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THE LOUISVILLE GAZETTE. T01.1.] ‘ Z_L E5 D _ A _ Y I _ M _ a * >l, — ' REASON AND TRUTH IMPARTIAL GUIDE THE lU./r.--- Publiilied every Tuefday, by,AMBROSE DAY, at three dollars per ami. payable half yearly in advance. Mr. D*r, in reading- MdT'i F'er.eau & Paint’, „ er of Sou-h-C«ro!ina. t obferv; an SS«r, from thf «nershl<r F.mu-M fuDUTOS, of Virginia, to the «*.- of the United Start,, wth hi, ohferration, on the prefeat menfures, rurfned hr ol,r Storemment, fa far a, jb r relate to war whh France. The ,bove mentioned pentl"man ha, fervor! hi, country in a public capacity, for fifty years; he was member to Congrefs tfie ft«ie of Virginia, in 1774; he bslong ferved the f»me Hate as prefiding Judge of the hi*h Court of Chancery ; jlfo has been Judge in the high Court of Appeals. Let Americans Hftefl to the voice of reaGn and experience, and be governed thereby. Your Inferting the fame in vour ufeful *nd impartial gazette, will oblige Aw American. (C When you fhdl tlieTe unlucky deeds relate, f ealc of ihem as the* are • nothing extenuate, nor Tct down anuhr in m Aire ” Shakespeare. 1 HE meaftres recommended bv the j Secretary of War, and Commifiioner j of the Navy, for an augmentation of the army and navy of the United Spates, acd oaw under confideration of con* grefs, are truly alarming ; fince their adoption wo Id create a ru'nou* debt, which, after opprefiing the people for I ages to raife the annual in-crcft, mull 8 *t length be cleared, either by a revelu- I hon, or a dilhonorable fponge. An I army or 50 coo mercenaries, at the V devotion of fomei future enterprlnni? I Pfffident, aided by a fcditlon bill and I ether accumulated terrors, with the in- I fluence of hop? from an enormous pa- I will fuhj-'ft America to exe- I cut;ve dcfpotifm, inftead of a reprefen* I Mwe republican government* I A fleet to give full prote&ion to cur ■ commerce, or to extend beyond what lis ncceflary to guard our coafts againft I pirates and pr vatoerg, would not only I colt more than our trade is worth, but ■ b. at all times at the mercy of a foreign ■ drop., whofe naval power cou : d not ■ probably be equalled by the fa’e of I . nci m fee firaple, and the applica ii'on of the money to that purpofe ; a ■ tauoD, too, jealous of our r.fing com ■ and panting for its return to bar I J,fficr monopoly and direction, to which I u ‘ lC °f vcalth and (Length would |. 0 ;- n ; i ;' e - refourcea are faid tb ■ C - C ' lUI ‘ t 0 an V pttepofe. Let us exa ■ 'Q- the Rate of them—it has been I MlJ ' ! :5! to Ift January, 1796, r P ’f iic dcbt * neceffarily created du- Bthy j ' W3r> ar f rom being dirai- Bef J « was increafed about fix million, «htQ l ( ,!:,10Ui?h t!me of . P* a V’ : n* . m 3 trad,: generally ftou * e ,rn P n revenue was pro-*' ■ a efl V ; ; be^ee other taxes, and the j H rf (| frn | i Co^ ,dcra ’ proportion of the C ° n{e( l uen s (? rocafiires fince, we HLij, 0w tu ra^e about 10 millions of, Hiora an^ lo be paid by four | ■Ur /‘T of a!1 forts ’ r*vo\ Bitter Qnda ' l Hf M each foulJ no I ■Lof-d" wha ‘ forra: and ihou, -d the i li V BUgQ ? nta : ba be ™de. the 811 cni -T 31 " r ’ ;l be ,ncr eafcd five V fchar-e o'*' 6 * W!thout eft mating the B r ilc rr • .f ny , p ! rt of principal, E bow I 8 a f u; e cail , tor farther eipences ; ■v , C c. ,Bto Uc taifed > The trea- Ibe borrowed*! ° m ll ' onB are B :ed: t Of t y aat,Cl P alioa the | fed unable are fup | tnliliona f m ° re than the I I C P refcot and i 1 E .aoo’iy 1• a , j “ r ()i ‘ 9 are to be borrowed ' [ •• J “**» dsfisicacy— the fame i» t I j ability will, no doubt, occur in future years—fo that out ot this annual de mand, it wou d feem there will grow a ; new debt of five millions yearly, and the intercfl: end if any perfon can forefre wliere it is to (Up, the difclofure would afford focne comfort. Again—thefe loans are to be made st an un imiced intereff, (how rooft tutioually the world will judge) which betrays a fufpicion of American credit. It is faid the Pre fident has offered 8 per cent.; whether it wjll be got for that or not, is uncer tain ; but fhould that happen, that ‘ the paying, or rather coimading to pay, 8 per cent, for money, would evince the «mple refourcea of a nation, ’ feenis as novel and abfurd in national policy, £3 all rn-.n know tl to be in p;i vate concerns. Further—how are individuals to p?.y thefe taxes ? Their commercial inter* couifc wi.h France, (from which, when in Ls vigour, they derived great wealth, the aacusl ba’ancc in Lvor of America be;ng fta*ed at upwards of fix millions of dollars) s prohibited ; and our rrnde in a great meafnre confined to Brit Kin, by her caprine of our viffels to or from | the ports of Spaiu and the Batavian Republw. In the Britifii trade the balance has betn ever againfl us, and muff continue f>, whilfl