$50 
36 guns, 1z-pounders on the main-deck, 
and 280 men, taken; eleven killed, and 
fifty wounded—La Clava, 36 guns, 12- 
peuncers on the main-deck, and 300 men, 
taken; feven killed, and twenty weund- 
ed. 
The queftion of a war with Spain, thus 
divided into thofe two leading points of 
the policy on which it is grounded, and 
the manner in which we have ventured to 
affert our pretenfions, is as important as 
any that las erifen in this awful period ef 
our hifiory; becaufe, it involves the quel- 
tion of ous public juftice and humanity, 
and the war we wage with France was 
commenced, in the face-of Europe, on the 
plea of checking eppreffion and avengingthe 
wrongs of the injured. Our late pofition with 
Spain was that which enabled us to avoid a 
wer with honour; although it perhaps af. 
forded a fufficient pretence for war, if our 
fecret or remote interefts were fuppoied to 
require a rupture with that power. The 
fituation of Spain with France was not 
that which cailed upon our pride to pro- 
hibit the intercourfe. Spain did not mean 
to offend, much le{s to injure us; and the 
eyes of Europe were open 'o this, that the 
conduct of Spain was not only involuntary, 
but conveyed ro infult to England. We 
had a pre‘ence, if we thought war prefer- 
able; but even that was almiof too thin to 
fereen us from the imputation of infolence 
or rapecity, in the cafe of our urging 
Spain into a war. It is then to be afked 
—if any policy, exther extenfive or narrow 
in its principle, called for war with that 
country? Some of thofe nations which 
have been {pe@ators of the war between 
England and France, and have heard the 
alternate preteniions of each to purity of 
netives, might reafonably claim trom the 
generchity cf England not to pufh Spain, 
already on the brink of ruin, over the pre- 
cipice, but to leave her at leaft to the 
chance of time and accidents, which are 
femctimes unexpectedly falutary in their 
operations. But in this inflance, we will 
fuppofe Engiand does not affe&t to be ge- 
nerous, but merely juft towards herteif. 
Every man, in iceing England enter into 
the prefent war, perceived the embarrafi- 
_ Ment cf her firuation, becaufe fhe cculd 
not with fafety or honour continue at 
“peace with France, yet war is the natural 
element in which the ambitien of France 
firetches cut its enormous limbs. There 
are evils between which a nation, or an 
individual, may be placed, fo great on 
each fide, that to avoid one at the ritk of 
failing in‘o the other may be faid to be 
the impulie of neceflity rather than the 
State of Publie Affairs in Ocicber, 1804. > 
[Nov. J, 
refult of choice. But who wiil afterwards 
court the extenfion of that evil of the twa, 
which he has fought to fhun? England, 
in. making war with Spain, commits this 
folly in the moft eminent degree. Spain, 
while the peace with her continued, was 
harmlefs to us; and the influence of 
France over her was little better than a 
feather in her Emperor’s cap. But war 
between England and Spain aggrandizes 
France by the acquilition cf all the re- 
fources of the latter; which, in fhips of 
war, feamen, and naval arfenals, are far 
from being a fubjeét of derifon to Eng- 
land, iirained as fhe is inevery nerve to watch 
the fleets and gun-boats ef her rival. Bue 
it is not only that France will previfion- 
ally feize upon the adminiftration of the 
refources of Spain, but a plea is given her 
to occupy the territory itfelf: after which 
follows, in due time, and with fuch in. 
ta] 
termediate changes as may fitly prepare 
the feene, the affliéting event which we al- 
ready affect to deplore, of the haughty 
and not ignoble Spain funk into a delpifed 
member. of the French empire. A war 
with Spain, therefore, tears her from the 
bands of her own fons, and plays the ene- 
mys gaine with a iuccefs that his own 
vaunted fertunesy without the aid ef our 
malignant planet, would probably never 
have adminiftered to his ambition. But 
it is not Spain alone that will be thus loft 
within the imperial diadem of France. 
~ This new war will alfo_{acrifice Portugal, 
which is not only innocent towards us, 
but in commercial relations is an inefti- 
mable friend and ally. If we go to war 
with Spain, France thenceforth will com- 
mand the wealth, commerce, and feamen 
of Portugal, whether Portugal joins the 
pack that profefles to hunt down our am= 
bition, or throws herfelf into our arms for 
protection. ; 
Tf the policy of a war with Spain is 
of this weak and odious character, what 
is to be faid of the manner m which we 
have enjorced our preienfious? There is — 
no need, even for the ignorant to go to 
Vaitel nor Grotius (a much higher name) 
to 1efoilve this queftion. 
depend on one of thofe maxims which 
mu'ual convenience has taught nations to 
eftablifh, after long experience. - Every 
man who knows the import of the terms, 
knows, that an hoftile act in the midf of 
negotiation is turprige and treachery, and 
not legitimate war. But what had we to 
do with furprize and treachery? Wehad 
an honowable caufe, although we con- 
trived to ftate it fo poorly im the begin- 
ning of the war, that the neutsal powers 
could 
This does not 
