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' > ifi - • W during; a pre< tding war, by persons under the i ■swithoiT) oi Spain are sufficiently known to all. These made it a duty to rcqui.% from that government indemnification for our injured ci ti7;'ns. A convention was accordingly enter ed into between the Minister of the Unired Sta;es at Madrid, and the Minister of that government for foreign affairs, by which it was agreed that spoliations committed by Spanish subjects, and carried into ports of Spain, should be paid for by that nation, and that those committed by French subjects, and carried into Spanish ports, should remain for fur her discussion. Before this convention was returned to Spain with our ratification, the transfer of Louisiana by France to the United States took place: An event as unex pected as disagreeable to Spain. From that moment she seemed to change her conduct Hnd disp''s : tion towards us It was first man ifested by her protest against the right of •I' ranee to alienate Louisiana to us, which how ever was soon ret acted and the right confirm ed. Then high offence was manifested at the act of Congress establishing a collection dis trict on the M d>illc, although by an authentic declaration immediately, it was expressly con fined to our acknowledged limits; anti she now refused to ratify the convention signed by her town Minister under the eye of his sove rcign, unless we would consent to alterations ot its terms, which would have affected our claims against her, for .spoliations by French subjects carried into Spanish ports. “ i o obtain justice as well as restore friend ship, I thought a special mission advisable, and accordingly appointed James Monroe, minister extraordinary and plenipotentiaf to repair to Madrid, and, in conjunction with our minister resident there, to endeavour to procure a ratification of the former convention and to come to an, understanding with Spain, as to the boundaries of Louisiana. It appear ed at once that her policy was to reserve her sell for events, and in the mean rime to keep our differences in an undetermined state.— 1 his will be evident from the papers now com municated to von. After ueailv five months of fruitless endeavor to bring them to some definite and satisfactory result, our ministers ended the conference, without having been able .to ob:a n indemnity for spoliations of any description, or any satisfaction as to the boun dary of Louisiana, other than a declaration that we had no rights eastward of the Iber ville, and that our line to the west was one which would have left us but a string of land on that bank of the Misstsippi. Our injured citizens were thus left without any prospect of retribution from the wrong doer, and as to boundary, each party was to take its own course. I hat which they have chosen to pur sue will appear from the documents now com municated. ‘They authorise the inference that >t it their intention to advance on our possessions, until they shall he repressed by an opposing force. Considering that Congress alone is constitution tf//v investe l with the power of changing our con- j tlition from peace to war, I have thought it I mv duty to await their authority for using ! iorce in any degree which could be avoided. 1 have barely instructed the officers stationed in the neighborhood oi the aggressions to pro tect our ciiizens from violence, to patrolc within the borders actually delivered to us, and not to go out of them, but when necessary to repel an inroad, or to rescue a citizen or his property : and the Spanish remaining at New- i Orleans are n quired to depart without farther i delay. It ought to he noted here that since j the late change* in the affairs of Europe, ! Spain has ordered her cruizers and courts to ' respect our treaty with her. “ I he conduct of France, and the part she : may take in the misunderstandings between ! the United States and Spain, are too impor- . tant to be unconsidered. She was prompt and decided in her declarations, that our demands ; on Spanish ports, were induced in the settle- ! meats between the United States and France. * She took at once the ground that she had ac quired no right from Spain and had meant to | deliver us none eastward of the Iberville : her silence as to the western boundarv leaving us j to inferf her opinion might be against Spain ! in that quarter. AVhateverdirection she might j mean to give to these differences, it does not appear that she has contemplated their pro ceeding to actual rupture, or that the date ot our last advices from Paris, her government ; had any suspicion of the hostile attitude Spain i had taken here. On the contrary we have ' reason to believe rha she ( France J was dis- , posed to ellect a settlement on a plan aualo-1 gnus to what our ministers had and so comprehensive as to remove as fat* as possible the grounds of future collision and controversy on the Eastern as well as the Wes tern side of the Missisippi. “1 lie present crisis in Europe is favorable for pressing such a settlement and not a mo- ' ment