The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1836-02-10

responsibility of that war must fall M, -
ernment of France-the Justice of the c,s.
America. Let us see what are the simnIe Z
4 When the revolution of" the barricades"
simplicity of Lafayettee had raised the son o
lite 10 the throne, under the title of Louis Phi
merica applied to France for the settlement
old pecuniary claim, which had been pressed
out effect upon preceding Governments. III
mand led to much negotiation, and at lengtI
French Government offered sum in full of d
mands, which America refused to accept TIL
10 new negotiations, which were carried on d
a space OF nearly three years, and of which it
/ iy necessary to know the result in order to u
stand on which side Justice will draw the swoI
case OF war between France and America
result was recognition by the French Govern
and the French Chambers of a sum of 25 mil
OF francs being due to America-but, upon AmI
demanding the sum thus acknowledged to be
to her (Which is considerably short of the oris
demand) the French Government refuses to pa
III Is true the government of Louis Philip tho
withholding the payment of this just debt, in
does still make conditional promise of paym
the condition being that the the President of the
nited States shall withdraw. or apologize for se
expressions offensive to the dignity of Fran
which he used during the protracted ne gotations
the claim IN consequence of the shufing and
honest tricks practrsed by Louis Phillips cabiner
The legality of the debt being established, W
right, we ask, has France to annex any conditit
to the payment? Let her pay the debt first, a
then settle the point of national honor afterwar
1t IS strange way of vindcating the natiov s~hd
or to refuse the payment of a just debt. If m
in private life so attempted to vindicate his hon,
bis conduct would be considered very shabby al
dishonorable. Suppose debtor to say to his ere
ltor " acknowledge owe you ,0O0i. 1t was We
difficult to make me acknowledge that owed yd
kp Vnt mt of c,,ffsn L.
time to put your temper TO the test at last yc
threatened to have recourse to harsher measures III
less paid fear did what honesty could not indud
me to do, and promised to pay, but at the sam
time, | declare you shall never have farthing q
your money unless you apologize for your threat,
what would be thought of debtor who spoke il
this way! Why, that there portion of thI
fool, but still more Of the knave his composition
Such is the language which France the debtor
adopts towards America the creditor 1t is language
worthy OF the political morality of the Doctrinair
ministers and their Citizen King
When the American claim was formerly reecte,
in the Chamber of Deputies, and before the Amer
can President used the threatening expressions, win
can doubt that was rejected by the contrivance o
the French Government itself? Whatever POM
and parade of opposition tlere may be occasionally
made in the French Chamber to the will of the Kin.
of the Barricades, there is real opposition, a
least no effective opposition, to the Royal will i,
that Chamber, and never can be, while Franc
us governed by mock representative system whcl
is i'll fact, close Corporation. The whole consti
tuency Of France for nation of 80 millions of pop
ulation, does not amount to more than one third @
the electoral body of England under the borough
mongering system, with, including Scotland. no
above half the population. Well, the Chamber o
Deputies, which has been ever since the " goiiou
days ofJuly'' the passive instrument of the arbitrary
policy of Louis Philip, and which has gone witt
him all lengths, to the adoption of the atroo1
FteSch laws in his but too successful endeayoy t,
enslavc the country-that Chamber rejected in tn,
first instance the American claims. Why so o7-Th
Chamber undoubtedly understood it would be agree
able to the Court to do so, or they would not hay,
dared to reject it. Is it TO be supposed that the
huence of Louis Philip was irresistible in the Cham
Der for all tyranical purposes, and that the Chambe
only opposed him with effect when he was anxiou
to do an act of Justice Credot Judeus! Loui
Philip had no desire to do Justice, but he wished t,
shift the responsibility ofin Justice upon the Chambe
of Deputies. 1t is true the chief of the DOctrinaues
the Due dBroglie, with his colleagues resigned hei
places pro ttmpore, knowing that they could ste
back again whenever they pleased-that resignation
was necessary to save appearances But the Amer
can President was not to be thus trcked. He di
not oppose Louis Philip with his diplomat,
weapons. He did not meet trick by trick and chi
canery by circumvention. He did not address tn
Cltizen-Despot as our Government did the Northern
Autocrat, " with bated breath and whispering gen
tleness." He spoke of the fraud committed upoi
America in language not to be misunderstood, ant
denounced the dishonesty of France.
The threat brought the Chamber to reason, o
rather the Government that inspired the Chamber
After five years of shuffling and evasion the deb
was acknowledged but Louis Philip and his Doc
rnoire Ministers still wished TO off the day
payment The Citzen-K KING has long had the ere
dit of being rather tenacious of the maxim of" min
ancient Pistol" that " base is the knave that pays );
but President Jackson seems resolved to make al
honest man of him. or to compel him to unfur tn
tri-color in of petty-fogging injustice agains
free State, after knocking his forehead in the dus
before the Autocrat of Russia, AMI leaving Polan,
to its fate.
In the question now at issue, America has rg
and justice on her side, and the French Government
while pretending TO be sensitively anxious for th
national honor, trampes public faith and common
honesty under foot If General jackson allow