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DOMESTIC. meaning in a conversation ».vith Mr .jnon-intercourse law would or would Canning, as noted hv yourself, and not have been continued against in an inference thence deduced as France. Such a suspension could not have given, in any point of view, more advantage to the United States, than was given to Great Britain by the repeal, which had taken place on their part If this reasonable course could not have been substituted for the disa to the disposition of this govern ment. But this double mistake must have been brought to light in time to have been corrected in the new mis- Mr. Smith to Mr. Vinkvey. Department ofState, Hoo. 23,1809. Sir, My letters in the correspondence with Mr. Jackson, already transmit-! s i 0 n. In urging it Mr. Canning has ted to you, sufficiently evince thejtakcn a ground, forbidden by those 'disappointment that was felt,on find-!p r inciples of decorum, which regu- ing that he bad not been charged tojatc and mark the proceeding of go- Tnake to this government either thejvemments towards each other. In frank explanations or the liberal pro-|his despatch the condition is stated|the arrangement would be executed positions, which the occasion mani-to lie for the purpose of securing thejby Great Britain, in the event of a festl/K'quired. Instead of this ob-jbona fide intention of America tojcompliance on the part of the Uni- vious. course of proceeding, it was prevent Her Citizens from tradinglted States with the condition requir- in the outset perceived, that his ob-| w ith France and certain other pow-Jcd as to France ? ject Was to bring us to resume the'ers. In other words, to secure a I am not unaware, you may be subjects of the arrangement of April'pledge to that effect against the wn-jtold, that the non-intercourse law of in a way, that would imply that we /« ji ( } e intention of the United States, the United States did not extend to vcrtf' aware that the arrangement And this despatch too was authori-jHolland, though so intimately con- vjs not binding on his government,! S ed to be communicated in extenso'nectcd with France, and so subset- Extract of a Letter received at Charleston. “Washington, Dec. 5. “ House of Representatives 11 o'clock. (“ Intelligence has this moment been received that a duel has taken place between Mr. Joseph Pierson, chain ? The most enthusiastic ad mirers of European excellence must shrink from this Comparison : ano o ar must acknowledge that natun is here at least as bold in her sketches and as vigorous in her productions as on the Eastern Continent. When these truths present them- iia«<; »uu«..uu.u ...w this house, in which Mr. Jackson re-r V vowal, why was not a final disavow-,(. l .Jved.a wound in the body. It is hand which has lavished such un- al suspended with a proposition, thatjf earcd dle wound will prove mortal..equalled favours, h.ia penuriously "Mr. Pierson was not hurt. Mr. withheld the ipore e ? timable emlow- Jackson received his wound on tlie; mcnts the mind and the heart •— and Mr. John G. Jackson, both of selves to our minds with irresistible force, are we to conclude that the second fire.) “ House called to order. “ Mr. Eppes presented a petition; because made with a knowledge on |to the government of which such our 'part that Mr. Erskine had no|| an g Ua g e was used. Might it not authority to make it, and thus tojhavc been reasonably expected that convert the responsibility of his go- suc h a condition and such observati- vernment lor the disavowal into a^ons would at least on such an occasion reproach on this for its conduct in have been given up by a government the transaction disavowed. In the fust instance it was deemed best ra ther to repel his observations argu mentatively than to meet them as an offensive insinuation. This forbear- vientto her decrees against neutral commerce It w ould not be improper on this occasion to observe that this objecti on can be the less urged by Great Britain, as she has herself never in her alledged retaliations adhered to the principle on which they were founded. Thus she has from the date of them, until very lately, directed them a* gainst the American trade even to Russia, although Russia had never adopted the French decrees, nor o therwise violated our neutral trade from Thomas Randolph, of the ter-j^can sufficiently expanded to take ritory of Louisiana, contesting the) 1 ) these vast objects in all their mag* election of Jona. Jennings, delegate,tiitude and sublimity? I will not from that territory. The petitionjmsult nav countrymen by addressing with the documents accompanying it,! tbe question to them. I pertfeive was referred to the committee of e-jgl° w of indignation on every cheek, lections. and, while I write, I feel it difficult “ Several petitions of a local and to suppress my own. But it will be private nature, were presented and a nujre instructive task to examine Has a paradise been given to dege nerate souls who are insensible to it® charms ? Is not the mind of the A- f willing to smooth the wav to an a micable settlement of existing dif ferences In his zeal to vindicate his govern ment Mr. Jackson too has