Norfolk gazette and publick ledger — Norfolk [Va.], 1808-07-27 00:00:00, page 2

house, the ev*ning of my arrival at Lancaster, T !
fount) him engaged in explaining to a number ol
gentlemen of the legislature the affair ot tlie old
W.stern conspiracy, and Wilkinson's participation
therein, which Mr. E. was elucidating by reteren
ceu tu l’is print'd juiim il when rnmini-sioncron the
part of the United Slabs Inr running the southern
boundary. He confirmed the correctness of Me.
dark’s statement, and mentioned his nen agency
in detecting Wilkm-on's connexion with the Span
lards, by means of intercepted letters <N.c. ihe cir
cumstances of which he said he had communicated
in cypher to our government at the tim-, and the
following is a meiuor ndu n I made on returning to
tny lodgings of some other important cin umsi n
ces mentioned to me by Mr. Ellirott. “ Jim. 30th.
Andrew Ellicott infunn-d me this evening that in
the month of June 1801, (is well a., I milieu) hi
communicated personally to Mr. Jelferson. the ex
act sum of money that had been sun by Don Tho
mas Portel to gen. W. that this money was not on
account of any mercantile (ransartions but ul the
pension allowed the General by the Spanish govirn
ment, that Wilkinson was not a man to be trusted,
and if continued in employ, would one diyor o
tfcer disgrace and involve the government in his
schemes.
I. 8. Do you know any other matter or thing that
may he of use ,n the enquiry, respecting the con
duct of Brigadier Genenl Wilkinson, which the Mi
litary Court of Jsnqiury is now prosecuting at
Washington ?
A. 8. I declare that, under the authority of
Mr. Clark to receive and open in his absence all
letters addressed to him, l have lat*dy received per
m id the one hereunto annexed addressed to him ' v
Mr. rtins. Geminll. and dated Pmckntyville, oo'j
March, I 80S, and which I conceive it my duty to
lay before the court of enquiry.
PinkneuritU. 22il March.. ISOS.
Dear Sir,
“ From a short and imperfect acquaintance, I
have taken the liberty of writing to voti. I have
been informed by a gentleman nfundou ted veracity
attached to the LT. S. army, now stationed at the
ramp near this place, that gen. Wilk nson has
written to two office re ot the antiv, to wit, Colon-1
Xmgshury and C.ipt. Boyer, both stationed at said
rainp, requ- sting each of the n to give ...
jiy relative to the interv iew you had with gen. U il
kmson at fort Adams, at the time mentioned in
your communication to con'ress. You may p, r
haps have heard, and know he ter the relative sin -
ation or standing ol those deponents with the Ge
neral than I, and what influence he may have with
them. The first I am credibly informed has been
promised a furlough, the second flattered with a
prospect ol promotion to a n jority ; each of them
have received a letter from the genera! holding forth
fair promises at the commencement, and conclud
ing with an earnest request that they be punctual in
sending on their depositions, the purport of which
js mended to invalidate that part of your testimo
ny, which relates to the interview with the General
at I ort Ad ons, and each ot those gentlemen have
been heard to say, that you were with the General
but a few hours at that time.
“The General has also requested, that those de
positions he written by major Stoddard, who was
immediately sent lor to the upper country of this
territory lor that purpose, lie has arrived, and they
are now at work.
“ Having heard rapt. Steiret of New-Orleans,
ipeak of your visit to the general; and knowing
that his statement will correspond with yours, as to
time and duration of stay, 1 have written to him re
questing that his deposition might he taken in legal
form, and forwarded to you as soon as possible._
Mr. Evans, of Fort Adams, I think ran tistify the
same. There are several gentleman in this n ighbnur
hnod, whose testimony would go in rorroburation,
who will not come forward Voluntarily. Mr. Evans,
I presume, will ; if so, ! will have his d putition
taken, and in. lose it to you. The unusual ano-ty
and interest the Iricnds oi Gen. W. rxpre s on this
occasion,although they endeavour to conduct the
business as secretly as possible, have induced me to
take the pail I have ; conscious that it c.m do you
no injury, 1 shall feel happy if 1 have had it in mv
power to render you a service.
