Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-06-03

lombian and other flags have been abused &c
purDoses of piracy; but really TO advise hauoh'
| thar have mn nayies. and whose only NODE vi an
moving their enemy is by maraiime warfare, MOI
- en,nloy nriya,eers, Will "go forth in the me-
morv IF fnture ages" we fear, as any thing but
| sagacious counsel
| 3 IN fact the President himself doubts whe-
Their his "powers of argument and persuasion
are strong enough to produce this erect; ana ne
LII ,harefore he satisfied, for the present il the
whole of America will but adopt principle
sorewbat secuted, indeed, by the best writers
on the Law of Nations, but advocated long ago
! in pamphlet Of his own-the principle, that
"tbe friendly flag shall cover the cargo The
oneratiop of such rule at present would be
this. that as the Colombians, Mexicans, Bra
zillians, Sc. are all beligerents, and the Phlla-
delphians are neutrals, the cruizers OF the for
mer could not touch any property under the hag
of the latter Ceases OF contraband and blockade
excepted,) and consequently the 'Colomolans,
Mcxicans. Brazillians, sc. would all be losers,
and the Philadelphians would be the sole gam
ers-we do not very clearly see the dlslnterest
edness of such advice; and even the reciprocity
appears to be all on one side
8. Nations have frequently settled the emu
mcration Of contraband of war by treaty; aud
there can be no direct difficulty in such course
with the American nations; but 1t does not
seem very well calculated Tor discussion IN
general Congress of Ministers.
4. The Laws of Blockade are perfectly intel
ligible. and they have become known to all the
world since the luminous judgments OF Lord
Stowel, upon which we know the Phlladel-
phians themselves were content to act III their
blockade of the Barbary ports.
S. More is said on the prohibition Of future
colonization in America, than the subject seems
10 require; after all, it comes only to this, that
each power is to agree not to permit any colo
NAL establishments Of European jurisdiction on
its own soil, rule which every one has an UNI
doubted right 10 make, and which we should
suppose very few would be disposed to infringe.
S. In like manner, the resistance OF Euro
pean invasion takes a very diluted consistency
in the Presidents Message. Each Power, il
should seem, may resist the invaders of its own
territory; and the new nations in general, may
put forth declaration in the nature OF pro-
test against such inyasion; but the. Philadel-
phian Government has not quite made up It's
mind whether it will even go so far as to Join
in such declaration.
Z. A concert of measures having reference 10
the more efftctua abolition of the slave trade,
appears to us to be very Legitimate subject Tor
discussion at the Congress Of Panama, as, in
fact, it has been deemed at most Of the Euro
pean Congresses since the war.
s. The recognition OF Hayden independence
is also very fit to become subject Of discussion;
but we cannot say that the manner in which 1t
is treated by President Adams, is quite salts
factory He may possibly have in store some
valid objections against the recosnltion; but
those which he mentions are altogether frivo-
lous.
9. His advice as to Cuba and Porto Rico is
no doubt very good; II is, in short to lei them
alone How far it may be necessary to send a
Minister to Panama for the purpose Of arguing
this point, are not prepared 20 say.
10 Lastly, there can he no doubt but that i'll
advocating the principles OF religious liberty,
any Minister, Philadelphia, British, or other,
would be laudably and usefully employed. The
President however, takes even this question
up on narrow ground. He proposes to con-
fine it 10 the demanding Of a liberation for citi
zens Of the United States, who happen to be-
come occasional residents in the territory of
any Of The new nations. Surely more ample
scope might be given TO this part Of the discus
sion
1t appears, from the brief review that we
have thus taken of the Message, that there is
little Of real utility to the new nations among
the objects which the President has in view;
there are some things directly adverse to their
interests; AMI if the Philadelphia Minister
conhne his efforts within The circle here traced
out for him, we own, it appears to us that he is
not likely to add much TO the influence, what
ever that may be, which his Government at
present possesses among the transatlantic ma
tons.