Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1808-03-16

Gers in the service OF the Y. I. to the count
de st. Gerfnair, minister OF war IN France at
that period The author was at the time OF
his coming over to America, a colonel IN the
service of France after his return he was
raised to the same confidential station OF MI
mister of war in that nation. The letter bears
date" Camp at White Marsh four leagues
from Philadelphia, 18th Nov. l777"-and
as indicative of it's nature is headed In the toll
lowing. manner" Pour vous settlement
Monsieur" In confidence to you alone
my lord."-It begins with a rete to
previous information which had been trans
mitted by the same writer, and after giving
an account of certain recent transactions
and of the situation of the American and Bri-
fish armies, it proceeds In the following
terms.
7" Now after the experience Of this cam
paign, it is natural to put this question:
VIII the Americans succeed In obtaining
their liberty or not In France where you
can only form your judgement from events
as they appear at a distance you will answer
in the affirmative We on the spot, who have
seen how things go on think differently. To
speak plain it has not been owing to- the good
conduct Of the Americans, that the campaign
upon the whole has terminated rather fortu-
nately, but to the fault of the English"
The writer next proceeds to review, what
he considered as errors on the part Of the
British, and to conjecture what might proba-
bly, have been the result, had those errors
been avoided Having taken that review, he
then proceeds as follows.
* JIo,-ovnn r;1oo a. a,o-4, ,rIs.L, J.-o.J
on the skill Of generals, cannot be foreseen,
they should make no part of the conlectures,
which they may form for the future. Let US
pay attention solely to the number of troops,
and / would hazard my opinion, that if the
English could have here thirty thousand men,
they ought to reduce the country A second
cause, which might hasten that reduction,
and even effect it alone, is the want of war
like stores, and the necessaries Of life. With
respect to the requisites for carrying on war,
the Americans want almost every thing"
A description then follows of the former ST.
tuation of the Americans, and of the habits
and dispositions supposed to grow out of that
situation, which rendered their existing cir
cumstances both novel and irksome to them.
The writer then declares not only a general
imbelicity OF character, but also a disinclina-
ton to support the cause to which we were
engaged.
" 1t is then necessary tsays he) that France
to accomplish this revolution, should furnish
this people with every requisite to lessen the
hardships of war. True it is, it will cost
some millions but they will be laid out in
annihilating the power of England, which de-
~o,InJ &c har ,oIop1cc 1Ei+bo,,t n VOW, o,l
without commerce, will lose her Importance,
and leave France without a rival"
" Nevertheless continued he) there are
some who think France would not find their
account IN npcrauing the English colonies, and
that she would run i risk of losing her own.
But to any one acquainted with this country
it is evident, that a long course of time must
elapse, before it would be in a condition to
conduct a feet to make conquests. The lea
Iousies between the provinces 1.-THE seeds
Of which are already sown) Will have divided
them into as many interests. as states so
that no one of them will be to be feared"
+" 1t may be asked, whether to bring about
the revolution in America, it would not be
advisable for France to make a treaty with
the u. s. and in concert with them, eross
over with twelve or fifteen thousand men ?
That would be the way to mar all, The peo-
pie here, though at war with the English I'VE
see it every day. and in spite of all France
has done, and means to do for them, would
prefer a reconciliation with the English. ra-
Their than receive the forces Of those yhom they
have the most reason 10 Jtar-(prefereroit de
Sc reconciIier avec les Anglois, plutot que
~recevoir de forces deCeuX, gu lis ont lie plus
raison dc craindre) or if the should consent
at frst, it would not be long before the natural
antipathy between the tive nations would ma
nifest itself by the most terrible dissentions.
Whoever has the advantage of that informa-
ton, which is to be derived from a personal
,ocijapca ~ tbic cp,,ptpx- rnuct Irr,o,u a.