Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1808-10-24
Communications.
FOR THE GAZETTE.
To tie PestLs Of Liac9lh County.

cloIed lail week on the affair OF the Chef
seeaEe. The management Of our rulers upon
that affair ough, NOT to be forgotten till their
party, as political fe6f, are extinct IT'S
known by every citizen, that that fubjed is
now laid out Of contention between the Uni
red States and Englan9. And by what means :
Ifby afatisfa Zion Of the wroag done to our
nation, the proclamation ought to be recall
ed. But it is not by thar. Then why IS il
not fubjed of contention Becaufe the
honor and dignity difplayed on the one part
have 6ienced the bullying conduct Of the 9TH
er, and here the matter refts.
This, with the other fubjeas Of impref-
ment and fpoliation, has been the great I'M
yedimen; through all hEy. Jeferfon's ofenG
Bile trials TO fettIe with England. There were
minor fubjects in negotiation which were not
Settled in the rejected treaty to his fatisfa6oD,
relating chiefly to the carrying trade, or
freighting hufnefs. But Mr.. JeGer(on's Ian
and molt 0urdy objection to ratifying faid
treaty was this-The EngliGh government,
previous to the rreaty's leaving London, had
knowledge Of Bonaparte's Berlin decree, which
was an enormous infringement of the rights
of neutrals, fubje6ting them to al the re-
lrsints and rigors, 70 the gestures and con-
formations of actual blockade or belegement
Of port to which they were bound, or from
which they were going, though fuch place
was in fact blockaded by mere force Of
words only, mere proclamation. This was
likely TO introduce a new, and an alarming
doctrine into the laws or cu(homs Of blockade,
which it now has done very extensively, The
Britiih miniftry, as condition of ratification
on our part, requeffed our government to give
England an afurance that the United States
would not fubmit TO, but would reiifi the en-
forcement of faid decree, and on that a6u-
rance, they would do all on their part 10 fruf-
Rrate the introduction of fuch new doctrine of
blockade; but If our government did not give
them that afIurance, bur fubmitted 70, or
would not rellt the decree, they warned our
rulers thar they, after having acquired the
right, from our fubmifIion as a neutral, to re-
RzIiate the faid decree, 1hould do it, howev-
CT 10Th they might be to injure the United
States. To this requell of the Br:tifh govern
nlent, Mr.. Jefferfon returned for anfwer, /" that
he fhouId manage his own affairs il his own
way-England might do as fhe pleaGed."
Ii would have been nothing improper in
Mr.. Jefferion. as PRECEDENT of thele States. to
have gwen them the afurance they requsfed.
f1Ad he done it, he would have Duplicated Bsa-
s9s'te, perhaps, but no body eIfe and had he
gwen the aTutanee required, and we had il
no way fubmitted TO the enforcement of taid
decree, Bonaparte would have bean able TO
have carried il into effect ia but few inaances.
England would have oppoled the principle Of
u, and her retsliating orders of council would
never have been i1ued. Our commerce would,
IN that cafe, have been (the embargo out Of
the way now in fourifhing hate. But Mr.
Jefferfon appears TO have been determined not to
see0Enosa.e VSstb England. He fcized every
chance to throw obRaees in the way, and to
heap up difficulties to rafe the priudice and
hatred of the people againfl her thar by and
by, the ftafe Of things being favorable, his
plans Of holtlity 70 England, and frieudhip
and afiiltance TO France, might, by a burRing
OF his means, he contaminated at once. But
believe not what | fay, unlels you can find
iomething of truth, reafon, and probability to
make lrong your belief. My main object is,
TO raie an inquiring fpirit in your mind,
which fhall lead you to fearch for truth. He
who is in purfuit Of truth, will rejoice to find
i ia any place whatever, ID any garb whatev-
er. This is a cri6s in which the citizen has
GER, inducement to inform h.mfelf Intrigue
and deception are new ufed TO blind YOU. II
IS, All was clear and lucid as light. There
~as 10 doabs of The jnaneis of our cauie then.
He thar sdted ia oppo6tion fbe1, TO the inter-
eft Of The people, was traitor ia heart. We
are TVrg blended, and many good man and
pariot, is deceived into a cenduG the molt
detrimental and injurious to himfelf and count
try. For fuch write--to extend the truth,
to undece;vc them to open their eyes, if
polLbIe, that their wiilss 70 do their country
a frrvise may be fully effected.
Nine months af,er the Britiih government
sdvertifed ours that they ihould retaliate the
French Berlin decree. If we fubmitred 20 it, &
Tt,s band. 81 and Ejfy3fVr day. after that decree
was iilued, England iauea her orders pf coun-
81, Nov 1907 which he bad an acqui-
'ed right to DO BY the laws Of nations, having
waited ill il was tnlly known that the Upi'ed