Elizabeth-Town gazette. [volume] (Elizabeth-Town, N.J.) 1818-1821, 1819-10-19

/ Lewis, interlered aud his lie was spared
We are happy TO learn that the robbers
were taken 10 bed on Tuesday OF Wednes.
day last, near Lewistown on Juniata, and
great portion of the money recovered
Mr.. M'ClelaDd started from this boroush
on Friday last for Bedford, whittier the
robbers will be taken for trial.
| An instance of the daring disposition Of
Lewis, came within our own observation.
Last night, while surrounded by mum.
Der Of persons, he by some means got a
loaded pistol which was lying 10 The
room, and uuobserved got clear to tbe
outer door, when he called aloud and
sprang off. The house was quickly clear.
ed, and he was caught. He snapped his
pistol in the face of his pursuers, and
when caught and overpowered he cooked
and snapped again. Very fortunately the
pistol missed fire.
BALTIMORE, Ger. 8.
Speculation Taking the fact for grant
ed, which we publish to-day on the au.
thority of the editor Of the Aurora, not
only that the treaty for the cessioa Of The
Floridas is not ratified, but that it will
not be ratified on the part Of his Catholic
majesty, and that minister extraordina-
Try will be sent, to explain to our govern.
ment the reason why 1t has not received
the sanction of his majesty, an important
question remains for solution: what course
our administration will deem it becoming
their dignity to adopt. 1t is hardly pre-.
sumable, that our own cabinet having
concluded and ratified treaty on Their
part, will open the door for negotiation
again---our discussions with the Spanish
court have already been spun out into
cobwcbs of an almost interminable length,
and our political Arachnes have by this
time exhausted their flaments. We are
led to this conclusion from the prompt,
decided, and some would say, uDcourts.
Gus style Of the letters from our secretary
of state addressed to Don Onis. Our
government, we conceive, could not open
a discussion fog the Floridas again, con-
siderins the ground already taken, with
out vitality compromising their own
dignity. Is it presumable that our secre
tary OF state, brought up as he is in The
school of diplomacy, was guilty Of such
palpable neglect OF his duty as not 10 have
examined the powers of Don Onis, before
he concluded treaty for the Floridas !
Besides our cabinet may say to the Span
Ish minister extraordinary, il he comes
charged with new propositions, how do we
know that your roy al master is now sin.
cere Don Onis has shown the same ez-
tensive powers as you have done, and yet
his Catholic majesty refuses his ratifca-
ton. We conceive, therefore, that the
door OF negotiation for the cession Of the
Fioridas is not only latched, but bolted
and nailed up. The question then re.
mains, what course will our government
pursue Two alternatives only present
themselves seizure Of the Floridas
with or without declaration Of war. A
formal declaration of war against Spain
would, 10 all human probability jeopar.
dize the interests of the United States
with other European powers; our cause
would then be identified with that Of the
Spanish Patriots; We should then ac-
knowledge the independence of those
provinces, and ii is now reduced nearly to
a moral demonstration that the powers Of /
Europe would not receive such intelt
gence with indifference. South America /
continues too important stake for mighty /
monarchs not TO play at; they wish to
thrust their spring nailed claws deep into
the mines Of Mexico: they will say, Gen
tlemen Republicans in kind mercy stand
off; our royal fingers are specially de- y
lighted with the grasp of gold dust, and
we can see these pOtentates running ps
liticai scrub race TO see who shall flrs
enter the mines. A declaration Of war,
therefore, 90 our part against Spain Tor
her neglect in not ratifying the treaty,
would comprehend other and more no
mentous questions, not only with SPAN 4
but perhaps with all the powers OF BY
rope besides That miserable sand bank 7
called the Floridas, would furnish us WIN &
but poor indemnity for war with all
Europe.
We are therefore inclined to the oplr /
ion, that our cabinet will seize on tE
Floridas, without declaration Of wal
Even during the course Of the discdssla
with Don Onis, they adopted this mtaf
.ure--ihey seized on Florida 10 the mlds' \
Of that discussion, and refused to surreP
der it up while negotiation was pending.
Europe beheld this seizure with indilef'
ence !; at least if any complaints seTf
made by any power, with the exception
of the Spanish, it never has become :
matter Of notoriety. We do not beteVs
that this measure would excite the Faf
ousy Of the other European powers. Tney