Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-07-17
From THE AMERICAN CITIZEN.

7,aAeyrana's Memoir.-The object Of the
memoir is to point out to the Institute, and
through the Institute, it is supposed, to the
French government, the means of acqu'r-
ing to France political and commercial IN
fluence in the United States. In both re-
spects the prince of Benevento athrms, that
at the peace Of 1888, Louis the 18th was
guilty Of capital fault. 6 What, he asks,
did France do at that period? She was
fearful that th- same principles of Independ-
cnce, which she had protected by her arms
in America, should introduce themselves
amongst her own people, and, at the con
clusion of peace, she discontinued and dis
couraged all connexion with that country.
What did England do? She forgot her re-
sentiment; she re-opened speedily her an
cient communications, and rendered them
more active"
1t would seem odd, did not reflection
step in to correct delusive appearances, that
France should assist the colonies in acqur-
ing those principles Of freedom, OF the pro,
pagation of which amongst her own people
she was so very apprehensve. But, as mas
always been remarked, but not always be-
lieved, two motives, both sinister, dictated
the assistance. France saw In the revolu-
ton, or thought she saw, hne opportunity
for abridging the ascendant power OF Eng
land by separation of the colonies from
her, and relying upon Der superior dexterl-
ty in negotiating, she meditated the acqul-
sition to herself Of at least a molety of the
territory which now constitutes the i. S.
Possibly it was not within the purview of
the prince of Beaevento's memoir, but GER
tainly he has omitted to notice the fact, that
when the treaty of peace of 1888 was upon
the tapis, the most arttul attempts were
made by the French court to wrest from the
Il. S. the fisheries, and to secure to France,
besides the fisheries, all the territories east
of the Mississippi as far as the Allegheny
mountains. Congress, with more faith than
.sagacity, had passed a resolution binding
our commissioners not to conclude treaty
with England without the previous consent
of France, and France, adroitly availing
herself OF this error, carried on, unknown
to our commissioners, clandestine cores
.pondence with the British government, pro-
posing, in fact, to that government, to cheat
the y. S. by collision out of one half of
her present ,dominions. This infamous
scheme, clearly demonstrating the selfish
views of France in leading their arms to Sc
parate the colonies from England, was de-
teated by the vigilance, the -discernment,
s the hrn,ness of MIR. Jay, one Of the COM
missioners, who discovering the underpIot,
amounting his efforts to those of Mr.Adams,
one of his colleagues, dispensed with the
resolution OF Congress and manifesting to
the French conrt determination to con-
clude the peace with or without its consent,
accomplished that essential object. See the
causes assigned to Congress by our COM
missioners for departing from their binding
resolution. Here was attempt enough on
the part of France to acquire preponder-
ating influence, both political and CONNER
cial over the q. S.. for if the perhdv of the
French court had succeeded; if England
had colluded with it, and it was not her an
terest to do SO, know not that we could
have resisted for year the arts and arms of
the despot who Row tyrannizes over the
continent of Europe. France, in posses
sion OF our fisheries, and of our territory
from the Mississippi to the Allegany, would
have found means to obtain the rest. In
every part OF the world NAPOLEON has his