altempt- ance had not the expected effect ofj cd a gloss on this most extraordi- Ttstraining him from a repetition oljnary idea of calling on aloreign sove- tlu- offence. And even on his lur-,,- c ignty, not indeed to make laws lor tln.r insinuations nothing more wasi lls> but, what is equivalent in princi- dorie than to premonish him of thcjpl^ to supply a supposed inability to!with Great Britain. So, in her order inadmissibility of so indecorous a execute them. He calls such an in-'of April last, she has discriminated, course of proceeding. This also be- terposition of his government, not|notonlybetweenthecountriesdevo- ing without effect, nothing remained an execution of the law of Congress, ted to France by the ties of blood, but the step finally taken. And but of a compact binding as public, and other powers, but between Hol- tbere was the less hesitation in shut-llaw-Qn both parties, and which both land, Westphalia and Naples in en- tirig the door to further opportuni-| W oulu have a common interest in-forcing her prohibitory order against ties for insulting insinuations, as the'seeing duly executed. On his own'the first and not against tile two last. principles there ought to be a reci-|^hilst, therefore, she finds it expe- procity, not only in the execution of dientto make these distinctions, she the compact, but in the obligation ought to presume, that we too may and interest resulting from it. Be-Perceive equal propriety in the dis- sides where there is a reciprocity injunctions we have made, compacts between nations touching! But it may be of more importance attributes of sovereignty there is al-here to compare the British order in Wavs as much of sovereignty gained Council of April last, with the ar- as is parted with, so that there beno rangement of April, made by Mr. loss nor indignity on either side. Erskine. It will thence be seen how 3. The remaining point in the des-|httle is the real difference, and how patch, not secured by the arrange-j tr *vial it is when compared to the ex- incnt, is that which required, that| tcns ive and serious consequences of whilst our prohibitory laws should.the disavowal, be repealed as to Great Britain, theyj Under the order in council of A- should lie left in force as to France j )r 'd all the ports of Europe, except ^tise than by intimating, that he could and the powers adopting or acting 'France, including the kingdom of disclosures he had made and the spi rit* of his discussions had so entirely shut it to the hope of any favorable result from bis mission. I will not dwell on his reluctance to give up the uncertainties of ver bal for the precision of written dis cussion ; nor on the manner or the* time of his denial that he* had given any room at all lor a state ment, which, iu order to guard against the mis conceptions incident to verbal con ferences, 1 had placed before him in Writing, with a request that lie would po'nt out any inaccuracies, and to which he did not then object othcr- ndt nave made the statement udf//! U nder her decrees. Italy and Holland with their depen* the particular view which seemed to\ This is the condition which alone; c *t‘ s , are opened to our commerce. Under the arrangement of April, Sc supposed. Nor will I dwell onlpropcrly belongs to the subject, and the various instances in which par-jit is to be remarked in the first place,'combined with our act of non-inter- tjal or inconsistent views of the sub-that the British project, of which-course, all the ports of Europe, ex- jtet have taken place of its real me-|this condition makes a part, contcm- ce P t 1* ranee and her dependencies, t its. But it may not be amiss to'plated two things in their nature in- including the kingdom Italy, would make some observations on the coi-jcompatible ; one, a repeal of the pro- have been opened to our com- respondtnee, as it relates to the>/v- hibitory act as to Great Britain,jmerce. tifcation of his government in liav-jwithout waiting for the conclusion The difference then is reduced iiig disavowed the act of his prcde-Lfa regular treaty, the other, a pledge merely to Holland, and that again is cessor. or engagement for their continuance induced to the difference between a With respect to the Orders in'as to the other powers. Now, froin; ( brcct trade to the ports of Holland, nation. Council, the ground pf the disavow-jthe nature of our Constitution, which and un indirect trade to Holland, al is the dfe rente between the ar-|i a this particular, ought to have beei/ Iir ough the neighboring ports of rangement and the printed dispatch attended to by the British Govern- Tonningen, Hamburg, Bremen and referred. “ Mr. Sawyer offered a resolution for appointing a standiug committee of manufactures—On motion of Mr. Dana, ordered to be printed. “ Mr. Troup rose and observed that he wished to submit a number of resolutions in favour of our com mercial relations. He w as speaking when we closed this letter. The re solutions in our next.” An order has been issued at Ca diz by the Spanish Government, al lowing all vessels who bring cargoes of rice, flour, and provisions, to ex port specie F. J. Jackson, it seems, complains of the failure of his