Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-08-09

cannon, nor might the pens foi our 'u'I
Young LAWYERS be so steady as was that o.
the hero Of the north in former day.
Such things, believe me, are to England no
thing more. than the spoutings OF the whale
along the side Of her men OF war, WHIST
bear Neptune's trident from cline TO chine
Nations are in many respects like lnd'sldu-
ais; so sa, the civilians. We admire a man
slow to anger; he gives pledge Of perse-
verance to firmness in fight. ihus IT IS
with people.
What terms do Mr.. Cannine's letters to
Mr.. Efskine tender us B" We rescind'our
orders in council, you Americans clear az
way the impediments to a free trade with
US, and continue your interdictious as to our
enemy, who has not dealt by you as we have
done" This seems fair and mutual. Its
suggested there is point Of honor in the
way. Perhaps SO, Our rulers will Judge
whether they will stick to the punctllio at
the hazard Of our peace or not. AS am
not versed in the etiquette Of diplomacy,
cannot presume to say whether Mr.. Erskine
or Mr.. Smith should bow first, or whether
Mr.. T.. should commence his advance to-
Mr.. Madison with his right or his LETT foct
foremost.
Non nostrus est tSntas combonere htes.
We waved the point Of honor on a for
mer OCCASION and the chief justice can at
test il. Those who maintain it now will
answer to heircontemporaries, to God and
! TO posterity. Mr.. Canning moreover says
YOU mus, not carry on in time of war a
trade between the colonies and old France,
which you could not in time OF peace pro-
secute. Unable to transport her produc-
tons from her colonies herself, France shall
not do it through your agency. The brl-
fish ministry say their propositions are sup
ported by the laws of nations. | think the
question is with the American government.
Still there is much Of reason in the argu-
ment of the British ministry. They say,
/" We are at war with France, We cannot
reach her on the continent, the ocean is the
theatreof our attack. We have SO eifectu-
ally cramped and d;smantled her commerce
that she Garnet bring supplies from her CO.
lonies. These are our weapons, this orr
warfare, such its effects! Unless you A.
mericans, under the garb Of neutrality, be-
come, de facto, parties in the war, by car
rying supplies to France, and thereby put
ting her in better situation than she would
be in if her own men, money, and ships
were devoted 10 this object" Altho' the
law Of nations is on our side, there is much
plausibility on theirs. In addition to this,
the English nation has so much depending
upon the discontnuance of this cratic, that,
with her immense naval superiority, and
fighting for national existence, it is idle to
suppose she will tolerate it. And what kind
of traffic is this? Perhaps lucrative one
to those immediately engaged ia it. 1t may
fatten adventures, many OF them foreign
ers, resident here for the express purpose
of waiting wealth into their own Golfers un-
der the sanctitv of the neutral aag. But it
is said that the revenues Of the state spring
from the wealth of these individuals. Not
so. Spectators, whether in foreign trade
or in the heart of the country, prosper on
the ruins of the many. rshey are harpies
and must have their food.
Again, our tpasts on the 4th OF July, eoa-
Die agriculture, manufactures and commerce
in affectionate embrace, Their union ought
to be indissoluble. Bind them in chains Of
adamaut. May, the high-pricst of nature
ha. already connected, man; cannot part
them if he will. But sir, it is sound
trade, not rotten,. Legitimate not spurious,
that which can be prosecuted with some Sc
curity, not that which repavs enterprise.
with miscarriage, and opens upon the peo-.
ole prospects of unnecessary war. It is not
essential to the sale of our surplus produce,-
upon the most beneficial terms, that we re-
tain this trade. We carry our conmodi-
ties where we please, sell themt to whom we
please, and bring back what we please. In
crasDinp after more we may lose all. thus,