Volume 6: The American Register and Other Writings, 1807-1810
Edited by Jared Gardner, Oliver Scheiding, and Elizabeth Hewitt

      "Though it requires no extensive research to discover instances of selfish and iniquitous policy in the history of all nations, and especially in British history, mankind seldom extend their view beyond the present scene, and the recent usurpations of the French in the free cities and small states of Germany, in Switzerland, and Italy*, excluded from the view of political observers the more ancient or distant examples of similar iniquities in the conduct of Great Britain. Even the recent conduct of that power in Turkey was as egregious an instance of political injustice as the imagination can conceive; but it was transacted at a distance, was aimed at infidels and the perpetual enemies of christian Europe, and was not crowned with success. The conduct, likewise, of the same government in India was a tissue of bare-faced usurpations on the rights of others, for which the usurper never deigned to allege any other motive than his own interest. But these were likewise afar off, and affected a race of men too much unlike ourselves to awaken our sympathy. . . .
      [Aaron] Burr's designs might naturally enough, in this state of things, excite no uneasiness among the American settlers at New Orleans, but the guardians of the nation were bound to be very uneasy on this account, because the most flagrant mischiefs could not fail to follow a war entered into thus unjustly and wantonly with France and Spain. And for what end? To gratify the lust of plunder and adventure, in a few unsettled individuals, who have the insolent folly of clothing their lawless views, under the stale, bald, flagitious pretences of giving liberty and independence to those whom they murder or despoil."

from "The Annals of Europe and America" (1807)

• 1807-01000 "Preface," American Register, I (1806-1807), iii-iv. (one per volume)
• 1807-1809 "Annals of Europe and America" (1807-1809)