Alexandria Daily Advertiser

From the N. Y. Commercial Advertiser.

BONAPARTE'S THREAT. The following cunningly framed denial of the assertion, that Bonaparte had declared "there should be no neutrals," is found in a jacobin paper (the True American) published at Trenton. The editor, no doubt, expected, by this "trick," to convince every mind that his worthy Republican friend Napoleon, is incapable of making so infamous a declaration.

"As soon as it was known that the British government had declared there "should be no neutrals" which declaration she began to give effect at Copenhagen--her tools here put a similar threat in the mouth of Bonaparte by way of set-off; but the trick won't take--nobody believes it."

The following from a late Moniteur, the French official journal at Paris, is an excellent commentary on the above.

"The English are strangers to the sovereignty of nations if they flatter themselves that the Americans are so pusillanimous, so impolitic, so ready to sacrifice their independence, as to abandon to Great Britain the colonial trade. If the Americans descend to such conduct, if they will renounce the sovereignty of their flag, and suspend their commercial intercourse with France, thus trampling upon their own declaration of independence, and again becoming mere English colonies, they must, without doubt, be considered as having declared war with France and with all the continental powers."

On the same subject, the Virginia Argus, a democratic paper of Richmond, thus remarks:

The present situation of the United States is truly critical and interesting. It appears to be pretty well ascertained that the emperor of France has determined that no nation which carries on any trade, or has any friendly communication with Great Britain, shall continue at peace with himself. On the other hand, the several British orders of council lately published are of such a nature as almost entirely to destroy the commerce of all neutral powers.

It would seem therefore that we shall shortly have only the choice of joining in the war on the side of France or England, or of relinquishing our trade with both. If, indeed the report is true that "Bonaparte has demanded peremptorily of our ambassador at Paris that the American government shall break with England or with France" it would seem that we have no choice left, but that of sides in the contest.

If Great Britain could but learn her own interest; if her rulers had but sense enough to know the difference in point of importance between the loss of a few seamen who may desert from her navy and find a shelter in our's under the pretence of American citizenship; if, for the sake of saving her and themselves from destruction, they would do us justice, it might perhaps be more to our advantage at present to be on friendly terms with her than with France, notwithstanding the threats of Bonaparte: It must be admitted, in the present perilous crisis, when all the nations of Europe appear to be swallowed up by the devouring ambition of that terrible man, that the British navy may be a necessary check to his progress--perhaps the only obstacle to prevent his attaining the universal empire: In these circumstances, however great our resentment is for the injuries and insults which the peaceable and inoffensive citizens of America have sustained from those tyrants of the ocean, we confess that we should not wish to see them entirely subdued by the equally unjust rapacious tyrant of the land. It would, therefore, be desirable that the differences between Great-Britain & this country should yet be accommodated, if possible, on honorable terms; but these must be no other than the admission on her part of the principles for which our government contend: that our vessels shall be free from arbitrary search, and our seamen from impressment. This would heal up the wound.

If the advances which the commissioners have sent him, are really patriotically disposed towards the United States, we doubt not, that our excellent statesmen and patriots Jefferson and Madison, though firmly resolved not to relinquish any of the rights of their country, are nevertheless disposed to consent to any arrangement by which justice may on all occasions be readily obtained by the officers of the British navy, claiming deserters. Hopes may therefore yet be entertained of a compromise of the dispute between the two nations. But if this cannot be accomplished, we shall then be driven to the necessity of choosing between the three measures above mentioned, viz. war with England, war with France, or no connection with either. It becomes important then to consider which of these lines of policy ought in that event to be pursued by the United States. The subject is of great moment, and requires a variety of reflections, the result of which, whatever the decision may be, will be all important to America. It shall therefore receive the most mature consideration and candid discussion from the editor of the Argus, who solicits his various patriotic correspondents to communicate their ideas upon it for the benefit of their country.