Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-05-31

ing war, stated their utter inability, Moon
seouence of the ruined state of their trade.
The Of France is III an equal
state-of stagnation and distress, though the
senate. more s~ubscrvlent than the Dutch
council, would not presume to approach
Bonaparte with any representations upon
the subject. Germany, Russia, and every
part of Europe groan under the same evils,
and the acconnts we have recently received
of the situation of the continent, exceed al
most whatever the imagination can picture
to itself of poverty, misery, and distress
That Benaparte has ever been induced to
relax any measure Of severity by feelings OF
humanity, by pity or affection for mankind,
II were absurd to suppose but what he
would refuse to the calls of humanity, he
would weld to the dictates of policy. He
is on the eve of a new war, a war which no
articles can render popular, which no So
phistry can persuade the people to be neces-
sary--a war which following close upon
the contest with Spain, and that contest
succeeding Immediately to the conflict with
Russia, must impress the nation with the
melancholy conviction that a state Of peace
and repose enters not into his contemplation
and forms no part Of his system. III this
situation he may have determined to soothe
the public mind by concessions, which may
relieve the general distress, and restore 10
a degree of animation and acti-
witty to which it has long been a stranger
A second and perhaps an equally powerful
motive may have been to conciliate the a
mericans. Cut off from all his colonies
in danger oflosing Martinique and Cuada-
loupe, and of being expelled entirely from
the West-Indies, he may feel that he shall
stand in greater need Of the Americans to
furnish him with commodities which he cav
no longer do without, and to further any
| views he may have upon the Spanish and
Portuguese colonies. The decree is per
fectly adapted to please America. The ar
ticles which are permitted to be exported,
, are those which France and Holland have
in abundance, md many Of which America
stands in need Of, such as pottery, linen
mercery, ironmongery, &c. The articles
permitted to be imported are those which
America abounds in, such as grain, hemp
and hemp seed, timber, pot ash, tobacco
tar, &c. The decree is also calculated tc
relieve the Of Russia, By the per.
mission it affords to import hides, hemp
tallow and other things.
Such are the motives which appoar to u
to have operated ii producing this decree
Il is said that it would enable this coun;ri
to extend It's connection with the continent
bat tina, his maiesty's minister's are deter
mined to take measures Tor preventing sucI
q n extension, ard that tbs licences that have
hitherto been granted to carry Oh an inter
course with the continent, sTe not TO b.
continued. ii such be their intention, ii i
a very wise one, and indeed we do not set
how, with any consistency, they could &C
otherw Sc. For however The decree NAV
favor the commerce Of n%eutrals in those ar
tic1es which n%eutrals can supply, still it al
fords no facility to the introduction Of the
produce Of England or her colonies into the
ports OF the continent. Sugar, coffee,
teas, wooden cloth, n%luslins, hardware, nor
any article we can supply is permitted. The
plain question then is this, are we to facili-
tate the trade OF %neutrals at the expence OF
our W trade The answer is obvious.
The question Of peace or war has been
resolved, and hostilities have commenced.
The accounts from Holland state, that the
Austrians have made.a sudden irruption IN
to the Tyrol, ana that on the 18th Of last
month an action took place, in which the
French were defeated.
Troops are pouring into Germany in all
directions. Upon the affairs Of Spain the
M0nitsur preserves the profoundest silence.
The Magicienne, and the transports with
the 10Th light dragons Cd board sailed
Z u -. tCL,.I -.