it rnnains lub je!t to her conir -ul. It is true the tobacco fUics have lately experienced an high price for that article, attribu table to fmall crops of la e years, and to oil the European markets being open, and a fair competition kept up ; 11 is now uid lhat the price is greatly fallen in London ; if this be true, it mud proceed from irs be*ng engrofiVd to that port, by rhe esp arcs or ottier reesns, that 'hey may buy on their own terms, land, by fending the furpus to foreign markets, pockrt the protnc, which me j planters are cnti-lcd to, and would re ceive from a direct free trade thofe countries: it being notorious that the marker there ar« yet empty, and the price very high. Ti this ferioua and d’tanged Rate of our fifcal abilities, we mu;l iure y • and not incrcafe the evil, but on the moft imperious »nd inCvi-ablc neceffity. Wnether fucb exifts, or cot, will bell appear from an tuqu ry into the Tue Hale ol cur foreign reiatiocs, particu Jariy refpefting the two great European nx ions, unhappily engaged in war, wh ch,isprofecuted with a ipirit, fiiong’y indicating 2 wifh of extermination on both fiic* i and from both of whom, America has received aggredions. In th ; s crqa ry vve meet embarra-f ment from the fi ence of the public communications, as lo the irj irifs of one nat'on, aud ail ether irauh&ioDß with her adramiftrat on, wh le the volum inous ftaternenis re/peding the other, 'arc tedious to read, and d.ificult accu i rately to underftand. I cannot, 1 be’ eve, be denird, hew j ever, that fr irn the year 1793 to the prefeot cay, Britain has c. n inued to capture an 1 condemn Americas v. ff le, j and itnprcfs our feamen, con rary to rhe law of nations, and fince the late trea y, jin v o’ation to thar. By the trea'yt | they agreed to make cornpeaiaiion for thofe injuries, to be fettled by comraif* ; fioners- whofe prog’efs hath b.en flowr and expenfive, und the paym-uts, it is laid, fcarccly equal to iotcrefl on lb?: demands ; this i do not tffert j bet from what I hear of ano-.her fet of com miffioners in Phila ’clphia, I am inclined I to think the United States would have I a good bargain to difeharge both caffes j of comm.fllon.'rs, and fer rhe fpoliationsj !on her •ommercc, agamd the affumed j I Britifh debts, although probably not a j • fhilling oa that accoaa; was juit’y due l ■ from the union 1 wliich it may be nc ccffary to explain : ! At the time of the Britifh fieaty in : 1794, the unfettled parts of that of ■ 1753 we;e—on the part of Britain, the 1 evacuating the wrilern polls, a; d deli ■ vering np or mtnpcnfaling for the ne groes they poffeffed of ours at the peace —and on the American pait, a repeal of the fiate laws, which impeded the recovery of Britifh debts s which nation was mofl faulty in the non- nerformaf’ce, was a queflion, tbc dTcumon of which, was more likely to initate, than con -1 clliafe : impartial judges will p:ob»b!y decide it againff Britain, from the terms of the trea'y, requiring her part to be performed for hwith, whereas ihc Ame rican part, would in its nature require fomc confidrrahlc time to tffeit it } and from the fuperioi 1 power of that nation lo indemnify herfclf, by repiifals on our commerce, if, after performance on her parr, America had neglefttd to comply with hcTs. However, (he declaration In the preamble, to forbear thefe un friend'y difcuffions, was wife, if if had been otferved on thefe points, as it w.is m the cafe of therew Ipoliaiiuns, which ( admitted cf no doubt that the fault was all on one fide. As to wl.at wrs fo be j do:,c, America Lad, in 1789, pciformcd j her pa r t, by adopting her federal con j dilution, which declared “ all former as 1 welt as 'mure treaties, to he the fupreme { 'av.',” and operated as a repeal cf all the impeding (late I ws; it only remained to provide for tlie yielding of (lie pofb, and con penlating for the negroes. It wc-a indeed equi’able that America fhould account fjr ail loffes in ihe debts, from infolvenccs happening bt tween 1783 end 17S9 —but Ihe fame principle at lead, equally required that Britain 1 fhou d account for the damages lo Amc~ j nca, occafioned by her non-peiformance, to wu’t, for the lofa of America’s (hare of the peltry tra-ie, and probably, the exp-occ and other «.v.ls of a long Indian war. from the retention of the polls ; and intereß, at IcHl, added to the com peofation for the cegroea • the accounts to have been fairly adjufted, and the balance on cither fide paid, or :o fave trouble, tJ have fat one Bga'nll the other, each nation becoming paymaftcr to her individual citizens. In Head of this, Britain io ie<varded (or the breach by a fotsl acqu ttar.ee for the negroes ; and being allowed Iti!! eighteen rnon ha more to yield the polls, which were, iu 178?., to have becng’vm up forthwith. The American lands, which Britain had n