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fion, is to prepare fr* an event
"which they boih believe inevi’a
blc whitcihe’. both wifli to avoid
i\ But by >fhat fatality is it that
a calamity (o dreadful mud be
rendered inevitable becauie it i>
thought so ? Both governments
have tongues, and both havt
cars?—-Why will they not.
(peak ? Why v;i!l they no*
It ft cr» ? The raufrt that liavr
hitherto prevented them art
not difficult to assign.
I couldeafily explainthem, a
I behevc to the faiisfaCtion .
both parties and without throv
ingfo much blame on ci.h
--»g jvernment, as rath of ilkm.
ai present aftribesto theoth i.
But I will avoid fpesk of
any pall provocation on ci'he*
fide. Ihe point that I wdh to
eftab'ifh in your mir. iis tha*
the French dirctlury s li•:
ccrely defiseoui of reito. mj.
harmony between this country
nnd the United Slates, on ierms
honorable and advantageous
to both parties. I w;fh to con
since you of this, and through
you, the American government
being desirous of t' e fam<
thing, would not fail to tali'*
such (leps as would lead itnnic -
diaiciy Co the object.
In oftVrinj* you mv proofs
of the prelent diipofition on
this fide, you will permit me
to oblerve, that foroc of them
are from their nature incapa
ble of being defiled and impro
per to be trailed to the calnd.
tics of a letter. But I will men
tion a few that arc oftenlihle
and so far as they go undenia
blc.—Firff, the di edory has
deck)ted that it will receive ami
•
treat wuh ar.v tnmiiler from
America, who (hall appear to
be lent with a fmcerc intention
of floating and terminating ex.,
ill mg (i'lliculties, 1 have no
doubt this was the intention with
which the la If envoys were (cm,
but from fouie unfortunate tir-
Cumlinuccs the diudory dui
Dot bciicve it. Second, a pre
liminary, it has been declared
that in the ncgnciaiion thne
sh II be no question of loans of
nionev, of apologies for of
fensive (perches pronounced
bvthe executive* on either side.
Thiid all comm (lions given to
p*iv*ier!S in the Welt Indies*
are recalled, and when new
conmiitii ip.s tirt issued, he own
ers arid ci.mtnandcis arc to ho
rest riffle 1 under bond*, to the
legal objtft of capture. Fourth,
an embargo that was laid on
American (hips within the re"
public in com fee nonce of a re
port that w*r had hern begun
on the put of die United S'jom
was taken off .is foot) as it w;;>
alcertained that Inch war hod
not been begun. And a new
declaration at the (atm
time sent to America of iht
wifhcs <*f Fiar.ce to rctmt.
Thele f ’cts \s ili s.oubtiefs cmi'e
to voue knowledge throne!;
4 n rj
other ci atir.ch, before vc u u
crive this letter. But there are
oi. er f,i> ts which in my mind are
eq tally clear, tho «v>h you will Ik
destitute <*t Corrobnra ing circum
stances, and must rest on my own
information and opinion* Ist.
That this government contem
plates a j ust indemnity forapoiia
li.ms on American commerce, to
be ascertained hy coininnsiuncri
in a manner similar to me one
prescribed m our ricaty with I*l a
gland. 2.1. That the legislation
will soon he charged here with ie
•peCt to neutrals, and 'hat ad flags
will be put on the touting ot the
law of nations. 3J. ( hat a public
agent would nave been named and
v« nl to Philadelphia soon alter Mr.
Carry’s departure, were it not for
Uie apprehensions mat lie would
nut imsc aaen received. Iheic
ft was a doubt whether the American
’ guvcrnme.it would not nave all ta
tty laki n such measures oi Hostili
ty as to he unwilling to listen to
terms of accomodation, and the
directory did not choose to risk
the chance of seeing its offers
refused. 4h. Thr.t the directory
considers these declarations and
trjniiCTlons a sufficient overture
on its part. That it has retreated
to an open ground that it quite
unsuspicious. I hat a refusal on
'he part of the Am rican govern
ment to mreton this ground, will
be fallowed by immediate war, &
*'iaf it wdl b; Wwtrof the most
errib'e and v.ndictive kind.
