Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1815-02-23

az enGency, far from diminishing. VIII add
proportional weight to our influence at
Vienna but in truth Vienna and all its
fstes. and all its negotiations, are infinitely
insignificant to US now compared Win the
growth of an American navy, anc the pro
bable loss of our transatlantic provinces
With respect to the latter point, II is Ger
tain that the present treaty will produce the
most serious discomfort among the Cana
dams, when they find that the great object
of their wishes, a secure frontier communi
cation, is referred to the decision OF com
missioners They know, if the British pub
Tic does not, what is the honesty OF Ameri-
can commissioners but, indeed, we ought
to know it too, for we cannot we'll have for
gotten the conduct of those appointed under
the treaty of 1891 BY that treaty two boards
were sstablished--one in England, to Judge
of American claims, the other in America
to Judge of British claims. The former pro
ceeded with all justice and regularity, and
actually adjudged to various claimants a
bove million and half of money, which
was paid by this country The latter met,
end received British claims to the amount
of five millions and half, but never pro
ceeded to single award. At this board
were two American commissioners, the
presence of one of whom at least was neces
sary tc form a quorum but these despica-
Bile swind!ers, for their conduct entities
them to no better name, no sooner perceiv-
! ed that justice required decision in favor
ola British claimant, than they withdrew;
! and of course put an entire stop to the bust
| ness After this experience, 1t does seem
! little extraordinary. that we should commit
the future safety of Canada to board OF
commissioners.
The Hamburger mail presents US with no
very gratifying view of the harmony of the
continental powers but one satisfactory
conclusion a least, may be drawn from this,
that we may with tolerable safety leave
them to their own disputes, whilst we attend
to what more closely concerns u.s. 1t IS not
| now, as at the time of Bonaparte. when one
savage despotism threatened to swallow up
all national indie pendence. Onthe contrary,
almost every power at the congress seems
to have its separate views, and we are sorry
to say, that they seem almost all equally
| sci fish, and equally to set at defiance their
pretended principle Of equity and modera-
ton. Saxony and Poland, Genoa and
Mentf, the Catholic religion and the slave
trade, appear to have furnished subjects for
discussion, and projects and protests, but
for nothing else What is said Of the slave
trade is particularly repugnant to all manly
feeling. The abolition is truly said to be
g interesting to humanity and yet the hu-
mainly of al Europe united is not strong
enough to compel even a modification of
that system Of crimes and atrocities The
reason assigned is, that the powers con
cerned in it will not accept of the interte
renee Of the continental powers. Now,
there are no nations calling themselves CT
vilized, which at present are disgraced by
the slave trade, except Spain, Portugal and
France but the two latter have solemnly
pronounced it to be in its general nature
contrary to the sentiments of an enlightened
age. They, therefore, are confessedly
bound to acquiesce in any fair plan for linn
ting it in point of durati on or extent; and
what they acquiesce in, Spain cannot, Ell
Their with decency or dignity refuse None
of these powers can lie under an unlimited
necessity to buy and sell men and further
than their respective necessities extend,
there can be no dishonor in renouncing so
odious trafick
D-- Nj