th e io c.vH granted to their Indian 'radrrs. were co fitiried to them, which they vv rc permitted to ho d, and con tinue Britifh fubjetts, if that was their choice at the end cf a yiar; by which America wai fubjeded to the danger of Ind an hoftilities, and injuiy iu trade from their frcrei cabals. Ga the otlier hand, America is pun ifhed, and not only with payment for infoiveneiea, happening iu the period before fuied, (the uimoll limits of her moral obligation on a fair mutual account ] but from the ioofe wording of the ar* t cle, we are told, that a;l the worm eaten ledgers of the century, are brought forth, and an info’vent balance is claimed —at the Gmc time legal judgments, on ! trials not depending cu the quefiion ot i legal impediments, nor contcmp ated by I the trccly, but on the real merits of the demand, are fubmitted to the judgment of the commiflioßCia, sgaini uil pro | priety rnd expediency : the amount aud I confequcnt mcreafe of the Abmcrcan i debt, 13 incalculable, sr,d no wonder .t 1 13 dlimated. at from ih.rty to fiziy m»l -| lions of dollars. | This is the Kate cf our fituadoD ref ipcwiing Britain, whith doci uot offer any temptation to a political union wi*h her ; nor an anxious defira to inereafc fhc commercial iorercnnrfe, unlcfs ir can b? more free, and ire progrefsmd pro fif3 icciproca! ; a: the fame time no penon wifltfs a war with Iter, which would increafe the evil, but bopes for a ternedy in ncgoca'icn, directed by prin• ciplei of reciprocity and mutual intereft. W ith France our relations are more (important on the prefent enquiry, and :P c bapg It is underftood, f'om the lengthy • publications on the fubjeft. That flic limited in our rcvo'utionary war to ferve , ~3» true ; and if it was, would i; be incecorous to men’ion : flic h*d hep national inlercfl in view, as we had out’s —the common intereft ivns a pledge of j rau ' Ua ‘ fi Fifty, and the obfervatioo ferns jof no other 'mportarce—her treay wjg I iihera’, and (he petformfd it with gcnc i ro lity to tie peace, and continued cv'ry mark of.rral fricn .fh pto the year I 793. In that year fhe fenl over n miniftcr, p r obab'y to propofc our joining in her war agamft Brfta n, though I do not j know that it was dircftly the purpofe j s however, it was a proportion they ai'pht make without infultiog American h r nof or independence. The Prefident 1 flamed a neutral itabon, of which all America approved, and France acqulcfccd The m ni£t«r m (behaved, and France recalled lum—lmnll difputes arofc about pr va’ ecn and their pr zco, which I hcli<-ve were properly dec ded, and the repr; fentaltons of the then fccrctaay of date on the fill jedt, appeared at the time fo be fa»i* factmy to the min ifters of both nations. Depredations upon our commerce foon after commenced. and have bee" injurioufiy continued by France, whicli (he is morally bound to compcnfaic fop her attribution of them to imperious oectfli y, or the example of Brita n, being nov-xcufe ; on that fcorc, an well as on account of feme diplomatic occur rentes, but tbove all, on fhe Brftifh rreay, bickerings and efperfty of cx priflion took place between the riecu fives of the tv7o nations, t 11 at length France recalled her miniftcr, end refufed fo receive one from y/merica. The Prefi ideut fent three envoys ivi-h full powers, and proper inflrudiions, to ne goFate a peace—the exrcutive dire<sfcry of Frarce delayed to acknowledge or treat wi.h them —the mien Her T alleyrand fells them that the dire&ory are much irriratedat the Picfldeni’e fp echcs, aud calls for an explanation, which they are not autborifed to make. hie then re commends their offering to nuke a It an I y the purchcf* of Dutch refcripfions, wit ch they j rcperly re ufed,ag not within their powers, and a french of ncu'ralfty —he ia rfited f this loan was an ultima turn of treaty ? ar d was filent; ye! that government i> charged with demanding a tribute of America, for which tin loan is the only ground of proof ; for as to the douceur of 5® coo pounds fterlmg, it appears ro bave been demanded by intruding Iwind'ere, X slid Y, (called unauthorifed agents) tot xiort money for their ewa ufe, without the knowledge of the executive or mic fler, from any thing which appears. It is true Bellamy, rep r efen!ed by Y, fa’, a “ he made no prt pofi ion which he was not empowered to mike by the min ftcr,” Lut lie at the fame litr.c denies that he ever propofed the douceur, or any other pecuniary offer, except the loan; io this he o contradicted by the envoys, and his cht ratter ran ft abide the confeq'jence. But thefe unaaihonzed ccnvei r afions ere ufed for another more iotcrefting purpdfe ; the f.v.ndlcrs threatened an t r Vufioo from Fiance, and therefore our army muit be augracn ed, without an atom of other proof which I have feen that fuck a mcaf jrc was ever coaiem<