The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1812-06-05

has never intermiitcd. IL was always evident,
that commerce was originally enc main obiecr
OF the contest and that it is now the only OBJ
iea appears TO be conceded on all sides.
England, the first maritime power in the
world, who opened the batteries Of her attack
with all the kingdoms Of Europe for her al
lies, being uniiormaly defeated in the sue
csssiye coalitions she subsidised, finally, in
1906, was left alone to maintain the unequal
cohilict against all her former auxiliaries
then or soon after subdued into the ranks and
maintaining the quarrel of her predominant
enemy. At this conjecture, foiled, oppressed,
and cas-, down, with a dcyouring navy TO en-
ROY, vast mass Of manufactures TO dispose
cf, Jealous and apprehensivc of our already
yell-grown greatness and commercial compe-
ion, the ministry of Great Britain resorted
y one Of those expedients Of national desper-
aion, which, like the dishonest contrivances
If delinquent individual, however they may
serve the moment, and however tEey may in
ure others, always rccoil with their worst re-
action on their authors. The ministry of q.
Britain, behind the rampant of navy deem
ed impregnable, set the exccrablc example of
openly violating the laws oil nations, and Of
:rampling upon the immunities of neutrality,
in ordef from lis fragments to level with sur
er eject the blows she was aiming at victorl-
Gus france. The voice of America, fellow
citizens, was ins!antaneously and unanimous
ly raised against this Infamous inroad On the
comfy and usuages of sovereign and neutral
states. Not town of any consequence on
our sca-board, but applied to the federal gov
ernment for redress, by solemn protest at
least, if not more energetic opposition, "a
gainst Britannia aggrieyement All parties,
all classes, were united and the voice OF the
county descended by acclamation upon lis
rulers, demanding retributson.
Our English antagonists were engaged with
foe nowse slow TO initiate their Injustice.
The conqueror of continental Europe, in the
hour of overwhelming victoiy---in his exult-
ing camp--amidst the crash OF prncipalties
and the groans of royal dissoution--thc arbi-
ter of dismantied thrones---at such time
in such scene-tracing as it were the fate
Of world with the poin. of the sabre on a
drum head in the field of batte--the conquer
or OF continental Europe wrote his fiat in
answer to the fiat of English deiiancc---and in
an instant, by the sorceiy OF power, the east
and west, the north and south, were locked
up in their respective precincts, and forbid
den, on pain Of confscaiion, conflagration,
annhi!ation, to appear on the accustomed do
mains of all nations
We were the happiest people on the Garth,
lellow-citizens. We were reposing in pro-
found peace and who had not learned from
protracted abortive negotiation, that ncgocia-
lion avails nothing with the gigantic wrong
doers we bad to deal with. Our policy was
neutral. Our system was pacific and prccau-
tIonary. We shut our own gates and denied
plv he a ba horra
ments, of foreign traffic. We negotiated
When sent away without -atisfac, c,ion, our
ministers returned, again and again, to the
ineXorablc audiences Of domination. Sullen
silence or insulting mcnaces were the only
answers we could obtain.
Soon after the murder O! our countrymen
in the Chesapeake was superadded to aggra.
vate these injuries. The people rushed to
arms. But a pacific administration, still not
dospairing of pacific redress, stayed the no.
bic ardor OF the country--that country which
is always full of noble ardor---whose first
burst will rebuke its calumniators, and scat.
ter ITS enemies in prostration and discumti-
tude.
The right of search, as it is called, anoth.
er OF the catalogus of our wrongs, in,erpola-
tions of various other indefensible claims into
the code OF nations, together with the rigor-
Gus enforcement of certain absurd and anti
quated, but revived pretentons, were also
brought to bear upon our almost exhausted
patience. BY way of retaliation from which
impos,ions from one belligerent, the other
exercised the more distressing, though no,
more unjustiiiable, authority Of acr~ally burn.
ing and destroying our ships and cargoes on
the ocean.
During these aggressions, fellow citizens
the deadliest of all, that late refinement upon
outrage, which was reserved for the page O
modern history, that foul and indelbe stair
on the bearings of our independence, tho
/ right OF impressmcn:, as it is also miscalled d
| has been Systematically exercised on our per
sons and not less than SEVEN THOU