APPENDIX TO CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 259 



their own iiiipiudeiice," &c. If we uiideistand tins threat, it is meant 

 to prepare us for the immediate execution of the Imperial Ukase. We 

 tluiuk M. de Poletica for tliis candid avowal of the hostile intentions of 

 his Government, and, with equal frankness, assure him that those 

 engaged in the trade to the north-west coast have always considered it 

 a lawful commerce; and having been confirmed in that opinion by the 

 official declaration of the Executive of the United States that, "from 

 the period of the existence of the United States as an independent 

 nation, their vessels have freely navigated those seas, and the right to 

 navigate them is a part of that independence,^^ and that "the riglit of the 

 citizens of the United States to hold commerce with the aboriginal 

 natives of the north-west coast of America, without the territorial juris- 

 diction of other nations, even in arms and ammunitions of war, is as 

 clear and indisi)utable as that of navigating the seas," they are not 

 disposed to surrender these riglits without a struggle. The American 

 vessels employed on the north-west coast are well armed, and amply 

 furnished with the munitions of war. Separated from the civilized 

 world, and cut off" for a long time from all communication with it, they 

 have been accustomed to rely on their own resources for protection and 

 defence; and to consider and treat as enemies all who attenii)t to inter- 

 rupt them in the prosecution of their lawful pnrsnits. To induce them 

 to relinquish this commerce "persuasion" will be unavailing, "threats" 

 will be disregarded, and any attempts at coercion will be promptly 

 resisted unless made by a force so superior as to render resistance 

 hopeless, in which event they will look with confidence to their Gov- 

 ernment for redress and support. 



We have already devoted to this article more of our pages than so 

 dry a subject may be thought to merit; but we cannot (dose without 

 not-icing the remarks mad<; by M. de Poletica npon what he is i)leased 

 to call "the culi)able enterprises of foreign adventurers," whom he 

 accuses of carrying on an "illicit trade" of "furnishing arms ami 

 ammunition to the natives in the Eussiau possessions in America," and 

 of "exciting- them in every manner to resistance and revolt against 

 the authorities there established." 



In answer to the first charge, we would observe that the trade carried 

 ou by citizens of the United States with the Russian Settlements on 

 the north-west coast has the sanction of their own Government, and 

 till now has never been prohibited by tliat of Kussia. It is done openly, 

 and with the consent of the "established authorities" at the several 

 places, who are themselves, in most instances, parties to all commercial 

 transactions. But for the supplies which this trade has furnished, 

 some of the Ilussian Settlements must have been abandoned; and from 

 Langsdorff's account of the situation of "New Archangel," it appears 

 that, in 1805, the people would have perished from famine had 

 36 they not been relieved by American traders. At this moment 

 American vessels are engaged by contract with the servants 

 of the Russian Fur Company in supplying their Settlements with the 

 necessaries and comforts of life. It is a perversion of language to call 

 such a trade " illicit." 



On no better foundation rests the charge of " furnishing arms and 

 anununitiou to the natives in the Russian possessions^ The natives 

 who have been subjected to the Russian power are too wretchedly poor 

 to purchase arms, or indeed anything else. That supplies of this 

 nature are furnished in large quantities to the iiulependent aboriginal 

 inhabitants is certainly true. No arguments are necessary to prove 

 our unquestionable right to continue such supplies, and Russia might 