“ Your IriaiiJ and nb’t *crvt.
(Signed) TMOS. GEMMII..
“ Daniel Clark,
Post-marks outside as follows :
“ Pitikneyville, M. T. M.t. “-fill.
“Washington, May 18.”
Having a personal acquaintance with the baron
He Carondelet, 11 ms Power, and the late governor
Gayoso, and Philip Nolan,and previously seen the
documents laid by Messrs. Randolph and Clark on
the table of the house of Representatives, I do aver
and declare, from my own knowledge of the ha: d
wriling or signature of them, is true and correct ; I
have examined them with a view of proving the
same, if ever called upon lor that purpose.
I also declare, that I have lately perused the offi
cial copy ot a puhlirk despatch in the Spanish Ian
gouge, mini ,ue marquis t^asa 1 rojo, to Don Pedro
Cevallos, secretary lor foreign affairs in Spain, dated
Philadelphia, Dec. 18th, 180<>, which communi
rates the entire conviction ot the Marquis, that
Gen. Wilkinson (well known and designated in the
correspondence of slate under the name or appella
tion of No. 13) was united with Bmr in a plan to
sever the Western country from the L'nion, and that
there was nothing to fear from their views whirh
was not directed against the Spanish possessions,
but against their own country.
I further declare, that on the arrival of Mr. Tho
mas Power m this rity from Richmond, last Octo
ber, I had many conversations with him, and lie
appeared as much incensed against gi neral Wilkin
son, for having (as lie sal I) faithlessly published a
csrtilicate, which he had given him the preceding
spring at New Orleans, at his particular lequtst, un
der a solemn promise, that it was intended merely
for Mr. Jefferson’s private inspection, to quiet his
suspicions, and should never be mi de publick. Mr.
Power likewise related to me an interview he had
with general Wilkinson on ariiving at Richmond
from New Orleans, as follows : Alter hemg con
ducted (l think bv night) to the General's chamber,
or the General to Ins, Wilkinson locked the door,
and with emotions of agony and despair, raising his
head and hands towards Heaven, exclaimed_
“ What, Power, are you come here to do ? am
what evidence do you intend giving before the court ?
Can’t you go out of the way To which Power re
plied—“ 1 shall answer nothing which can itnpli
cute my own government.”—“ if so (sud the Ge
4
nora) I im safe—give me yctrr hari'l . ard do you 1
promise litis t” Power ui.ivvcred, that was his
trntiou.
I lurlher declare, that ! have obtained informal! -
on which I believe may he lul!y relied on, that Wil
liam Lewis, esq. of this city, counsel for col. Burr,
possesses lacts, statements, and dn< umeiil.-, w ho h
will prove, that there existed between Burr :r,r! \\ i!
kinson, an agreement and mutual understanding in
relation to the conquests which they projected mak
ing in the West, and that they were to co op-rate
in tl e accomplishment id that object.
P/uladtlfj/iia, VMhJune, 1803.
Pennsylvania, ss.
lieloie me, Thomas Smith, esq. one of the judge
of the supreme court, personally ' aim Id. s
oi the city oi Philadelphia, niercoanl, ,tno n
duly sworn, d clareth and saith, that the f r. ■ o ,• )
answers to toe foregoing interrogatories com.on ir..
troth, the whole truth, and nothing but tt.e ,ru■ 1.,
Hi the su1 jecl matter accoiding to the maim rtlui -
oi stated.
(Signed) I', tv. CJXr
S vorn and duly subscribed belme me i . ,
ol June, 180S.
(Signed)
Tho mas Smith.
Fkom rut Units:- States’ Gazette.