I hi<, kir, is try view of the
"*rc«ent state of facts. Should it
n-kn that impression on your
• u.d, wh th I desire for the sake
f immunity iiatitmay, yon will
w r'hvr it does not comport
will* the *rd of the Uoi
‘ *o«en ; uct me dignity of their
*"•' .t *o vend another nrna
»,n new treaues with the
Frciicu n publiclt. In h war rhrre
is c rany nothing to be gained
y us, not even honor.— Honor
...deed mav o«- saved by negucta
'•on. But the calamities insepar
able fro in * war of this kind,
and under j.resent circumstances,
would be incalculable. Ido not
-•‘V ihit the U. S. or any portion
r * dn m would be conquered ; hut
they would sacrifice great numbers
*d their best citizen*, burthen
ihemstivcs with four times their
present debt, overturn ihe purest
system ot morals, and lose the
lai est opportututy that ever a
nation had of rising to greatne.ss
.V happiness on the bads of liber
»y*
\\ ere f writing to a young gone*
ral, whose name was still to be
created, I migot deem it useleis to
ask him to stifle in its birth a war
of which lie had founded bis hopes
of future honor#. But you, tur.
having already earned and acquir
ed all those that tan render a man
great *V happv, can surely have no
object of ambition, but to rende
our country so. lo engage your
influence in favor of a new attempt
at negociation, I thought it on
fv nci’ -ssary to convince you that
such an attempt would be well re.
ueivrd here aud probably attended
wuli success. I can do uo more
than a*»nrc you that this is my
sincere opinion, and that my in.
formatiou is drawn Iroui unsuspec
ted sources.
1 am not accustomed to inter
pose my advice in the administra
tion of any country, and should
not have done it now, did I not be
lieve it my duty a, a citizen ol
my own, und a friend to all others.
I see two great nations rushing on
each other’s bayonets, Without an v
other cause of contention but »
nisundrstanding, I shudder at the
prospect and wish to throw my.
~eii between the vans, and sus
p<. ml lire onset, till a word cf ex.
pUiiation can pass. 1 hope my
ictrer wih have thrown Ro me
upon the subject j but if i t s b al i
not, 1 hope , uu wil txcuse the at
;einpt, know my z;al is
aoticsi.
1 '’■'* t’»c honor to be, sir,
M »g «. i respect,
i uui i.iost otn di<*nt and
A»om hiim'.ile k< i vant.
JUfci. oAHi.OW.
I o Gen. li U'ihmjton.
Nei'iu-r M*. B’s ic.ter nor gen,
W’a-ti ng ot,’# opinion would have
i 11 iciic dme to notn nai<? « n.in
i **», i l Dad nor received abun
.1 mi assurances to the same ef
fect from regular diplomatic sour*
c« s. I, however, considered ge'
m ral \\ abhii gton's question, whe
titer Mr. Barlow’s was written
w.ih a very good or a very bad
design ; and as with all mv jea
lousy I had not sagacity enough to
discover the smallest room for
suspicion ot any ill design, l trank*
ly concluded that it was written
with a very good one.
I* r«nn general Washington’s let
ter it appears—lst. Tnat it was
hit. opinion that the restoration of
peace upon just, honorable, and
dignified terms, was the ardent
desire ( fall the Inendsof this rt
mg empire. 2.—-That he tho’i
negotiation might be brought on,
upon, open lair, aud honorable
ground. 3d l’nat he was «o (tesi.
uoi.sol peace, that he was willing
to enter into coirespondeuce witu
Mr. iiaitow, a private gentleman,
wunoul any visible credential* or
put).it character or responsibility,
»o eithu government, in order to
bring on a public negociation.—.
Gen. Washington therefore, couf
not consider tba negociation odi
ous.
JOHN ADAMS.
-\JUHcu, April 10, 1609
LONDON, March 9.
The accounts from Spain are
of a very gratifying nature.
The Spamfli Amhaliador re
ceived difpatchcj from Seville
yesterday, dated the 18th of
left m.'uth. The Supreme
junta had received dispatches
from the heroic Palafox, ftat
tng that SaragofTa not only held
out with unshed firmnefi, but
had obtained great advantages
over the French. The women
of that place, it (ec.ns, had, hy
an ingerrous device, been chiefly
inltrumetal in obtaining ihele
ndvaniagcs having apneased be.
fore the wall as if dcfperaie with
did refs Sc inviting rhe enemy to
put an end to their fufTering by a
dccifive attack on the town. A
large body of the French, on
the 17th January, were indu
ced, by this (tratagem, to pour
into the town, where the patri
ots were ready to receive them,
and deltroyesl a great number.
