Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1809-10-30

tend 10 iaS nltle matters Which CoHSo-
tu,e the great interests Of America -
And why should not the representative
ofthe United States wait in the impe-
rial antichamber, for an answer 10 his
humble petitions, now and then taking
trip to the waters, or rural excur-
SIGN for the benefit Of his health, for
some half dozen of years logger /?
MI df9ierandum is our motto in res
peet TO negotiations with France. We
say net that it ought not TO be SO. We
only contend that it Is folly to suppose
that there is to be immediate war be-
tween US and France, because Mr..
Armstrong is at Amsterdam. Some
. accounts state that he has taken his last
leave Of Paris others that he had I'd
ken his diplomatic farewell, but was go-
ing TO return in three weeks TO resume
the duties of his station. The last
statement is by far the most probable,
when we reflect upon the unsettled state
of affairs, at the last dates, between
France and Austria.
II is now several years since Bona.
determined 10 compel US to Join him in
the war with England, and since Mr..
Armstrong announced this determine.
ton to his master, Thomas Jefferson,
late President OF the United States, who
received it with all due trepidation and
complacency, and exerted all his pow
ers and all his influence to conceal it,
not only from the people at large, but
from their representatives in Congress.
This we dare the hardest of the mir
ions of French democracy, and even the
great Jefferson himself, to deny. 1t
was not till the imperial determination
had been reiterated in the most insul-
ting forms, that the Sovereign People
were permitted to catch an indistinct
glimpse of what was going on. Mr..
Armstrong has been in the Slough
Deshond several times before, but has
happily got out again. He often told
Mr. Jefferson that Napoleon was mex.
orable that we must do as he badc us,
or expect not even the shadow of JUS
tice from him and that he was inflex-
IDLY determined to make himself the
sole regulator Of the fates and fortunes
of neutral as well as hostile nations.
Mr.. Jefferson seemed to have very lit.
tie objection to all this, because he was
still Of opinion, as when he wrote the
Notes on Virginia, that the sun of
Britain's glory was fast descending 10
the horizon" Napoleon having taught
the South of Europe to suspend all ac.
tive and almost all passive commerce,
and having every prospect of teaching
The North of Europe the same lesson,
is it not nonsense to suppose. that he
will remain at peace with us in a com.
mercial point of view, when he can car
ry on his contest with England only by
WAR AGAINST ALL THE COMMERCE.
OF THE GLOBE
We are not among the number of
those who believe that this anti-com.
mercial state of the world can continue
for ages, or even for many years. 1t
must soon produce great and. bloody
revolutions. But it Gay continue long
enough 20 chain Ms to the triumphal
Car of the Imperial Pacihca,or. We
hope, however, for better things.
Thank COD, we have no longer JEFF
ferson to rule and reign over us. The
present President, we still believe, is no
Frenehmsn And if this opinion be
correct, We shall soon have WAR WITH
FRANCE AND PEAcE AND COMMERCE