Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1808-08-26
aIsrar0rta Datlp 6asetts.
COMMERCIAL md POLITICAL.
From the Charleston Courier.

1fhGf Uni De IDS EStsef TIC II Nsss0ss @ssS
sIxtion upon our osvn afaiys Z THIS Is an IN
trresting and important inquiry. Peace be-
ing established between Great Britain and
/ Spain, and the war still continuing against
their common enemy, the whole trade OF
the Spanish West-Indies, the Main, and the
immense regions Of Spanish America, with
the Brazils, will be nearly engrossed by the
British nation. 1t is reasonable to suppose
that G. Britain viii endeavour to make such
commercial arrangements with SPAN and
Portugal as will predominant over the Prlvl-
leges granted to other nations, and especial
" as there are nonc, at present to Fat IN their
claim for share--war and the embargo
have driven all from the ocean. Il is true
the Braziis are at present open to the trade
Of neutral and friendly powers, but there are
none but England to take advantage ofit.
British manufactures ever have, and ever
win be in deraand in S. America. During
the whole of the war they receive from the
I British, IN licensed vessels, large supplies OF
their manufacture: either in exchanse tor
money or the produce of the country. 1t IS
well known to those who are conversant
with the trade Of the province OF La Plata,
that the smuggling Of British European and
India goods, was productive OF such ina-
Ynence profit, that the Americans thought
rothing of risking the seizure Of their ships
and cagocs and their own Imprisonment. to
engage in this contraband traffic. Ne for
eign vessel could enter any of the Spanish
ports in South Amsrica, with cargo of dry
! goods, but By virtue of a royal license. Yes
sells not having li.ese, and particularly the
Americans, efected'by stratageIn what they
could not obtain by law They secured In
the hold, in such manner as they thought
most likely to eyade suspicion and discovery
dry goods to large amount they then
touched upon the Western Coast of Africa
and took in few slaves, which gave them
the right of entrance. Under the appear
ance of selling, perhaps, O,OCO dollars worth
of slaves, British manufactured goods, to
the amount, probably, of $4,000 dollars
would be smuggled on shore. II the vigi-
Lance Ct the ofhcers Of government could be
cluded, there was nothing to apprehend
from the people. The goods were in de-
mand, and the people would run ali risks to
an rlieH. Fri5 exports III rr1rre,rr, MI,
5 copper, rice, hides, tallow, mules, gold, sill
yer, precious stones, sc. from la Plata and
the Brazils willscontribute to the argmen-
tation of the wealth Of Britain and afford
supplies to her manufactures. The trade.
in mules, alone, to the Cape of Good Hope,
and the windward islands will be productive
of an enormous profit. The Spanish flag
viii now, probably, be seen upon those seas
where once our own was unfuried, and will
partake of that trade from which American
enterprise has been banished by the emhar-
go. Commerce, like an immense food of
water N.Y. be damned and dykcd in one
place, but it viii break out with increased
force and mnpetuosity in another. 1t may
be turned but rot destrcyed, It's channels
may be diverted but not checked Up. 1t
will seek for itself an outlet, and form new
channels Gifts own. An age perhaps, would
be requisite to return 1t tits old course.
These are effects which the embargo may
probably produce. Trade may be diverted
INTO other channels.
The trade with the eastern coast OF South
America viii not, probably, be 50 engross-
ed by the British as to leave notnlng to the.
enterprise of our merchants. A field SUI
6ciently large for the employment Of q con-
siderable capital, would still be open TO our
commerce. The ports Of the Brazils have
been opened to the trade of nsutrais, and
were We not chained at home by The eInbar-
90 we might now be enjoying share OF the
profits Of this commerce.
We have no treaty with Great Britain,
no claim upon her for aparticipa patton Of equal
commercial rights, when she is negotiating
with the sovereigns of South America
Any commercial privileges which she may