The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1810-04-04


mcDt. Contemn their artiices TO alarm your
fears, and scare you out of your votes. Let
their bug-bear stories about DuonApartc meet
your scorn. Let them find that you are free
mcn, and not to be dapcd, by pre,ences that
children would see through and despisc.
Neutral rights are of peculisr importance
TO nation whose policy is peace. No coun-
try has SO deep an interest as our. own, in
guarding those rights against diminution.
The rights of war are comparatively Of lutte
importance TO us. The Law OF nations had
defgned and settled both with precision. Ii
had given TO the neutral right to trade wher-
ever he pleased, and in whatever lac pleased,
with the exception of places invested by a
blockadhlg force, and the exception OF GER
tain merchandise denominatcd contraband Of
war. 1t gave the Delligerent no right TO
interfere with this trade, but in those except
cd cases. So unconiincd was the legitimate
sphere Of neutral commerce. Now for more
than half century past, Britain, who, from
necessity or policy is beliigerent, has been
contending to contract the sphere of the
rights, belonging to neutrality, and to enlargs
that of those belonging to war In SO, she
Topped off one important branch Of neutral
trade, namely, that carried directly between
the mother country, and the colony Of bel
hgercnt. This usurpatiou they have ever
since defended upon the ground of having
themselves begun, and continued it. In the
present war, Britain had curtaied the neutral
of a still more important branch of trade,
that is, the export trade from the neutral
coun,ry,.in the merchandise or produce OF the
bciligerent country or colony to either. Not
content with this incroachineut, they have
converted proclaniatioDs Into bockades, and
interdictcd neutral trade 70 ali places pronib.
ited by them OH paper. This was denying
at once to the neutral all right of commerce,
and reducing his trade TO the mere footing OF
licencc aud permission And To all this they
have wrested from our navigation FIVE thous-
and of our citizen-seamen, now hold them in
bonds, and compel them 10 night their battles
They have harrassed our commerce by innu-
merahle seizures, not Warranted even ny the
principles OF their own mari,;me dcspo,,m
On cur own coasts, within our own territorial
waters they have abused our hospitality and
murdered our citizens.
Our government felt, with the sehsibility
it ought,for the violated rights of our country.
They have been wanting in no duty to pro-
cure redress. Every American bosom
hand, everysvoice in the nation should have
been raised to support them. You Republi-
cans had this merit /: But the federal faction
with traitorous maliynity combined TO para
lize every effort, to defeat every plan OF gov
crnment in this cause, and they have been
but too successful. They ranged themselves
on the side of Britain, and became her defen-
derss Pickering. whom the federalists had
the humility to dub their Arstidcs led the
van. He asserted that the, British had done us
no essential injury, and the federal host echo
ed the factious lie. The usurpa,ion on neu-
trial commerce made by the rule of SO he
defended on the Srouad that Lewis XIV, "a
mother beIiger6hty had previously authorized
a similar trespass, by an ordinance of his
own making. AS to the. proclamation-bock-
ade, by which England cut up neutral COM
merce by the roots, that was transferred from
England to the account of France. AS to
impressment of our citizen seamen, it could
not be proved, that insurance had been en-
hanced by it. The other wrongs were de-
Tended with equal ingenuity and equal regard
TO our country. The state legislatures that
were then in federal hands, We'd with each
OTHER in their demonstrations of zeal, of ami
mostly and fury against our national constitu-
ted authorities. They acted as COMMITTEES of
anarchy, aud sat for devising ways and means
Of insurrection, of sedition and rebellion.
When such Obstacles were opposed to the
vindcation of our rights, is it strange that the
vindication has hitherto failed ! Is it strange
that Britain shouid withhold our rights, when
SO considerable a portion of our citizens were
willing TO give them up, and would GO such
lengths to disable government from asserting
them Remember the power Of the federal
faction to do this signal mischief, resulted en-
tirely from their welding the state legisla-
lures. Without them they would have been
impoient. Republicans, a,tend to this fas,,
1t speaks its own commentary. 1t is equal to
volumes on your-Lrgent interest in the depen-
ding election. 1t appeals directly and pow
erfully to taeibreast Of every true Amcri-
can. Let It animate Yours to secure 10 Re-
H. l. l..