Norfolk Gazette And Publick Ledger

A FEW CONSIDERATIONS.

France burns, plunders, destroys or seizes every American vessel that she can touch; and this is done for the benefit of neutral rights, and is the practical commentary on the expression of the emperor "conquer the liberty of the seas."

France confiscates all the American property she can find: this is done to help on the ruin of England, as all the property a-float in the world belongs to her, according to the maritime law of NAPOLEON.

French privateers when in distress, whether real or pretended, come into the friendly ports of America. We are too magnanimous to prohibit them. "Return good for evil," says the proverb.

France seizes our vessels when they enter her ports, that certainly is no reason why we should do the same thing to the French in our ports. Two wrongs never make a right. Would you have Americans to turn robbers like the French?

French privateersmen smuggle their plunder on shore. Catch them if you can; but if you seize the goods they will take revenge. They will shoot your citizens in the very mouth of your harbour.

You must not insult the subjects of his imperial and royal majesty; they are contending for the "liberty of the seas," and they have a right to use all means that will help to effect that great object—such as refitting when out of repair and selling plunder to pay off the men to encourage them to fight next time, &c. &c.

It is an undoubted truth, that Napoleon is the best friend we have abroad, notwithstanding that he burns and plunders our ships and incarcerates our fellow citizens. He proves his friendship every day—he is to "conquer the liberty of the seas" whenever some other powers will consent to it—and then we the Americans are to have a wonderful trade!

Upon an entire and complete view of our national standing in the world, it would seem, that it requires a few resolves of congress and town-meetings to assure us, that we are really a great, free and independent nation.

We will venture to say, that, a gross national insult and personal injury like the wounding of Mr. Follin, on board the Dolphin, by the French privateer on Thursday morning last, were never passed off with more indifference in any place than they were in this city. Not one publick expression or movement was made to revenge this atrocity of conduct in the Frenchman, or to prevent him from committing the same enormities in future.

Where are our men of war, our gun boats, and our cutters? Where are our hundred thousand militia which were marshalled against the Chesapeake? Where the expression of national indignity which roused the nation to arms upon that insulting occasion—lost in the apathy of party feeling; it is the French who have done this thing!!!