French Decrees and British Or-!' rs.—Thf decepti
ons wnii h have been practis u \ the In. mis fit th
aniiiitiibi ii n, in regard to 11 it; t'rein h derrers ii
giinst n uti A commerce, and tlie L^ritib!. i»r«n-r‘. -.j
council have rendered it import.ml to call li e .at n
tlon ol the publirk to the su'ject, ami to < ■
tlm misrepresentations ol ir-me whose svsbi
0 j rt is to palliate the outrages ol one ol t'
g'-renl powers and to aggravate those ol th
1 i ask the partisans ol France and of the <:
trati.io to rorrect these misrepresentatu t old
be U- l-ss and idle : hut we do hope ttiat ah c:'i
tu.s of papers who wish the people to he i- recti',
informed ol the nature ol our foreign relations, a
ol the real causes ol our embarrassment and dr
nation, will h nd us their aid, at this eventful
od, in correcting the false impressions which i e
been extensively made by cunniug nnsrei resenuli
ons.
It is every day asserted irt the pov anient pa
pers, and has at h ngth come to he ve.y gener |ly
believed, even hy men who wie’ .or orn t mlor
mat.on. that Duon ipartes II n decre-- i < /nuined u
dead letter, until it a as slimy! ed into /,/r and actix i
tp hij the British orders In c .until—that nnn .iis to
those orders it zens tr esteruted and a never in
tended to be re, ,t, a natnst the United .'slates.
The last \\ ii_ton Monitor, all idliciul paper
of the Cabinet ,,, v s :
*’ The Berlin decree was never carried into effect
“ against neutrals (is lias been proved by British
inert ■ arils strictly examined at the bar oi tit
“ house ot commons) helore the English orders o
“ council were issued in November last ; and, in
“ deed, Napoleon could not have exet uted thatde
“ r ree against the Americans, w ho were the princi
“ pal neutrals, without raising a war with us, which
44 it was tar Iroin bemg Ins desire then to provoke.”
Mr. Bourgham, uri eminent counsellor, who ap
pealed before the British house ot commons in sup
port ol certain petitions against the orders in coun
oil, declared :
“ I bat there is not only no evidence of thus'1
44 measures [the French decrees] having been
44 forced, but every argument and lari agimst ti.e
4‘ power ol tlie enimy to urge them in some re
spirts, and in others, to show that lie hau no de
44 su e to do so. I hose new decrees of tlie eneinv
“ have been nothing but so much waste paper ; it.
44 oilier words they are a repetition of the anrien
44 unprofitable and vapid gasconade ot the Fifin
government.—These decrees had not, anJ toi.m
44 not, have any * fleet, but to evinre the w orld that
Buonaparte bud some desires which lie could not
44 giatilv.”
Mr Baring, respectable and well informed as he
i~, hits tmprndi ntly ventured to aesert, in liis pain
pfi let, that it is 44 a notorious fact “that no con
demnation t.f a,i American vessel had ever taken place"
under tlie Berlin decree, previous to the publication
of the British orders.
Several witnesses examined at the bar of theBn
tish house of commons testified the same thing.
Mr. Wilson C. Nicholas, the leading ministerial
member in the house ol representatives of tlie Unit
ed States, Irom the state ot \ trginta, in a rtrrular
letter to Ills constituents, holds the same language,
and
Fvery deinocratick paper in the I’uneti States
has so long and so uniformly represented the execu
tion 'd Buonapaite’s derr-ts against us, .is a retali
ating measure, occasioned by the British aiders,
that many honest and well iiilorined men, sta^geied
by such numerous assertions, have been induced to
give up the point, and to acknowledge, that though
fiance was tlie aggressor in words, our commerce
was really undisturbed, and our rights unimpaired
until tlie British orders indue ed the f rein h empemur
to enforce Ins decree against us, contrary to his on
j'liioi mirimon.
