Portland Gazette, And Maine Advertiser

AMERICA AND ENGLAND.

As our readers will undoubtedly be gratified to know something of the speculations of the English papers, on the subject of this collision which have taken place between the two countries, we copy the following paragraph. It does not appear, in the paper from which we have taken it, (Relf's Gazette) from which of the London news-papers it was extracted, nor of what date. It must however have been recent--Report

AMERICA has been for 13 years flourishing upon the distractions which have prevailed in Europe, and profiting immensely from wars in which she has taken no part. Instead, however, of being contented with her gains, we find her becoming restless in proportion to the increase of her wealth, and apparently disposed to risk the loss of what she possesses in overstraining efforts after new acquisitions. She loudly complains of the injuries she has received from France and Spain; with what degree of justice it is not our province to examine.--But what concerns us more nearly, is the discontent she expresses against this country, on account of the restraints imposed upon her commerce; and we feel confident in saying, that a more unfounded and impertinent complaint never was preferred by any government against the conduct of another. Our whole conduct against America has been dictated by a spirit of conciliation and concession, of which there is hardly an example in history. We have relaxed in her favor the fundamental principles of our maritime code--we have exempted her trade from many restrictions authorized by the law and the practice of nations--and we have indulged her in it--only to take what she had no right to take, but which it was manifestly against our interest to grant. The decisions of our prize courts have been marked, in her cases, with peculiar lenity; in short, she has been treated by Great Britain rather comme un enfant gâté, (like the spoiled child) than conformably to the rules which generally regulate the intercourse of separate states. But gratitude has never been a prominent feature in the character of the United States, and now that America is an independent power, we find her actuated by pretty much the same spirit which influenced her when a colony.

The British government will no doubt be always ready to grant redress for every real grievance, and their past conduct is the best guarantee of the liberality which will always distinguish its proceedings towards America. But if there is no alternative between permitting America to carry on the whole commerce of our enemies with their colonies, (by which we shall be deprived of all the advantages to be derived from the predominance of our naval force) and a rupture with America, we believe there is not a man in the country, who would hesitate a moment respecting the part which we ought to choose.

It would be preposterous indeed, if at a time when it is a known fact that no hostile merchant flag passes the equator, we were to suffer any power, calling itself neutral, to step in between us and our enemies, for the purpose of abundantly supplying them with the produce of their colonies, and of carrying the manufactures and produce of the mother countries to their colonial markets, after we had succeeded, by force of arms, in putting an end to all intercourse between them. Were this to be allowed, we might as well dismantle our fleets, give the enemy back his ships which we have taken, and assure him the privileges of trading to any part of the world unmolested.