Berkeley And Jefferson Intelligencer

From the Baltimore Federal Gazette of the 5th March.

To the politeness of a Senator from Delaware, just arrived from the seat of government, we are indebted for the following HIGHLY IMPORTANT INFORMATION—disclosed in a conversation with the Editors.

The President of the United States did not lay the treaty from England (just arrived) before the Senate (because of the hard conditions of which he never would accept). It was expressly stipulated, in a note attached to the treaty, that in case of a ratification by our government the United States should unite with Great Britain in opposing the French decree, so dangerous to all neutral rights; that, if the American government reject this condition, it rejects the Treaty. The president declared, that he would not even lay it before the senate; and thus rejecting it would put in its fullest force the Non Importation act against Great Britain, after the arrival of the period to which it has been suspended. This it will be remembered, is the first day of July next. The last section of the suspension act authorises the president further to suspend the non-importation law to the second Monday of December next, 'if in his judgement, the public interest should require it.' But, as he has publicly declared his abhorrence of the terms of the proffered treaty, our merchants must fix their attention on the shortest period, viz. July next.

The late hour at which we obtained the information precludes further comment nor do we wish by minute inquiries, to agitate unnecessarily the minds of commercial men. It is a moment of peculiar alarm, and not in a small degree distressing to those who had fondly hoped that a spirit of mutual conciliation would have enabled the governments of Great Britain and America to keep a rampart, beyond which the destroyers of Europe could not have advanced. But all hope has vanished: except that only of disease in the French camp. Should Esculapius and Mars smile on France and America and England, by impolitic and mad dissention, chain Neptune (their only friend) farewell commerce! farewell all of freedom and of greatness!