Alexandria Gazette, Commercial And Political

From the Boston Daily Advertiser
COMMUNICATION.
Further notices of a work on the agriculture, Commerce and Manufactures of France.
This writer who has had in all cases recourse to official documents where these could be procured, states the external commerce of France to be but one sixteenth part of its internal trade. This we have no doubt is correct. We have often endeavored to impress this idea on the minds of our friends, that no country except perhaps Great Britain can be compared to France, in point of resources and opulence. Its interior trade and capital are vast, we may say prodigious, and these are the most unequivocal marks of general prosperity. Such opinions we have always entertained from a close inspection of the cities and internal commerce of that country.
Although the external commerce of France, bears but the proportion of one sixteenth to its internal trade, yet France exports one year with another says our author, from 310 to 350 millions of Francs. that is, from 60 to 65 millions of dollars: of which more than half arise from manufactured articles-one third from products of the soil, and only one sixth from foreign articles re-exported. What a vast idea this affords of the interior trade and industry of France
She supports a population of 30 millions, many of them in great luxury, and exports 50 millions of dollars of her own productions besides. Supports do we say! She has for 30 years waged war with all the world, and comes out of it as vigorous and wealthy as she entered it. Think only of her being able to pay in cash as Lord Castlereagh states, 5 pounds sterling a head for one million of her enemies' troops on her soil, and this besides supporting them. Yet her public credit stands as high as it did three years since, and almost or quite as high as ours. Her five per cents are at 59 and 60- her 7 per cents at about 90 or 91.
Though France exports 330 millions of francs, yet she imports only 250 millions. The balance of the trade as it is usually called, is in her favor. This will probably long endure. Her productions are in demand in every country where there is any luxury. Her demands on the other hand from other countries are not great, except for colonial produce and cotton.
The French have cultivated more than any other people a taste for their own productions, and a disrelish for those of other nations. Wit, ridicule and argument, are all employed and have been for centuries in rendering the productions of other nations disagreeable to the French people. The effect has been great. There is nothing which they can endure from other countries, at least of the productions of human industry, except the hardware of England, her manufactures in leather and her carriages. They do acknowledge some merit in her fine cotton goods, & in her optical instruments they admit she is unrivalled.
Although we find much to praise in this French work, yet there are other things which we would censure, & some which create a smile.
A Frenchman can never think of the U. States without either "an itching palm or a watering mouth" if one may be permitted to quote vulgarisms on such a topic. They have a longing desire, an inextinguishable thirst "a s'en meler de nos affaires."
Nothing vexes them so much as to see so fine and fair a portion of the world, so flourishing, so full of money, with which they have so little concern. Talleyrand wrote a book purposely to complain of this, and to sow jealousies between us and England. France always looks to our policy with interest, and although we have for a short time escaped from her toils and have begun to breathe, she is spreading them anew with wonderful patience
Depend upon it, an intimate union with France will be the scope of the policy of both cabinets. The last 30 years will show what will be the consequences!! All our foreign broils have resulted from the intrigues of France.
Our author thus concludes a chapter on the benefits which France can derive from the United States.
"To these considerations, of interest in a commercial view, may be joined those of policy. The United States of America are in regard to England, in the same situation in which France is placed. They will be by their vicinity to Canada and by the jealousies of trade, eternal rivals of England.
"Our interest is then to pursue the same political measures and conduct which the Americans may do, and to draw closer and closer the ties of friendship & commerce, which we formed at the instant of their independence.
The time may come and will come when our population will exceed our capacity to maintain it. but then our political and commercial ties with the United States, will secure us the means of exporting and advantageously placing there the surplus of our population.
"These relations of amity and the conformity of our institutions will make it easy to form treaties for the establishment of French colonies in their immense territories!!"
They always think of Louisiana!