Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-06-26
TRANSFER or THE rLoalDAs.

It is almost certain, that ere thas the
transfer of the Floridas has been formal
| ly made, and that the American Dag now
IlegitimGtely floats in peace and With the
appreciation of the people, on the Baran-
cas-where it so recently waved IN hos
| tile triumph over whom our arms had
subdued-those who are now, by this
transfer, become our friends and country
men.
The cession of this delightful and i'm
portant territory, will be an era in the
history of our country, similar to that OF
the cession of Louisiana Though mere
dot in size, compared with Louisiana, yet
| in its Immediate importance, both positive
! and negative, tits not of much less conse-
aueace. We have made friends, on hon
orable and advantageous terms, with a
great nation, that but for this, would, In
all probability, have been our enemy, and
involved Us in q war We have gained q
valuable Territory, not 80 mnch for It's
size az on account of its situation the
climate being nearly similar to those OF
the West ladies, the Western lsles and
South of Europe, il iscon6dently expec-
ted many of their valuable and useful pro-
ductsons, DOW difficult to be obtained even
at enormous prices, may here be advan-
|tageously cultivsted-the best ship-t'm-
Der in the world to any amount, is here
obi aimed, and the health Of the Country
is equal to any part Of the worid-an I'M
portant advantage over most of our south
ern border I'VE have got under our own
Immediate control, many tribes ofsavages
who have heretofore given US much trou-
bic We have broke up nests Of pirates
and smngglers, whose place will soon be
filed with fair traders, to whom the
transfer will be of much Importance -
We have put it out of the power of an
enemy, in time of war, TO make a rendez-
vous Of this country, from which to annoy
US both by land and sea while it gives
US many advantages, both in peace and
war, in our intercourse with the west In
dies and the new Republic of Columbia:
Our whole extent of sea-board, which be-
fore was broken is now connected And
though last, not least, our merchants, and
others, who have suffered by Spanish;
spoliations, will now be, in part, at least,
remunerated; while we have obtained
Justice, though long denied, without the
necessity of resortingto the ultima ratio
regium,.,
These are few of the advantages gain
ed by the transfer of this country
We now see the result of that judicious,
temporising, yet firm and decisive, pacif-
ic policy, that actuated our councils in
the long negotiations with Spain. How
different is now the situation of our coan-
try to what it would have been had some
hot-headed politicians have been suffered
to have their way in this natter With
out bloodshed we have gained our object
and the appreciation of the world and our
own consciences, attend the result. In
seeking our rights, we magnanimously
bore as long as forbearance was virtue,
and. no longer, with the fckleness of q
nation incapable of making any effort to
prevent our possessing ourselves of those
rights % ct arm;s In doing this, we
have shown to the world, that we have no
disposition to 60 to war with nation, be-
cause she is weak and has injured as,
without using every means to obtain re-
dress by pacific negotiation,-while the
war against the mighty power of Britain
shows we are not backward, when we
think we have just cause, in wageing war
against any nation.