The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1809-08-23

| "hat We rcSrct as an evi proves to be great
good. Such in the end will be the rejection
by the British government Of the engagement
made by its minister Erskine, with the exc
cutive Of the United States, for the restora.
ton of harmony and friendly intercourse be-
tween the two countries.
| The readiness with which our executive
accepted the proposals, has obtained the APP
plause of even the enemies of the govern
ment although it engaged the British gov
ernment, to nothing more than to cease from
the plumber OF our property put ahoat by o,ir
merchants, pursuing neutral, lawful and
honest commerce. And so many years of
wanton wrong against us, the generosity and
fairness OF our own dispositions would not
| permit US still to doubt the fulflment of SO
reasonable an engagement, and we fulfilled
every part OF the engagement stipulated ON
our part even by anticipation 1--WE did more,
we restored property that might legally and
Justly have beeniorfeitcd, for offending against
law then in force The little which we re-
quired, and the readiness with which we ac.
ceptcd the British offer, and fulfilled our part
of the agreement, led the other bclIigerent Co
suspect our government to be either secretly
leagued with England or hostilely inclined to.
wards her, and perhaps it would have been a
cion, had not the blind infatuation that has pre-
cipitated her to the verge of ruin, and the
want Of good faith on the part of the British
came to remove it otherwise our sincere eff
forts to preserve peace, would probably have
involved US in war against all the powers of
Europe, against the law of nations, and against
the freedom of the seas, eventually against our
own liberties
The Ill conduct of the British government
has had another effect, we may fairly call il a
good effect /; it has released the minds Of
many good citizens from doubts and suspi-
cions, which great pains had been taken to i'm
press upon hem--it had been calculated BIZ
several presses and by private discourscs,t that
our government was not distosed to make an
amicable arrangement with G.. Britain that
on the contary G. Britain had made repeated
offers to do more than was required by Mr..
Erskine's engagement, and that it had been
refused by MIR. Jefferson.
The veil Of deception is npw removed, and
the whole visagc of imposturc is distinctly
seen by all, particularly by large. body a
mong whom arc some of our most respecta-
ble citizens, men whose principles, when
strictly adhered to, forbid their taking an acl
tive part IN politics--men who having, per-
haps unavoidable prejudices, under their cir
cumstancess were rather disposed to look
with indulgence towards the British govern
mcnt, and indisposed towards the. American
administration men who, Under the pcrsua-
sion that peace was not the desire Of our gov
ernment, and that their cffcrts towards Il we're
prctencc, on every occasion have thrown their
sufFragcs into the scale that was most likely
to favour England.
The conduct of the British government and
tho language of the ministry, have now re-
moved all doubts, and this tends to unite all
descriptions of people, and to sink all the for
mer invidious distinctions of party. Every
man who loves his country, must now see
and know who are its Jrierds and its eren,fcs
and will rally round its standard In support Of
the government and the administration, whose
honest endeavors forpcacc are SO Conspicuous,
to- the world.
Many who, from being deceived, .wcre
warm advocates in favor of England, at length
see their crror-and the degraded situation to
which that country wished to reduce us
many now openly condemn the principles OF
British policy, and have become what VIC all
ought to have been long agc-unitcd Amer
leans.
That our extensive commerce with Eng
land, and the credits obtained by traders hero
from thence, have tended to produce many
prejudices in favor of that country, and
most false and pernicious influence, is certain
Our speaking the same language, and our
almost total want of knowledge of the langua--
ges, the productions, the wants, and the asi-
vahtages of intercourse with the continent OF
Europe of course want of tho same intisni-
macy and knowledge of the people, that we
have kept up with the British, has fed those
prejudices, and nursed the most dangcrours
influence that has affected America.
Reason which should remove all prejudi-
ccs, is now free to exercise its faculties, snd
will point out very clearly that we should
have no attachments hut to our own country,