mission, because he had no British feet with him to back his assertions — —no bombs, and congreve rockets to Copenhagenise our cities “ by every plausible means of devastation"—Surely the ministry ought to be impeached for such fla grant omissions.. .Enquirer. On the American Genius. There is not a country on the face of the globe to which nature has been more bountiful than to the United States. The felicity’ of our situation ind the diversified blessings we en joy, have been the theme of panegy ric, until it is no longer possible to advance anew idea, or to modifv an old one so as to give it an appear ance of novelty 7 . Without entering on a minute repetition of those ad vantages of soil, climate, productions, and remoteness from the Eastern continent, which seem to promise us an eternity of happiness ; I shall confine my present remarks to those moral causes, which are intimately- connected with the character of a cil Mr. Canning to Mr. Erskine of the 23d January. According to this dispatch then the arrangement failed in three points. 1st. In not relinquishing the trade cf the United States witlt enemies colonies. With respect to this point it is not necessary at this time to discuss the tight of that trade. It is sufficient to remark, 1st. that as the trade is admitted to have become, in th view ol G. Britain, of little practical importance, why has it been made a gixiund ol tlu* disavowal, and, espe cially, as important considerations only could upon principles of public law have justified a measure of so '‘.serious a character ? 2d that as the colonial trade is a subject no wise connected either .with the Orders in Council or with the affair of tin* Chesapeake, why lias it been per- ^niitu d to frustrate an arrangement re lating to those subjects ; and to'thosi only ? 3rd, that as this condition is allowed to have originated in a sup position, that it would be agree.ibk to the Anurican government, win r h?is it been persisted in alter the er- ment, it is manifest that the Execu tive authority could have no such Embden. Now, as the injuring of the ene pledge, that the* continuance of thej m * es °* Great-Britain is the only a- prohibitory acts being a subject ofi v °wed object of her interdicting or der against our trade, let a computa tion be made of the effect, which this difference between the order in coun cil and the arrangement could possi bly have in producing such an inju ry. And then let the question be candidly- answered, whether, laying aside all considerations of right and justice, sufficient inducements could Legislative consideration, could not have been provided for until the meeting of the Legislature, and that the condition could not therefore but have failed, either in the imme diate renewal of commerce with Great Britain, or in the immediate ngagenient that it should be renew ed with France. The British Go vernment ought to have acquiesced have been found in that result for in, and, indeed ought to have been! re j cct >«g the arrangement, and for satisfied with the attainment of theip rotl ucing the consequent einbar- important object of an immediate re- rassments, as well to Great Britain, peal of our prohibitory laws andas to the U. States, with the consideration, that the otherl It it be necessary, as Mr. Jack- object, not immcdiatnlv attainable, son has stated, to set bounds to a was unnecessary at the time, becausei 8 P*rit of encroachment and univer- the prohibition as to France wa:-j s;i l dominion, which would bind all then in force, and because there was every reason to infer, not only- from this fact, but from the spirit of the communications made from time to time and from the overtures before submitted to the British Government that, without a repeal of the French decrees, our prohibitory laws would ror was made known by the repre- be continued in force against France, 6cntation ol Mr. Erskine to his go-and especially in the case of tlu* vernment, that neither this nor the repeal of die British orders, which other conditions ol the despatch ol would necessarily- render a continu- tl.e 23d January were attainable anre of the French decrees doubl here 2d. Another point in the despatch, obnoxious. But ifon this head , . - , * * .—..v. doubts could am. not m the arrangement, is, that havc , )Ccn cntt . rtained , instead ot rr . the British Navy might capture our trade to ports prohibited by the U- tiittd States. r J his condition too appears to have hud its origin in a mistake of your jveting the arrangement, ought not the repealing acton our part to have been met with a suspension at least of the orders in .council, until it cou d have been secu whether the- things to its own standard, and to falsify by honorable and manly re sistance an annunciation that all Eu rope is submitting by degrees, the effort must be feeble, indeed, which is to be found in the inconveni ence accruing to the formidable foe *rom the operation of this order in Council, and especially when we combine with it the strange pheno menon of substituting for the law ful trade of the United States, a trade of British subjects, contrary- to the laws of the adverse party, and a- •nounting, without a special licence, in the eye of British law, to high treason. Thus much for the orders in Coun cil. What has taken place with re spect to the case of the Chesapeake will equally engage your attention. ( l o be Concluded in our next.J Europeans have sometimes accu sed America of a poverty of genius and weaknessot intellect, which place her much behind the ancient world : and even the enlightened Buffon has adopted the idea that nature is more leeble in her efforts, in the Western than in the Eastern hemisphere.