should be lost in availing ourselves of it. Should it pass unimproved, our situation will then become much more difficult. Formal war is not necessary, it is not probable that it will follow ; hut the protection of our citizens, the spi/it and honor of our country requires that force should he interposed in a certain degree. It * Coalition between Austria, Russia, and Great Britain, it is presumed. f Leaving Mr. Talley!rand “ to infer,” that it would afford him a second glorious occasion of dipping his hand into our pockets. j Our ministers had proposed to surrender our claims to compensation for the withholding of the right of deposit at N. Orleans, and for spoliations, Spanish as well as French, audio establish the Colorado as to the western boun dary of Louisiana. Although the Colorado is a vast distance to the west of the existing limit between the two nations, it was evident, from the face of the dispatches, that our ministers, •ir» agreeing to establish that river as the ‘boundary, had been obliged to exceed the au thority of thrir instructions; (the United Stales claiming to the Rio-Bravo.) This proposition (the ultimatum on our part) was rejected by the court of Madrid with disdain; and thus ended the negociation. Vet, France, it seems, was disposed to a settlement on “ analogous terms ; although Mr. Talleyrand had, in the .most dictatorial style, declared that our claims ’ .or* Spain, for French spoliations carried into j?panjsh ports must bepbadioned. ! will probably contribute to advance the object of peace. 11 But the course to be pursued will require ! tire command of means which it belongs to Con- ; gress exclusively to yield or deny. To them I i communicate every fact material for their r.i- t formation, and the documents necessarv to en- | al)le them to judge for themselves. 7o their ' ivisdtmi then l Look for the courge I am to pursue, and will pursue with sincere zeal, that which they shall approve." 1 he message with the documents accompa nying it was referred to a secret committee, consisting of Mr. John Randolph, Mr. Nichol son, Mr. John C. Smith, Mr. Mumford, Mr. Williams of (S. C.) Mr. Bidweli, and Mr. Brown. It may be proper to remark that this message, although deemed by the cleric (as he stated to the house) to be part of the secret journal, which had been ordered to be printed, was ne vertheless omitted : nor has the omission ever been satisfactorily accounted for. The house by a subsequent vote refused to make it public. The chairman of the committee to whom the confidential message was referred, immediate ly waited on the President, and informed him of the direction which had been given to it:— expressing at the same time his willingness and readiness to co-operate, as far as his principles and judgment would permit, in such plans as the executive might nave devised for the occa sion. He then learned, not without some sur prize, that an appropriation of two millions was wanting to purchase Florida. He told the President, without reserve, “ That he could never agree to such a measure, because the money had not been asked for in the mes sage : that he could not consent to shift upon his own shoulders or those of the house, the proper responsibility of the executive; but that even if the money had been explicitly demand ed, he should have been averse to granting it : because after the total failure of every attempt at negociation such a step would ding-race us forever: because France would never with hold their ill offices, by her interposition, ohe should extort money from us: because, if G. Britain, with whom we had serious matters of controversy, did not consider our supplying her enemies with money 5 as a breach of our neutrality, it must inspire her with contempt for any attitude of resistance which we might assume towards her : that it was equally to the interests of Spain and of the United Stares, to accommodate the mat ter by an exchange of territory ; (to this mode es settlement the President seemed much op posed) “ that the nations of Europe, like the Barbary powers, would hereafter refuse to look at the credentials of our ministers, without a previous douceur," and much more to the same purpose. I The committee met on the 7th of December, but came to no definite resolution One of its members (Mr. Bidweli, of Massachusetts) construed the message into a requisition for money, for purposes of foreign intercourse and ; proposed a grant to that effect; but in this I construction he was unsupported, and his pro ! position overruled. He himself when the subject was agitated in the house, would not avow the same construction of the message which he had given to it in the select committee. On the 14rh of December, the chairman of that committee was obliged to go to Baltimore, from whence he did not return until the 21st. During this interval, the dispatches from Mr. Munroe. of the 18th and 25th of October, were received by government. Previous to the chairman’s de j parture, having occasion to call on the Secreta ry of State, he was told by that