Many ol those intiipid females
fell in tne conflict. It is {aid
Cuelta and Duke Del Infau
tado had united their forces,
and were marching lor Toledo
with 63,000 men.
LIVER POOL, March 9.
Corn Exchange,
Tuesday March. 7-
An exceeding dull maiket
for every delcriptton of gram ;
the lales io few that prices were
without vai iation.
Liverpool, March 2.
Copy of a Petition presented
to the Houle of Commons
liotn this town.
To the honorable the Commons
of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland,
in parliament afTembled.
Ihe humble Petition of the
Gentlemen, Clergy, Mer
chants and other inhabitant
of the town of Liverpool
Shweth,
That the bill now before
Parliament, by which (if paf
led into a law) the Irish diftill
eiies will be pemitted to
relume the didillauon fpom
grain, is a measure that in the
prelent situation of the country,
may excue great alaira in this
populous county.
I ha the att pafftd last year,
prohibiting the oeitillation Irom
corn generally thioughout the
united kmdom has been founo
p oduttive of great benefit, and
given general iatnfaction here
0 dalles of the com mu in
l y-
-1 hat the last crop of wheat, in
particular, proved temarkably
deficinent throughout th* uni.
red kingdom Ac u is afeertained,
thai tire Hock of giatn now
remaining in ihe fanners hands
as well as 111 the the granaries
in this town and neighborhood,
are unuluaiiy and alarmingly
(mail.
1 hat the supplies of corn re
ceived at this port irom Ireland
lince the Lit harvelt, are not
conliderable ; that the prices
there as well as here, particular.
Iv ol oats, have alieady advan
ced materially in consequence
of the agitation of this ineafure,
& in Ireland the prices are now
very high, much more lo then
they were at this period of the
latt year, or at the time when
this laid act was patted.
I hat oat meal is a ineterial
part of the food of the lower j
dalle? of the people in this !
county, that the prices arc at
this time much higher than thev \
can ottord to pa), and that if
the prelent meaiure be adopt-i
*d the supplies from Ireland
are likely to be greatly’reduced,
from which much distress it is
to be feared will arise, particu
larly at the preient time when
so large a number of laboring
manufactures and others are
totally without employment.
Thai m corroboration of the
fa£ts before mentioned, your
petitioners humbly (late, that
it h;*s already been found necel
lary to raise very considerable
funis of money, by a fubferip
tion, in ihis town, in Manchelter
and in oiher parts of the coun
try for the express pur pole cf
procuring and dillributing food
to numerous dilireffed families,
who ablolutely requrc luch re.
lief.
Your petitioners threfore molt
humbly pray, that the said bill
may not pals into a law.
MILAN DECREE.
" These mesurc*. which are but
a in** reciprocity for the barh.ir.
ous srstem adopted by the En
glish government, which assimi
lates its legislation to that of Al
giers, shall cease to have their ef
fect with respect to all those nation*
whrch may succeed in compelling
! the British government to respect
; their flag—They shall continue to
; be in force during alt such time as
1 that government shall fail to return
| to the principles of the rignt of
war which govern the relations of
civilized nations in a state of war.
’i he dispositions of the present
decree shall be abrogated and null
in tact, »os"on a* the English go
vernment shail have returned to
pnnciples of the law ol na.
tions whicii *re equally the princi
ples of justice and honor’’,
NAPOLEON.
1
CHARLESTON, May 4.
