Berkeley And Jefferson Intelligencer

PHILADELPHIA, August 14.

Neutral Commerce. We understand that by some recent decisions at Halifax, it appears that the British admiralty courts have adopted a new principle still more hostile to Neutral Commerce, namely that the produce of enemy's colonies going to the mother country shall be taken and confiscated without inquiring whether it be the property of enemies or friends. Such is the substance of the intelligence which we have received from a source which may be relied upon. The particulars are promised us to morrow.

We would now inquire whether this is one of those blessed fruits which were to be produced in such abundance by that most wise and sagacious of all regulations called the non-importation act. Before the passage of that law Great Britain appeared to have some vestiges of respect for this country still remaining, and we were every day told, that according to the representations of Mr. Monroe speedy and equitable adjustment of all our differences might be expected as from the moment that the passage of that law was known in England, all those promising hopes have vanished into thin air. After all the declamation, which had appeared in the American papers against the conduct of Great Britain after the high tone which was used in the message of the president at the opening of the session of congress; after the war speeches, which resounded within the walls of the hall of representatives, and echoed to the remotest corners of the United States, and even across the Atlantic; and finally, after the truckling land buying policy which was adopted with respect to France and Spain: that all should wind up with such a pitiful piece of spite against Great Britain was enough to bring upon us the contempt of all the world, and was directly calculated to invite increased injuries from that power to whom we had shown this petty resentment at the very moment of proclaiming, in effect, that we either could not or durst not adopt any measure of efficient opposition.