The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1811-10-23
MISCELLANY.
-<&<S-~eSs-SSSS--
From fhs dIsANr kECIs7ER.
COMMENTS
on ARMED NEUTRALITY.
BY EDMOND C. GENET,
II Citizen Of Nesv- York


THE more we Investigate the baibarous
righs of war, the more j, appears tha, Of all
the sovernments who take up arms, none
have { mo:c honest, !audable and. pious mo-
tive than ,hose.who wish TO MAINTAIN by il a
perfect system oil neutrality, and that none
ought TO be morc waimly supported by the
people. Experience has taught, however,
that il is more difficult 10 raise the spirit OF a
nation 10 consolidate such paci6ck system,
than 10 inllanc their mind with the ambition
of conquest or to rouse their patrioiism 10 re-
pei an impending or real attack. They
think that neu,raii,yis the total ncga,ion oil
wal, end that .hc cause being good, and the
intention just, It's execution is easy. But
how gross the mistake ant how much ere
th.se to DC blamed who do not strengthen
the arm of their rulers, to accomplish such
desirable object.
Ii ilc Same excrtions were made 10 avert
war as those which become inevitable when
war Is at hand, that calamity would very sell
Z dom take place. A people acting for the
sake of peace, with energy and prudence,
would acquire responsibility and political in.
ilucnce each Of the belliseren,s would cour,
tbci, government 10 prevent them from
they even would claim their good Offices FOR
the mediation. Of peace, and the neutral pow
ers viewing IN them also essential allies,
would unite secretly or openly their interest
with theirs for the preservation OF their rights
or the establishment Of harmony among
the belligcrcrts.
But If neutrality is not armed, if it is. not
well organized in all its branches, il it is not
severely executed and in,par,ially observed
/" it sours your friends without gratifying their
onemies," or as Polybius remarks, Git gives
you no friends and takes away none OF your
enemies" (Nequc AMIGOS parit, neque inn
micos tolliO and il exposes you to the i'll
usage of all the belligcrtnts, and TO the ne
gicct Of the ncutrals.
No country has obtained more cxtraordina-
ry advantages from system Of armed ncu-,
trali,y than the Swiss copfcdcsscy. Neutral
ity fattLt part of Europe, so pcaccabIe and
SO happy, bs9pre France had crushed It's in
dependence into nuliity, was constitutional
principle of It's fedcrativc government. But
instead of forgetting the obligations which
they had contracted when they wanted help,
the faithful SWISS supplied troops 10 those
with whom they had capilulations for that
purpose, aud no one ever found fault with it,
because they had most excellent military
system, and would never embark in any r.u-
ropean war themselves, or suffer their best
friends to violate the neutrality of their ter
ritory, which was cor France key 10 Italy
and 10 the Austrian ,lomnions, and Tor Aus
tria a key to France
The Poles, before they fell victim to the
triple ambition Of Russia, Prussia and Aus
tria, had frequently attempted to maintain
system of armc,i neutrality but their ihies-
tine divisions were SO great and their consti-
tuition so bad, hat the individual vaIour ct
their nobes, and tho magnanimous efforts Of
their q rcat lords, could never prevent the
violation Of their territory. and the prostra-
,ion of their neutral rights, whenever the
Russians or tic Turks were implicated III
the continental wars, and their disregafded
neutrality has always brought more distress
upon them than an open state OF war.
The states-gcnerai of the united provinces
OF the Netherlands, have been moro iortun-
ate in observing at different periods system
of neutrality (; but they owed IT entifcly TO
the excellence OF their navy, to the strength
Of their army, and 10 their attention in COM
bining with the art OF the engineer, the de-
ftnsive means which nature had granted them.
Other powers, and particularly Sweden,
Russia ard Denmark, have equally been sue
cess.ll in establishing neutrality Us the rulc
of their conduct, bot NONE Without strict
adherence 10 the fundamental principle 'ha.
governments 10 be respected must be fcSpec-
table. The weak rnc ccicDccess must give
np all prctcniions to neutrality, and meekly
sdopt phocion's advice To thc A,hcpiaps,
a nat IL hey evere not me sir>ngess, hcy
ouyhs 10 haze ihe sirosge"J2r ailies. l in-
,roduec this opinion Of that illrsaious Greek
orator, 10 sooIh, if possible, the feelings OF
Mr.. Pickering and his friends, and 10 show
,ha, the plot Of an English alliance, offensive
and defensive, which existed really II not
formally when that gentleman was IN ohicc,
and which he continues TO pro'9ote IN retire
mcrt, has some similasi.y with the sentiment
Of the disciple Of Xenocra.es o. In rcali-
IN xenocra.es was philosopher Of Athens, sus-