Ilit whole of this is a gross delusion, whirl) we
shad easily dissipate Iron) tiie mind ol any one who
will lend us Ids attention lor a lew moments, while
wc e'C'inine the subjoined oflioial documents, which
prove that it was the oiiuinul intention of Bitona
parte to enforce his blcclcadiuo decree against the com
mtree of the Unit'd States ; and that he actually did
so enforce it, tong before the publication of the Bri
tish orders in council, in open violation of the ac
knowledged law of nations, and of Ins own solemn
tieaty with this country.
To prove tins, and silence the adherents of the
administration, we have only to attend to the dates
of tlie following transactions.
The decree of Buonaparte, declaring the British
isles, and tin ir dependencies, in a state of hint kade,
and forbidding all neutral commerce with them, was
issued at Berlin, as is well known, on the 21st o
November, 1806'.
The British orders in council, declaring France
and her dept ndencies in a state of blockade, were
first published in the London Gazette on the 10'lh
of November, 1807, and could not have been known
in Paris, in common course of communication, be
fore the 25th oi the same month, or probably, the
1st of December.
On the doth of May, 1807, more than six months
before the issuing the orders in council, the Ameri
eau ship Horizon was wrecked, by a storm, upon
the coajtei France, near Morlaix, and the proper
which was acknowledged to be bond Jide Anieri
<dii, w .5 immediately seized and sitjucslratcd by
U e oifn rs ot the French government; un the
i:round ll. t pint of it was i/iuun to hare Lome /rom
toe l.n^lish ' ami/nrtorics or territory, and rnow
rju> 111iy i: li- to confiscation under the 5th article
Ol the lie11 II decree. Alter a valiety of prot eed
be j<-rr stihnrdin ite tribunals, during wlnrh the
i ropertv was held in sequestration, the sul/jei t was
: riMiitI t i emir m. mil" rial council nl prizes at I’.i
-:s, out'e Ihthoi Oct her, 180/. one m ’nth before !
toe i iumg of t-'it ■ tnh orders hi council; and af
ter discussing the o..... i se i up oy rapt in M'CIure,
’* c Arrierie ,ii —o-r ol tlie pronerly, in which he
. p 'slh.'t a rn.." ation would oe mntrary to the
rm 1- ,|,s III me treaty nf 1 bOO, and to the expla- I
a ol th li-rlin de< r.e, as given to Mr. Artn
sti it, ’y th- eini'terol marine, in December,
i ollti, l lie i min- il o| prizes fnriiMlIy decree, that
• I lie application oi the 5th arhcle ot the be
1 r ■ ti'ioocd dei ret” [the Berlin dcrrec] “to
. .mei :i ails as to other'people, results from the
'"I I terms o the article, and Irom th" cotn
c non recently m :rie by I Is excellency, the
i sli.i [le grand judge] relative to the OKI
ivT) ntiun of tljp sovereign.
VH 1 -*i-- We have here an official and ju
( laral. n that theoKUINAL INTENTION of
eieit n was that itie decree should apply to
-ricans as other people; and the council ap
•• recent communication from the chief jus
•i : rove his ordinal intention. Now let us see
" t rommunicatinn was, and whether the
' n . ot prizes gave it a fair construction. It is
■ “rted in its official lorm ; and let it be re
■ d that it is dated more than too months before
. Brit sli orders in counrilrouldpossibly be known
■ nl'.r...
“ IiUncf ot a letter from the Grand Judge, mi
n infer o; jusfic-, to the Imperial Attorney Gene
ra/ Jar the council uf prizes.
IRANSLAIION )
“Paris, Sept 18, 1807
,l 1 'nitted tn his majesty the emperour and king
1 bi - raised by his excellency the minister of marai
ie.->, <.n the extent ot* certain dispositions of t e
on .• im. «ieeree - f thc2istNov ’8 0, which has dcclar
* 'i the iJroidi J>i 'sin a st.it'- or blockade
“ 1 he l >llowii,e are his majesty’s intentions on the points
“ in qu .t oo
“ ' lav v ss Is of war hy virtue of the imperial decree
“ o dial >-o* i t, seize, on board neutral vessels, euh r
“ I'.njrl ,h pro eit\ ore* cn a i merchandize proceeding from
” t e ’ <;| rn.'iiufidures o. territory ?