officer, that ; France would not permit Spain to adjust her j differences with us :* that France wanted mo ney, and that we must give it her or have a j Spanish and French war. It was when he re lated this circumstance to the house, that Mr. Randolph said, “ His confidence in the Secre tary of State had never been very high, but that ' now it was gone forever .” And on the same 1 occasion Mr. Nicholson (who had voted for j the appropriation) exclaimed that he trusted in I God the negociation would fail. Several other 1 republican members seemed shocked at this ! i disclosure, and expressed regtet at the vote j ! which they had given. j Saturday the 21st of December, the | chairman of the select committee returned | from Baltimore. The committee were iinme -1 tdatcly convened. As they were about toas ! semble, the chairman was called aside by the l Secretary of the Treasury, with whom he re tired, and who put into his hands a paper head ,ed “ Provision for the purchase of Florida.” I As soon as he had cast his eyes on the title, the chairman declared he would not vote a shilling. .The sec’ry interrupted him, by observing with 1 his characteristic caution, that he did hot mean to bn? understood as recommending the measure; | but if the committee should deem it advisable, j he had devised a plan for raising the neees . sary supplies, as he had been requested (or j directed) in that case to do. The chairman I expressed himself disgusted with the whole of this procedure, which he could not but consi der as highly disingenious. It is believed that the Louisiana treaty was antedated to obviate this very difficulty. If | money, why not warlike stores, or even fleets i and armies ? ( 'To be Concluded in our next. J WILMINGTON, (n. c.) Aug. 26. W e have witnessed the most violent and destructive storm of wind and rain ever known here. On Thursday eve ning last the gale commenced at N. E. and increased by degrees until Friday about 10 A. IV;. it then became a hurri cane and blew with the utmost violence; on Saturday at day light the wind be gan to veer, and about 7 A. M. settled at S. \V. and continued until 12 or 1 o’clock, when it seemed to abate, but did not subside until between 5 and 6 in the alternoon. jhe tide rose to a height heretofore unknown ; the wharves are ; much damaged ; the loss in dry goods, j salt, sugar, rice, lumber, Bcc. is beyond ! conception and cannot be ascertained. ! When the wind shifted to S, \V. it < seemed to threaten universal deslruc j tion, the gable ends of three brick hou ; ses were washed or blown down ; ma ’ ny wooden buildings were considerably ! wrecked and some unfinished ones ea- I tirely demolished. Mr. Isaac Baldwin was killed by the falling of an old burnt wall, and we hear that several negroes have been killed and one drowned on plantations in our vicinity. As far a> we have been able to obtain informa tion, the crops ot corn, peas, rice, Sec. are almost entirely destroyed. The fulling of trees and breaking up of bridg es having suspended the communica tion between the town and country, and. the Stage not having arrived, we are unable to give an account of the exten sive and distressing losses inevitable throughout the district, and we fear the whole state. The following vessels were driven from their anchorage and fasts, and have gone ashore; the Matilda with the loss of her masts wnich -went by the board the instant she struck :—Ship Cape-Fear, Bernard ; brig Matilda, Hunter ; brig Polly, owned by Mr. Howell of Rhwle-Island ; brig Susan nah of Charleston; brig Sally, of Troy ; schooner Regulator. rvMlbopny ; schr. Liberty, Randlct, of New-York ; and a schooner belonging to New-River. The brig Iliram, Church, of Hallo well, from Berbice, with a cargo of Su gar and Coffee bound home, is a shore on t he beach near Deep-Inlet; and the sch’r Two Sisters, of New-River, lies on the beach near Bamn Inlet. At Smithville the damages were se vere. The wharves are completely des troyed and cinrunies and iences blown down. The ship commerce of New- York, brig Ranger,and schooner Claris sa and Eliza of Norwich, with outward bound cargoes, are on shore. Two Pettiauguars stove ; all the small craft, and pleasure boats are at a vast distance on the land. The Revenue Cutter Governor Williams, of Xewbern, em ployed on the survey of the coast, by cu. Png her masts and slinging her guns an i leaving them out to assist her an chors, rode out the gale. No lives were lost. The gale commenced at Smithville on thursday atN. E. and increased all Friday—between 10 and 12 o’clock on Friday night it shifted suddenly to S. W. and blew a hurricane until 10 o’clock ;it then shifted to West. The tide was higher than ever was known since the year ’O2 or’63, when New- Inletbroke: the sea was uncommonly agitated. The brig Polly of , forty days from Jamaica, in ballast, with a pilot on board, was seen at anchor off the Bar on Thursday with her topmasts down. Great apprehensions are entertained for her safety. THEfGALE. GEORGETOWN, S. C. Aug. 30. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday j last, we were visited by one of the most ■ severe tornadoes within the recolkc l tion of the oldest inhabitant. For vio , lence and duration it surpassed the J September storm of 1805. Fortunate ' ly for those residing on the islands and in this town, the wind was in opposi tion to the waves, arid prevented the rising of the tide to so destructive a height as we have experienced. The wind began to rise about 11a.m. on Thursday, and continued freshening from the N. N. W. until 1 a. m. on Friday, at which time it blew a perfect gale, attended with an almost incessant fall of rain, until Saturday, 3 a. m. when shifting to N. W. and N. W. by W. it encreased in fury, and spread cles ; truction far and wide. Houses, ship- J trees, fences, gardens, and we are sorry to say, lives were lost—every thing that was exposed to its fury, suf fered greatly. We have not yet been able to obtain a full account of the des ; truction occasioned by it, but fear e\£- ry day will furnish some melancholy intelligence ot its devastating progress. The following particulars are ail we have collected at present. The Light House on North-Island overset from its foundation, and des troyed. A new store belonging to George Heriot, Esq. blown down and totally demolished. A new dwelling house erecting by Mr. Lizar Joseph, had the top taken off. Some out-houses, the chief part of the trees, and a number of fences blown down, and all the gardens in town laid waste. Two wenches belonging to Mr. Cas sels, killed, and some wounded by the ; falling of a house. A prime negro fellow, of Mr. John ! Taylor's, sen. drowned in attempting ; to secure some lumber that had floated : from shore. * Several negro house so tion of Thomas Ilasell, I. ' lls hits maw, destroyed, and part of re * inp7 house and barn also, but pro Hf” tially no lives were lost, although the*k were five jiegroes in one of the houses at the time it fell. Young Mr. Chris topher Hasell was the principal suf ferer, for, in retreating from the bam, a hoard torn therefrom by the violence of the wind, in its progress, strut k him ■ on the side of the head, but fortunately glanrinpf,. only deprived him of sensa • tion for a short time. A barn and chair shed belonging to '• John Simons. Esq. were blown down, and in their fall destroyed the bodies of a carriage and chair. Ihe sloop Industry, "Williams, of Philadelphia, was blown on shore high and dry, but has since been got off. i lie Pilot Boat is driven on shore, and considerably injured. Several other vessels, flats, boats, Bcc. suffered in the gale. 1 It is conjectured by some gentlemen 1 who visited North-Island since the gale, 1 that a vessel has been lost in it, as the ■ beach was strewed with coffee, which appeared to he new, and was supposed ■ could be used had it been wet with fresh water only—likewise some pieces of a wreck, a seaman’s clothes bag, and se ■ vcral coffee bags, generally sound. The crops of cotton and corn are in a great measure destroyed, and the loo ses sustained by the rice planters a: e incalculable. I - r actorage ! o | COMMISSION BUSINESS. rlllo subscribers.having entered in to partnership, under the firm ot BARRETT & SUB:, in the above line of business, in this ci ty, informs their friends and the public in general, that they shall continue to occupy the same stores, as heretofore occupied by Thomas Barrett, where ! they are erecting, in addition, a large ! Cotton Warehouse, which will afford them room to store 5000 Bales of Cotton at one time, secure from the weather. Thomas Barrett , Benjamin Sims. Augusta, August 30. eowtf. 6 Book Binding . THE Subscriber informs his friends and the pubiic, that lie has re moved from the herai d Printing-Of fice to the Office of the Columbian ckntinel, where orders in the line of his business will bethanklully received and duly attended to. William Butler. July 19. 56 LOST, ON Saturday the 19th instant, be tween Mr. Willborns and Little River, on the road leading from Augus ta, to Washington, a Red Morocco pocket book, containing sundry letters, among them one to Governor Milledge, and one to George F. Randolph, likewise two notes of hand, given by Chatten U. Scrog gins to Claudius Magnan, with sundry other papers—any person leaving the same at Col. Willis’s in Washington, or at this office, shall be generously rewarded. July 26. 1— NOTICE. ALL persons having any demands* againstt he estate of Rebecca Smith, late of Columbia county dec. are requested to render them in within the time allowed by law, and all persons indebted to the same, to make imme diate payment. Thomas 11. Flint , Ex’r. September 6, 1806. 7 NOTICE. N INE months from the date hereof application will be made to the honorable the inferior court of Greene county,for leave to sell one hundred and fifty acres of land, be the same more - or less, lying on Town creek, to be sold for the benefit of the heirs and credit ors of Elias Cozart, deceased. Robert Wattson , Adnvr. March 29, 1806. 40 BLANKS i of every description executed at this ofiice; with neatness and dispatch,