Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-08-22

aoe from an Atlantic port 10 New ofieai''
mere coaseing voyage, and OF consequence
| will relieve it from those vexat,ous search
&c ON account Of enemies goods and contra
hand articles. TO which in time OF war II Il
barely mention as consideration not te
| i. ent;rejy overlooked, though certainly o
MINOR Importance, that the Floridas con
tain a considerable quantity OF valuable
land capable OF yielding products which arr
extremely desirable to the United otates ane
/ will add to their exports
These are no, all the Inducements to the
ACQUISITION of this interesting territory.
need not add to the enumeration, nor press
SC importance. This will be felt by every
| rejecting American.
Rut on the means to be employed in max
! mo this acquisition some contrarlety OF OPT
MON may prevail. On this subject te"
observations will be hazarded.
The Floridas may be seized undervarlou:
nretexts. or may be acquired with their own
consent and the consent OF that part OF Spa
nisL. America with which 1t will most pro-
baby be connected.
The objections to the employment Of
fraud or violence in etfecting this object ap'
near TO be lnsurln ountable.
! A generous mind cannot view without
extreme disgust nation Boosting Its justice
its moderation and its liberty, lying IN wa''
for the distress of its neighbors, and selz'ng
the moment when .they arc struggling tor
existence aud looking round tor aid, to Sc
duce or wrest from them an extremely va
liable portion Of their territory. II any
thing could add to the igns miny OF SO un-
worthy deed. it would be the consideration
that it was the &C. of the United States TAX
ing advantage Of people who ave strue-
cling, as themselves have done, to emerge
from state o. colonization into lndepen-
dance and self government. Oh a people
whose struggle is not voluntary, but who
are forced mo it 10 avoid the yoke OF TO-
reign tyrant, who has already betrayed,
impoverished and subjugatcd tEe mother
state. The emotions WHICH such deed
must excite in every bosom, will never, l
trust, be directed against the government OF
my country.
Were il possible to spprshend that consl.
sideraiions of justice no longer inIutnced
TIE cotnc;ls of the United States ; that IN
fected by the example OF FRANCE, the lntrln-
~, character of measure neither dissuades
I:oll nor recommends It's adoption, still
souod policy tosblds us to tread this crooked
path.
Y cannot be doubted that the attainment
of the Floridas az this critical momens by
force or by intrigue, would make dsep AID
lasting impression On Spanish America. 1t
would be one Of those ungenerous advan.
tarss which a nation never toTGlVes. 1t
would be an injury which would long rankle
in the bosom OF those to whom it was offer
ed and which would ming le ltseit with all
the transactions between the countries. An
occasion to recover the lost territory would
Be anxiously sought and eagerly seized.
Should this not ,stili the unfriendiv DIS
positions which such an act mus engender,
would destroy all the b5nehts which mutual
rood will would ensure, and must entail a
long train OF ca!amisIss and vexat!ons on
both countries.
If the Floridas be acquired with the full
and free consent Of Spanish America, the
acquisition will be honorable, be permanenF,
and so far from leaving sting behind, may
be made on such terms as to removs causes
of irritation which already exist.
This point admits Of easy elucidaion.
The province which is now the subject of
consideration, though of incalculable value
to this country, is of little other importance
to Spanish America than as it affords the
means of future annoyance to the y. States.
IF therefore our conduct be friendly, and
such as to make q favorable impression, the
probability is that they will without much
r.lucta,ce MARI with this territorv~ IF IN