“ A~o~er—Mis rnjje-.lv has intimated that ashedidnot
** think proper t.. express am- ex- e( tion in his decree, tiieo
* ,s no ground lor mat-me any in its execution in relation to
t( any wtioinsoever fu regard tie qui que tie ptui etre.J His
l* majesty ha- ostponed a decision on the question wiie
“ t ier irmt ii f- eneh vessels ouglit to car.turc neutral ves
“ sets bound to or f-'-ti Lnjrta d, even when they have no
“ English merehand ze on board.
(“'•? ed “ REGNIER.”
Here, then, we have the declaration ol the empe
ror himself, as to the original inttnlion ; and he is
induced to treat the inquirer quite cavil.erly lor sup
posing it necessary to ask such a question ; inuS
imicli as his majesty “ did not think proper to ex
“ press anv exception in his decree, there is no
“ ground lor making any :ii us execution in relation
“ to any whomsoever." \ et our administration
have the hol iness to say, in their official paper, that
buoii iparte did not originally intend to execute
this decree against us, and that he could not exu
lt- it before the issinn- ot the British orders, be
..use it would he risking a war with us ; though
t* is very letter o! Kegmer was officially ‘ omnium
cat-d to congress l y lb* president himself, " t here
lias no ground, says tin- en.pei or, too in.ikng any
--v epUon in the exeiui on ot the deciee—and w.
ofied n this gazette, Irom the beginning, that tlu-ie
■as in ground lor expecting any suen exception,
iiotwiihslanding the lctt-r ot gen. Armstrong to
the minister ot marine, and the letter ni the min s
hr ot maiine to gen Annstiun,., in which he
»a}'s "je pense,' “ t suppose that tlie decree is not
hi tended lo miring' in ol ihe stipulations ol the
convention ol lsou ; at the same tune (rankly ac
knowledging that In- knew limiting of the matter,
and that it our in nisa-i wished for authentick infor
in..tion upon the su jert, the pi nice of Benevento
(l'alleyr no) could give him lull satisfaction. No
application was ever made hy our minister to this
source ol official information, or any remonstrance
against this atrocious violation of our treaty and
our rights. Tne answer of the minister of marine,
the " Je pense," was coiiiiiHinicated hy our president
to congress, as a sovereign halm lor the wound
winch had been thus wantonly inflicted upon our
national honour ; and there the thing rested.
Let us now return lo the imperial council of
pr'zes in the case ot the Horizon. Alter establish
ing the tact, as we haw s-.-n, that the original in
tention of the emperor was, to make no exception to
Ills decree in favour of the United States, they pro
ceed to pronounce sentence upon tne cargo ot the
Horizon in the allowing words :
“ Willi respect to the merchandize nr the cargo
winch, Irom the result of the examination, shall he
known to have come from the English manufacto
ries or territory, these it [the council of prizes] has
Confiscated lor the benefit ol the stair, by virtue ot
the jth article oj the decree of the 2lit Sov. 1800,
the wliule to he sola,” flee.
“ Hone at the imperial council of prizes, sitting
at Bans, this Kith ol Oct. 1807.
(Sign - d) BELLI ER.