We were yesterday favored by
captain Pratt with Havanna papers
ol the 27ih of April ; amongst them
is an extra gazette containing news
received from La-Vera-Cruz, but
this news is $0 different from what
hat been received from England,
that we are inclined to think that
it ii not quite so certain as it is
sated to be. It states that on the
14th of February it was officially
made known in Seville, that the
French who had given battle
to general Cuesta, had retreated
without effecting any thing ; that
4,000 Germans had arrived at Se
govia in consequence of a declara
tion ol war by Austria ; that this
was certain and confirmed, and
that the same news had come From
the Northern provinces j that the
Austrians had sent there 200,000
mule’s; that the Galiicians of
Fcrrol had put 7000 Frenchmen to
the »word ; that Joseph Bonaparte
the ti u lar king of Spam, had also
declared war against Austria, this
was certain ; that three battles
hul been given by the Archduke
Lhaues and gained j this was cer
tain nut the Bishop of Orense
was going about with a cross mark
in his hands, exhorting the people
of L, ‘» | ficia to rise against the
r tench ; that the elder Palafox,
y great exertions, had joined
his brother with 15,000 men of the
aim) ol (Jaialonia, and had gain
ed a glorious battle ; that Tuscany
the wnole of Italy, and ,ome
, L II . risen aea nu
he French armies; that the kings
. * n ? had been
to Pcteisburgh, and that there was
the closest inendship between
those monarch* & the emperor, that
geo. Luest* had asked lor a rein
lurcement c f 4,000 men aßf j g>00()
were sent to him—thst Portnoi
had raised a grand army A. had ask
ed the marquis of Komaaa to com- I
naand it, to whom they had offer- *
ed all their castels and the whole ,
of the kmgdom, and that thev
wer to unite in Gallac.a, that .
m Catalonia there was an army I
of 40,000 men of rbe Spaniards
regenerated and disciplined ; that
vessels of war were fitting out in
tile arsenals, there were 600 Eng
lish seamen employed ; that those
vessels, , t was said, were for
the purpose of carrying French
prisoners out of Spam.
Our readers will give what
credit they may conceive du* to
this oxtraorpmasy gazttte.
Thomas Fitzsimons I
PreGpent of ihe Chamber <1
Commerce at Philadelphia M
the Secretary of State ’ I
PHILADELPHIA, April’s, 1
Sir, * I
The Proclamation of tM
President of the Untied $, at J
published here yesterday, hjl
neceffarilv engaged the a’ttej
tion of the merchants of this Clt ß
and I am particularly requeue®
by a repeflable number 1
them to ask frotn you an exp|J
nation on a point in it confide!!
ed as very importauf. That J
whether the ioth ol June refer!
to the departure of vessels fror!
the United States, or to thei!
arrival in Great Britain or iJ
dependencies.
Without presuming to haz
ard an opinion upon that point
it may not be improper to re
mark, that if the latter shall bi
declared to be its true inten
and meaning, the advantage u
the United States will be inca!
culablc. As repels expedition!
to India, it may be observed
that if vessels do not fail befori
the tenth of June, they mud
encounter all the delays and dan.
gersof the adverse Monfodns,
and as it refpeds the export o!
articles the growth or product
of the United States, the ad.
vantages are too obvious to re.
quire enumei ation-
Under a firm { e.fuafion, «ha
it is the dtfire of the P-ffidenj
to give all proper facility to the
commerce of the U. Stares, ih<
merchants of this city wish tbi
question to be lubmitted to the
Piefident as soon as your con
venience will permit j and thal
you will be pleased to favor m«
with his determination thereon.
I am with great refpeCt,
(Signed)
THS. FMZSIMONS,
Pr. of Phil. Ch • Com.
Department of State ,
April 26 1800.
Sir,
Your letter of the *2d inft*
I have received, and 1 have the
honor of (fating to you, that in
pursuance of the statute, com.
monly called the nonintercourfe
a£t, the President, having by his
proclamation merely declared
the revocation on the ioth of
June, of the British Orders, has
left the fa6t fubjeft to the ope
ration of the law thereon.
In answer, however, to the
queflion particularly propound,
ed by you, it with propriety may
be added, that the day Dated in
the proclamation viz : the 10th
of June, refers to the arrival of
vessels in G»cat Britain and its
dependencies, and in the Uni.
ted States, leaving the time and
manner of their clearances tothe
udcreiion of the owners as far
as law and ufagemay iuftify.
I have the honor.J be. &c.
Signed, R. SMITH
Thomas Fitzsimons, efq.
President of the Chamber of
Commerce , Philadelphia.
The grand jury have found
a viill of indictment againfl ge
neral Michael Bright, and se
ven other militia men ading
under him, for refilling the
marshal of the Penfylvania dif
tnd, in ferring a process of the
lupreme court of the United
S'ates. It is well known that
the refinance for which those
militia men are indicted, was
made under orders of the com
mander in chief, which orders
*erc 1 (sued in obedience to a
law of the State of Pennfylva*
nia.— Phil. pap.
Blanks of every defeription
executed at the Ihorteft notice,
with neatness and difpatth, at
this Office,