Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1819-06-19

| Eurohean Hezvs Of american affairs.
FROM BELLS LONDON MESSENGER OF MARCH %.
The last week has produced two TO-
reign articles of intelligence, of conside-
rable importance; indeed one of them
much more pregnant with consequences
than it may now appear. These events
are, the final cession of Florida, by the
court OF Madrid, to the government of
the United States, and the project of the
law for governing the French press.
AS respects the cession of the Flori-
das, we have long been persuaded that
the Spanish government would at length
consent to this cession, and would make
the best bargain, for a profitable ex-
change, for what had long become only
burthensome. The Floridas, however
valuable in themselves, were not of a
nature to become of any value to d gov
ernment like that of Ferdinand, whose
spirit is TO reap what Others sow, and to
procure its revenue by an enormous tax
alton upon commerce and mines. Flori-
da, though vast and unbroken mine of
agricultural produce, has no mines of
silver and gold; it wants capital to COM
mence its agricultural operations, and
industry to continue them; it wants good
laws, enlightened magistrates, and re-
formed religion. But Ferdinand and his
government could supply nothing OF
these necessities. Florida, therefore, in
their hands, was the vineyard of the slug
gard. Its hedg were broken down, or
rather not planted; its fields were until
led, and its noble waters and rivers were
choked with mud. Spain, under these
circumstances, has coded little in ceding
the Floridas.
We have often had occasion to say that
the Americans are very acute people,
and see their interest at as long distance
as the most profound politicians of Eu-
rope. 1t was with view to the present
cession that they sent mission along
the South American coast during the
last summer. The avowed object OF
that mission was to inquire into the actual
relations of the emancipated cities und
provinces of South America. The real
purpose was to hold out very intelli-
gible menace to the government of Mad
rid, and thereby to convey hint, which,
in the recent negotiation with respect to
Florida, has not been lost upon the Span
ish ministers. This policy is equivalent
to that OF private dealer, who, DESTROYS
of getting good price for his commodi-
ty, points out second bidder whilst he
is dealing with the frst.---" Do you as
you please. l think myself bound in
honor to give you the refusal; but you
see another chapman is at the door,"
Nor will the republican ambition oil
the American people remain satisfied,
even with this acquisition, though the
immediate result of it be, that, in any
future war with Eng land, it exposes our
West Indian Islands to such rapid and
successive invasions, as must exhaust
any fleet we can send to save or recover
them. With the single exception of Ja-
maica, which is of sufficient extent and
resources to provide for her own de-
fence, all the Caribbean Islands are at the
mercy of the United States; and upon
this simple principle, that they will not
be worth the expense of successive re-
conquests by government so remote
as that of Great Britain. This is one
consideration, but we do not think it of
much importance. Another considera-
ton is the DrOpreSsive shirt hecomipr |