Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-04-20

ond eastern states, the courts OF law
were omen to British creditors, in cases
where their American debtors failed to
nav tbem-cases, / believe, which sci.
dom occurred. 1t vas otherwise in Vir.
PIMA and other southern states And
these impediments were 80 long CONT
;nued, that, at length, dsaths and lnsol-
yencies put it out of the power OF Bri.
fish creditors to recover their debts from
many of the persons or estates OF the
debtors themselves.
But this article in the treaty OF peace
was binding on the nation--the whole
United States being responsible to other
natien. for the acts of every member Of
the union. Hence it became the indis-
pensable duty of the United States to in
demnify the British creditors in the cases
above mentioned. Accordingly, in Mr..
Jay. treaty, it was stipulated, that where
sucb debts could not be recovered in the
ordinary course OF justice, the u. States
should make full compensation for the
same 10 the British creditors. And pro-
badly this stipulation contributed, in no
small degree, to produce that violent
opposition to Jays treaty, for which Vir-
einians were eminently conspicuous.--
While sense of justice and good faith
failed to enforce the payment of their
debts, their pride was opposed to the
payment of them by their ne'ghbors and
fellow citizens of other states, who had
had already paid their own debts. To
cancel the obligation incumbent on the
United States, it was finally stipulated
to pay to the British government, for the
use of the British creditors, the sum of
six hundred thousand pounds sterling
equal 10 tuo millions, sic hundred and
sirty -four thousand dollars; which the
people of the northern and eastern states
(fer the public revenues are chiefly col
lected from thence) after paying their
own debts due to British merchants be-
fore the revolution, have been compelled
to pay for their delinquent fsllow-oih'
zens of the south!
Thus of three treaties negotiated with
Great Britain, under Mr.. Jefferson's ad-
ministra,ion, (Mr, Kings two above de-
scribed and the treaty of amity and COM
merce by Pinkney and Monroe,) one on
ly had been accepted and ratiGed-that
which provided for paying, at the public
expense, the debts Of his seuthe I'm friends!
These remarks refer only to dezinqurnts
among the people ofthe south God
forbid that they should receive general
application. ] know that there are and
always have been, in that portion, of the
union, great numbers alike distinguish
ed for their talents, probity and honor,
and to whom the policy and measures Of
Jefferson and Madison arc equally ab.
horrent as to any citizens of the north.
If all MIR. Jeffersen's tedious but abor-
tive negotiations with Great Britain
were examined, it would appear, that
they proved abortive because they turn
ed on points which it was impossible for
Great Britain to yield, or were influence
ed by motives foreign to the true and
interests of the United States;
interests with which those OF Great Bri-
tain are certainly compatible, or disputes
and war must be everlasting: but per.
petual war cannot be pronounced
the necessary condition imposed on the
two nations by the Benevolent Ruler of
the Universe.
The only remaining ground of the war
avowed by Mr.. Madison. re-
spects the impressment of seamen. This
subject until lately has not been well
understood for until lately, it has not
been thoroughly Investigated. 1t has
now been demonstrated, by most dis
learned and excellent citi.
zen, that the practice of taking their
own seamen from neutral merchant YES
sells, has for more than a century been
common to the nations of Europe, and
especially to France, whose regulations
arc more rigorous than those of England.
He has demonstrated that this practice
is founded on a perfect r:ghi-.-the right
of every sovereign state to the service
Ct its own subjects ir tine Of war
which right our administration will not
dare explicitly to deny. 1t isa right
which Great Britain acknowledges to
belong to the United States as well as
herself And accordingly the Prince
Regent, in the name of the King of G.
Britain, declares, in his late manifesto,
that armed vessels of the United States
have the right, and may exercise it free.
~, TO take American seamen found on
board her merchant vessels. the Bril-
fish ships of war take British scameD
found on board American merchant YES
sells. Here then the tive nations are at
issue. Each has right to take their
own seamen-and none to take those OF
the other. But having been one nation,
children Of the same family, they are La
bic to be mistaken one for the other {;
and when so mistaken, the perfect right