Portland Gazette, And Maine Advertiser

A singular contrast—Once on a time Napoleon Bonaparte opened his ports and the ports of his allies to the American commerce, and invited it thither. When he had entrapped as great a number of American ships and cargoes as he could possibly get together at once, he sprung his trap; he seized them at one sweep, and applied the avails, amounting to seventeen millions dollars, to his own use. At the same time there was not only common peace and fellowship between the said Napoleon Bonaparte and the government of the United States, but there was between them also an express treaty of commerce and friendship.

So much for our friends; now for our enemies.—Sundry merchants of G. Britain happened to owe sundry merchants of the U. States, the goodly sum of twenty million of dollars. And at the moment when they, the Americans, had loaded and were loading their ships with British goods, articles of prime necessity at home, to the full amount of the twenty million dollars due them; at this very moment, tidings were received by the British government, that America had declared war against it, and was plundering the British commerce, wheresoever found. Yet notwithstanding this, notwithstanding the cargoes consisted of articles of prime necessity for us in our state of warfare, the said British government permitted the said Americans to bring away the whole amount of the twenty millions' worth of property; and not only permitted them, but sent them their aid.—(Conn. Courant.)