Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-06-18
last s,,bt for interest, after having rcfued t

last NSttl lol sAistNtS''>r' 1880 81
fight for honor" re
France whilst you required OF hef as 2 pre-
.limirlary to further accommoda the testl-
tuition Of her plunder decoyed INTO fher ports
required from you, as a preliminary, war
with England Mr. Barlow has now oesn zen
months in France, dancing attendance on per
conf without being able to obtain an answer
70 . few plain questions. Are your DEGREES
reneaJed f-.It is considered as improper 60
make the enquiry Instead of the edIct, re-
script. the instrument of repeal, by Whatsoc-
YER name it be called, he sends Us the stflc-
lures Of the French government upon the pro-
ceedines of the American congress, and re-
nonstrance to the duke of Bassano, that the
repeal of the DEGREES Tin which ne IS compel
led to feign a belief, because the president
proclamation is the sole evidence OF the TACT
has not been given in charge to the french
cruizers, but that the public ships OF war
(Nymph and Medusa) continue to 6u1n our
vessels on the high seas And whatd the
duke Of Bassano tell him in reply The same
old story of Chanpagny to gen, Armstrong
" The United States will be be entirely salts
fed on the pending questions, and there Will
he no obstacle to their obtaining the advana-
ges they have in view, it they succeed IN
making their flag safe I" In other words
make war with England and you will be salts
ed and not until then on the pendingsques-
tons. And what are they on one OF them
the required compensation for plunder--your
minister after waiting for months tor an oral
answer, tells you, This is dull work, hard TO
begin and difficult to erec@te." This IS the
claim too required by Mr.. Secretary Smith,
under the presidents order, to be satisfied as a
preliminary to the acceptance OF the overture
of August $, 1910! 1t is possible the Wasp
may bring out something, just to hush up
complaints until we are fairly embarked In
war: into which if we enter, it Will be war
ersubmission to the mandates OF foreign des-
pot-the basest, the most unqualified, the
most abiect submission. France tor years
mast has offered Us terms (without specifying
what thev were) at the price ola war with En-
Gland, which, hitherto, we have rejected
That price must now De pad line emperor
deals only for ready money--and carrying bis
;ealousy further than i'll the case efthe presi-
dents proclamation (Which he would not be-
leve until It's terms were fulhlled) he requires
TO be paid in hand before he will name his
equivalent. :.
In the celebrated case ofinsult by implica-
ton, or insinuation, offered by Mr. jackson,
there existed in the Archives OF the country,
a monument (such as 1t was) OF the sehSlolilty
of this house to that insult.
IF under such circumstances, without hav-
ino received any shadow Of Indemnity Tor the
mast, or security for the fature-M indeed Sc
ru,ity could be given by the French Empe-
ror--the u. States become virtually party to
the war in his behalf, it must confirm beyond
the possibility of doubt, every surnise that has
gone abroad, however gross, however nJV.l-
Gus to the honor or the interests OF this go
yernment-that there exists In our councils
an undLe, fatal French bias. Alter the de-
clarations of official men, alter the language
uttered on that floor, if the u. S. become par
ties to the war with France against her rival 1t
must establish as clearly as the existence ct
the sun above us--this event has not happened
and God forbid it should-but Ii 1t qoes, the
conclusion will be irresistible and this govern
naent will stand branded to the latest posteilty,
(unless the press should perish IN the genera!
wreck of human liberty) as the Pandars OF
French despotism-as the tools, tse mlnions,
sycopbants parasites of France. Twas TO
secure the country from this opprobrlum that
the proposition was about to be submitted
This is not like war for Spanish success
sion or a Dutch barrier, for the right DIT cut
ting logwood on desart coast, or tlshlng In
the Polar sea It is a war upeXamPied III the
history of mankind--a war,-ssparated as we
are from the theatre of it by wide ocean--
from which it behoves us TO stand alooi-to
set our backs to the wall and await the coming
of the enemy--instead OF rushing out at md
night in search of the disturbers OF our rest,
when thousand daggers are pointed at our
bosoms. But it is said we must fight for COM
meree-a war for commerce deprecated Dy
all the commercial portion OF our country, by
New England and New York the great hold
ers of our navigation and capital.