“ President la Cosle Reporter.”
a m3 aitjgii; uni muu puis llir wilUiK ijUt'allOIJ ai
rest ; tor it is n>>t to be considered as a dei ision up
on the merits ol ihe mdividu.il rase oi ilie llon/un
simply : It is settling the pi maple which is to go
vein all other rases m .1 like nature. It is a derla
ralioli oy the highest authority ol the government,
not merely that so much American properly on
hoard the Horizon as had been purchased in Eng
land, was good prize ; hut that all American pio
peily in France, il 11 had ever been purchased lrunr
ureal Britain or any of her possessiems, was, upon
the same principle good prize and to he “ confiscated
'or the profit uj the state," in whatever way ft may
Have been introduced into France, whether volunta
rily or by an inevitable act of Gael. It also derides
tlie point, not that such property had, at tiie linreof
pronouncing the sentence become liable to seizure
and confiscation, but that it had been so from the
moment ot issuing the Berlin decree. It decides
that the seizure which was made on the 1st of June,
mure than half a year before the existence of the Bri
tish ordtrs, was a lawlui seizure, and that the pro
>erty Irom the moment that it touched the French
erritory, became vested in the state by virtue ol
die Berlin decree. Il any possible case could have
formed an exc«(iiiou to the application of the rule.
it would have been the very one of the
which was forced into France l.v sir-ss u,..
Oti the 18th ot Scplemhei, lirir: 7 u'/i iv , ‘/.s
before the liritinh (mien, in council c.,ioV in
FV'/i.v, we hud an olhcial letter fr*,tn i|,.. r ,,,
the inttrii.ur to Mr. l'atissat, mi reheat „t i„,ide.u, *
in answer to a letter written in fits own. n .iui u i
that ol other merchants of Bordeaux, i, r ol Ieet ,,f
which was to obtain the admission ol the A nut. can
ship George Washington whi< h had been taken mto
Plymouth by an English ship of war. The minis
ter says :
Ditterent reclamations of that nature hat ing
been submitted to the empeioi [no new thing there
lon ] Ins majesty, confirming the dispositions of Hs
decree ol the 21st Nov. has recently pre
scribed its shirt execution. It is impossible for me,
3.r, after this d cicion, to grant your request. I
therefore remit to you the piece which was aim, x
edtoit inviting you to rommunicate my answer
to the merchants who, with you, had signed the me
morial. •
i saiuie you,
(•Sif.hfd) “ CRFTF.T "
A-un: on the 2fth of Septemb-r, at A >t tu0
mouths before any knowledge of the tint,si, orders in
council could be ha t in Fa, is. hh ..Uin.,1 «,,, r^sp. n
dencetook place, respecting the Ualiu decree, bc
twetm our mimsii r, Armstrong, and Cii.rn
pagny, the Freni h minister of foreign relations, )n
which gen. Armstrong ( nqtnr. s “ partiml irly whe
thcr it he his maj sly’s intention in ,,ny d gree to
mirart the oblig.,turns of the re,tv m w mi; Matin*
hete.em the I n ten St ,tes and th.' Fr-nch en.p r.
1 he minister oi tun-igo relate.ns r> plus .n tlie
following words.
I he provisions oi all the regulations nnd trea
“ relative to a state ol hloek.uh, have appeal
ed applicable to the existing nr. Lmstancis, and
it results from the explan..tions which have been
addressed to me by the imperial pro nr. tir gene
ral of the council of pri/. s, tlmt his majestv has
considered every in ulral vessel go.tig Irom Eng
hsh ports, vviih cargoes ol English inert han lize,
or ol English origin, us lawfully se gable by
“ i'rent'll armttl vessels.
I he tlci ree ol t luckade has been now issued
el v. n months. '1 he principal powers ol Europe,
iur Irom protesting against its provisions, have
“ adopted them. They havt peiceivtd that its ex
et utioii must he complete to render it more ef
fectual ; and it has segued easy to reconcile
t! ese measures with the observance of treaties,
tsptxi Up at a tint when the iuffactions bi/ F.nuf md
of the rights ol all maritime pow, is, 'aider their
interest common and tend to unite than in support
oj the same uiusc.”
“ Accept, &c. See."
“ (Signed)” “ CII \MPAGNY.”
