions to
relieyestheir colonies, no trade whatever has
been carried on with this country in French
bottoms. The immense naval force Of Eng
land, which, is spread over every sea, has
swept from the ocean almost every national
or commercial ys5ael of France. Under
such circumstances, when it is wei Known
fiat there exist. tenfold the cause ofcom-'
8 plaint against France, we seriously appre-
hend that Great Britain will conceive her,
self particularly faSgrieyed by the opera
ton. of this partial measure, and that q
rupture may be the consequence. As
10 France, we have no doubt IN oar.
minds (unlsss there be a complete under
standing between Mr. Jefferson s NaPoie-
on9 however such IN issue wotild be depre-
Gated bv our rulers, that should Bonaparte
feel himself in the least pinched or incom-
NODDED by non-intercourse, ne viii instant
" declare war IN more formal manner, a.
gainst this countrv.... Taking his own rule
for our guide, gar IN fact exists, at thzs
t;nae, 5etsycs,a France and Ancrica, and war
too Of the most Improbable kind, in which
there has been no retaliation on the part OF
our government. But we are done With a
subject which ssonr heads and hearts are
sick Of contemplating" Let what come
may, we trust W. shall. meet the crisis with
as much 6rrnness and :composure rs any o.
our co,;-ssesryracn. Bal. Fed. Rep's'laft.'' I
Capt. Lexington, arrived At Boston, late
commander Of the ship Belle Savage, q .na'
town, which sailed from thence more slaI
a wear past, for the n. w. Coast, arrived II
town yesterday. He reports, that ne was
taken on the Spanish coastby Spanish pri
vateer, and srnt into Lima, where ms
sci and cargo were condemned, on the s9i'
reason other being found within IS league
Of he coast himself and people set at \,
berry. We are sorry to announce the aeasi
Of Mr.. George Hicks, a son OF Mr.. Laeiaa