and a good western boundary, it will fill the American mind with joy.
It will secure to our fellow-citizens one of their most ardent wishes, a
long peace with Spain and France. For be assured, the object of war with
them and alliance with England, which, at the last session of Congress,
drew off from the republican band about half a dozen of its members,
is universally reprobated by our native citizens from north to south. I
have never seen the nation stand more firm to its principles, or rally
so firmly to its constituted authorities, and in reprobation of the
opposition to them. With England, I think we shall cut off the resource
of impressing our seamen to fight her battles, and establish the
inviolability of our flag in its commerce with her enemies.

We shall thus become what we sincerely wish to be, honestly neutral, and
truly useful to both belligerents. To the one, by keeping open a market
for the consumption of her manufactures, while they are excluded
from all the countries under the power of her enemy; to the other, by
securing for her a safe carriage of all her productions, metropolitan
or colonial, while her own means are restrained by her enemy, and may,
therefore, be employed in other useful pursuits. We are certainly more
useful friends to France and Spain as neutrals, than as allies. I hope
they will be sensible of it, and by a wise removal of all grounds of
future misunderstanding to another age, enable you to present us such
an arrangement, as will insure to our fellow-citizens long and permanent
peace and friendship with them. With respect to our western boundary,
your instructions will be your guide. I will only add, as a comment
to them, that we are attached to the retaining the Bay of St. Bernard,
because it was the first establishment of the unfortunate La Sale, was
the cradle of Louisiana, and more incontestibly covered and conveyed to
us by France, under that name, than any other spot in the country. This
will be secured to us by taking for our western boundary the Guadaloupe,