— The charge itself is proof that Euro pean sagacity is still far from having attained its perfection. It could on ly have been dictated by an illiberal preference of the soil on which we have been accidentally cast, and a contempt for all other nations w-hose habits, manners, and improvements are not similar to those of our own country. A philanthropist will pause before he consigns to oblivion the fairest portion of our planet; and a philosopher will forget that he has any other country than the Globe it self while he pierces with ardent gaze the mysteries of nature. If we cast our eyes over the map of Ame rica, we shall perceive that nature has not merely- consulted its conve nience or happiness in the distribu tion of her favours ; she has done : : she has put forth all her strength, and erected monuments to her own glory. She has worked on a scale of grandeur and magnificence, before which the boasted prodigies of Europe hide their diminished heads. M here will Europe shew her Andes which heave their snow-capt summits above the clouds ? Where ire her Amazon and La Plata, which would be regarded as fabulous, did not authentic history- attest them i W here will she exhibit lakes like those of Canada which connected with each other and with the ocean, bind all the northern part of this jgreat continent in one indissoluble the basis of thfcse exalted pretensi ons ; to pay r the just tribute of de ference and homage to European • superiority, if it should be establish ed by investigation ; or to rendeniLT the* insulted American the honours which nature has conferred upon him, but which human ignorance lias vainly endeavoured to obscure. It has been a question of endless speculation among the curious, at what time America was peopled, & whether her inhabitants are her own offspring, or emigrants from the old continent. If we are to suppose America coeval with the world, and that she became peopled as soon as the other parts of the earth* we may- be asked with triumph, up on what principle we are to account for her vast inferiority in intellectu al improvement ? Why did the ad- ' venturous bands of enlightened Eu rope, who first explored our shores* 1* ffhd the native American, naked, ig norant and ferocious ? Upon the ) supposition ol equal talents and c- qual advantages of soil and climate* < we may be told, that we have a right to expect an equal progression in the arts and sciences in any given time. The same causes must always pro duce the same effects, tf the Ame- ’ rican genius had been equal to the European, it ought in the same lapsed of years to have explored as many ,, sciences, invented as many arts, and' humanized and polished manners iu.-, an equal degree. I his reasoning is at first sight spe cious and imposing ; but cannot' withstand the test of rigid enquiry.,' I shall assume the hypothesis most disadvantageous to my position ; that America is as old and has been as long peopled as Europe, Asia or Africa. I shall also make the cqm- parison, with the most enlightened part of the old world. When I sea led Europe for this purpose, i£ ought not however to be forgotten* that the arts and sciences have not originated with her but have sprung up in Asia ; from thence have been transplanted to the southern parts ol Europe, and by- very slow degrees have spread themselves into more > Northern climates. It is also worthy* of remark, that those countries JntQ. which the sciences were first receiv ed, where they were most' patroni zed, and flourished with richest luxuriance, are now the gloomy resi dence of want, ignorance and despo tism. Whoever has observed the pro gress of the human mind, must hawe perceived that its first struggles wi^i ignorance are always more painfyl and difficult, than its subsequent ejt- forts. The steps by which we as-/ cend from discovery to discover^-, horn science to science, are short, giadual, natural and easy. Butlo leap at once from absolute ignoranpo even to the humblest rudiment of knowledge, is indeed an Herculean tusk, 8c more frequently results front lucky accident, than any effort of tjie mind. This remark, which is hero applied to the general progress./* mankind in the career of improve ment, is exemplified and fully esta blished, b y their advances in ev$rr particular science. Until the begin- mug of the eighteenth century, the vvorld had adopted the ideas of A- nstctle on all metaphysical subjects, and it would have been blasphemlfto have doubted their orthodoxy. Lo^ke explored the inlets of the under standing, and explained some of its processes; and what has been the ■ onsequence ? Within the course of one century a galaxy of illustrious