Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-03-07
has been alike protected by The govern

Respecting the attitude Wi" II !tmay
be pr. per for the U. 8 atcs t" maintain
hereafter between the parties ! nave
no hesitation in stating it - my CPL
Mon, thai the neutrality heretot"re 90
served. should still be adhered To-
From the change in the government "i
Spain. aud the negotiation now az
pending, invited by the t"rtes and &C
copied by the colonies. il may De pre-
sumed that their differences Will be set.
tied on the terms proposed by the colo
mics. Should the war be continued,
the United States, regarding the oc-
currences, will always have 1t III their
! power to adopt such measures respect
ing it as their honor and interest may
require.
Shortly after the general peace,
band of adventures took advantage OF
this conflict, and of the facility which
it afforded. to establish system OF bu-
canerriug in the neishburing seas, 70
the great annoyance of the commerce
of the United States. and, as was re-
presented, of that ofothcr powers. 0i
this spirit, ant of its injurious bearing
on the United States, strong proofs
were afforded, by the establishment al
Amelia Island, and the purposes to
which it Was made Instrumental. by
this band in 1877. and by the occu' rer-
ces which took place in other parts of
Florida, in 1918, the details of "hiCh.
in both instances, are too we'll known
to require to be now recited. AIN sa-
tistied had less decisive course been a
dupted, that the worst consequences
would have resulted from it. We have
seen that these chez Ks. decisive as they
were, were not sufficient to crush that
Pira'ical spirit. Many culprits bro't
within our limits, have been condemn
cd t. suffer death, the punishment due
to that atroCious crime The decisions
of upright and enlightened tribunals
fill equally on all, whose crimes sub
ject them, by fair Interpretation Of
law, to its censure. 1t belongs to the
! executive not TO suffer the executions,
under these decisions, to transcend the
great purpose Tor which punishment Is
necessary. The full benefit of exam
pie being secured, policy, as well as
humanity, equally forbids that they
should be carried further. have aci-
ed on this principle, pxrdoning those
who appear to lave been led astray by
ignorance of the crin,inality of the acts
they have committed, and suffering the
law to take effct on those only, in
whose favor no exteauating circumstan-
ces could be ursrd.
Great confidence is entertained, that
tn. late treaty with Spain, which has
been ratified by both the parties, and
the ratification whereof have been ex-
changed, has placed the relations Of the
two countries on basis Of permanent
friendship. The provision made by it
for such nf our citizens as have claims
on SPAN, of the character desc ribrd,
viii. it is presumed, be very satistar.
tory to them; and the boundary which
is established between the territories
of the parties, westward Of the Nils
siss'ppi. heretofore in dispute, has, il
is thought. been set led on conditions
just and advantageous to both. But.
to the acquisition of Florida, too
mach Importance cannot be attach
ed. 1T secures to the United States
terrific y important in itself and
whose Importance is much increased by
Its bearing on many OF the highest in
terest OF the Union. 1t opens toscveral
offhe neighburing 81 ates ii free passage
t" the ocean, thru the province coded,
by several rivers, hs> ing their sources
high up within their limits. 1t secures
us against all future annoyance from
powerful Indian tribes. 1t gives us Sc
veral excellen. harbnrs in the Gulf of
Mexico for ships of war of the largest
size. 1t Covers, by its position in the
Gulf. the Mississippi and other great
waters, within our eX ended limits, and
thereby enables the United States to af
ford Complete protection 10 the vast Il
very valuable productions Of our whole
western Country, which find market
through those strrars.
by treaty with the British Govern
ment, bearing date OIL the twentieth Of
October. one thousand eight hundred and
eighteen, the convention regulating the
| commerce between the Uuited States and
Great Britain, concluded on the Third of
I,,l, Il II