The spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1840-1844, 1842-10-14
FRANCE--TIET ARIFF--AND THE
TREATY.

! TREATY.
Those who remember the revolutionary war, its
hNrdshps, prl'aons, suIlerlngs, and rcSulls-and
who among us does not ?-CannOt but call to mind
that for II considerable period during that arduOus
struggle, the United States and France made COM
mon causes lha, they fought side by side for years
aud that in the closing scene uf triumph, the blood
of Americans and ircnchmen mingled together in
the tide of victory, They will remember too, that
France not only aided US with men, but money
They will remember her fleets and armies, and
above all, they will remember her Lafny
With her motives for this friendly cooperation we
have nothing to do. Om business is with her acts,
and these speak for themselves.
From the epoch Of this glorious brotherhood in
war, the United States and France 1--WE speak Of
the people of both countres) always cherished the
rccolleclions of that period in which they fought
and conquered together We, on our part, were
grateful for the benefits France conferred upon US;
and generous, chiyalroUs France was proud of
having aided in bringing into existence Il nation
capable of gratitude. The Incorporate conduct of
| Mr. GENEr, the ardent desire of NAPOLEON to
humble England, ard the procrastinaon Of the
claims Of our citizens ior imperial spoliaous oc-
caslOnally, and for little whlG placed these an
cicn lies and feelings in allegiance, and produced
u temporary alienation, Bu, these We're only mo-
ncllUIN SuuIiCl lllNi lIlcN
rose; aud il may be said, with perfect truth, that
the two great people, if not the two Governments,
have ever considered themselves ms the natural in
separabIc allies of each other. Wih these iihiug
exceptions, wo have always looHcd to France us
one Of the great champions of our independence;
aud she upon US as the children Other adoption.
COniraStcd with these endeUrIng relations, in
what light does Ecngland stand towards the United
Smlcs' While France was fighting by our side in
,indica,iOn Of our rights aud independence, Eng
| land was using every effort 10 trampc them undcr
foot uHl cXIingush them forever. She waged
against us II cruel and ungcncrous warIarGlhc
! insults, the deyusaons Of which are remembered
by the few aged survivors Of the Revolution, and
recorded in history rs warning 10 poSterly Since
that period, her whole intercourse with the United
States il Of the most insulting, vcyalous and in.
jnrious character. For more Than twenty years,
she refused to fulfil the treaty. IN which she resign
ed n claim she could not enforce; she has made
war on our commerce, impressed our seHmon and,
by series Of insults and INJURIES forced the Uni
ted States INTO Il second Struggle, in which she re-
pcated the hurungS, plundcrings, und dcvasulions |
Of that Of the Revolution. More recently she has
put forth anew the claims, and repeated the out !
RACES, which had only been RENTED in consr-
Qucncc of the exhaustion produced by her Efforts |
to maintain these pre,enslors. She has claimed Il
portion of the territory coded by treaty; she has
mtcrirrcd with our domestic relations, and violated
the rights Of property by pretended modification
of international law; and finally, revived claim |
to the right of search, highly injurious to The inter-
csls of our commerce, under cover Of lis being |
necessary 10 the efficacy Of her treaties with other
nations.
Ono might naturally suppose that under all these
circumstances, the policy Of the Government oflhc
| United States would necessarily be in some de- |
gree, at least, influenced by the recollection of
benefits on one hand, and long continued injuries |
on the other; that though the United States might |
not, and onght not, TO sacrifice their interests on |
the alter Of gratitude, or cndangCr their nmicnb'c |
relations with other nations hy a paIiaty injurious
to their prosperity, still, that in Nil those friendly !
acts and demonstrations, all those conrtesics and |
concessions which, though sufficient indications of
good feeling towards one nation, cannot Justly |
give offence to others, it was natural 10 presume
that they would never be found wanting.
Such, however, has not been the casG--at least |
under Federal and Fcdernl-Whis administrations.
Patient as Jon himself under the insults, cncroach-
nGnta, and pre'ensions Of England, they have, on
all occasions, stood ready to fly in the face OF |
France, if she only pointed her finger at us. They
have never ceased 10 pirate about common de-
scent, "common language" common this and
common that; and TO repeat the stale lullaby Of
"molher aud daughter" as if these long severed
relations, forever unnullcd by infections on one
hand, aud sulerings on the other, deprived Us Of
the common right 10 pro.cc, ourselves, and rcpcI
argrcsslOns
At this moment France, of all the high powers
OF Europe, is the only one that has declined to be-
come the tool Cor at least accompce) of England
against the commerce of the United States, by re-
cogniSnr n universal right of search, under The |
cloak Of Il simulated philanthropy This recogni-
| ton, agreed TO hy VI. GUGZoT-whose picture we
have Just consecrated 10 national gratitude in the
hall ofhe ns,itutc-has hitherto not been ratified
! by the French King and the French Chambers -
/ The Government of france is pluslng a subject
! far more important to the United States than TO
lser;and beyond all doubt, wanting 10 see whether
we possess the spirit to resist this dangerous in
novaon on the rights of nations.
/ But what will she see Not only treaty be-
tween the United States and England, in which the
right Of search is substantially ceded, by not being
protested against by the former, rcIinquished on
the part OF the latter; but large portion of the
territory Of two Of the States bestowed on her, Tor
which the United States have covcnanled TO pay
And this not all she will see. She will see tar
| i'll, laying enormous duties on two o. her great
staple products, the expectation Of which 10 the
4. States enables her 10 pay for the great amount
of cation she receives from us. Thus il will APP
pear that this tariff is two-edged sword. II
smiies France on one hand, and the United States
on the other, ii is lrue but il will scarcely recon
Gle the former 10 the blow, by seeing it reccl on
the givcr with equal force.
Tins have we undoubtedly prepared the way for
n cencesson Of the right Of search on the part Of
France, hy conceding it ourselves, without any
equivalent whatever; aud coupling this act of das-
iardiy pusilaninily with enormous duties on Two
of her staple products. Father, we have Gin pure
nrrnl,cnsion ilrlt We nnlli nn.sily be rnllch on