His Ee. Gin .dimstrona,”
‘‘ Mints/, r Flu i/ otailiu/y United Sta'cs ”
1 'ke notice, that oi this was officially said to
our minister in fi n e, about two wont s'a lore the
Fi enrh government could le appi tsul ot lhe English
oiders in council, and was suus cjioiitly communi
cated to congr. ss .y the president. Mill the admi
nistration have the assurance to reiterrte the lan
guage of the french governm nt, by saying that
this outrage w.ts occasioned ! v the 44 mtra. turns bv
England ol the rights o! all miiitime powers ;”„nd
by imposing upon the people o! this i .oinlry a be
lief that these infractions consist in the Li. itisl. or
ders ot council, which weir nut issued for a cunsi
deiable time alt. rw arils.
Such was the conduct of the Freneh government
towards this country, previous to the issuing id the
British otd.-rs. Numerous other instances might
Ire mention'd ot American vessels seized in France,
before the British orders were lssu. d, and held in
Sequestration to this day; and every merchant
knows what a s questraliun in France amounts to.
It there had not hern, thei.foie, a formal decision
ol condemnation, still, the very seizure and seipn s
tration of so n.u. h pioputy was outrage sullicu nt,
and ought to have prompted our government to
make immediate and vigorous eiloi is fur obtaining
redress.
Let us now see wl.al was the conduct of the vas
sal nations of France. i m.m diately ,».ter the pro
mulg turn o t e Berlin deuce, ti e king ofllolland,
as lie is (all d, and the king ol Prussia, isMieu a un
1.'. r dpi rees. lot • in .nth oi fc iu rv 1807. trg/.t
j months before the i nplish gourumait published their
I urdtrs v, c. iincil, tl.e k t,g oi b>, u.n, a unie tool of
France, |.u d.so d - decree si mil i to th .t o' It. rim,
which he n.ni luOvS ill the billowing nuiaikabie
words;
“ Finally, hie m.ijpvtv conforniahlv to the r.le *s
“ oi Ins dlv, th c,,.p.i, ui oi ttip Freni- , dettarcs
“ 111 his St i es the Same I vv is Ids llip'rial majes
“ tv, on pi mi iples ol renpro, ity ,.n. propriety, hat
“ promulgated under date oi the 21s. o: November,
“ 1 SOfi.”
Under tl.is decree, which expressly professes to
he conformal.b to the ide is ol tin emperoui ol the
French, very numerous seizures ano r iitiscations
of American vcSsrls immediately took p! ice in the
various ports ol Spain. As e ily as Ju'v 1807,
/'our months before t',e existcnei oj the Itnlish orders
m council, tin- ije.i Nymph, as ties a ready teen
mentioned by an able writer in this Gazette, was
condemned at Porto Cavallo. Her cargo was as
sorted : the British manulo. lures vveie separated
in.m the lest and confiscated under the Berlin de
cree, without any other cause being assigned.
thus 11 appears irom orm lai documents in the
possession ol our govei nun nt, tlmt we lor twelve
months passively a< quiesced in the existence of the
Berlin decree, belore the issuing of t;.e British or
ders ; and that during at least l all that time, sei
zures and confiscations of Atn-n. ail piuperty were
continually taking place in the ports of France and
the countries under the cotitron! ot Buonaparte.—■
With what face then coulu our president declare in
his message at the opening ol the last session of
congress, that with all the oh ci nations ol F.urope
except Fugland, “ Our harmony Ims not been ln
“ terrupted, and caunirrce and jih nj/y intercourse
“ have been maintained on their usual footing;”
All this pmvi s, iin ninesulily , that there is in our
gov 'n il in a mysti iiou-, an ol timing partiality
tor France, whirn muucis them, as tar as lies in
their power, to persuade ti e people tl at they have
experienced Irom that quarter, moli ng t ut "friend
ship and liberality while they ail'inpt to trace all
our suiUrings, and emharrasMiienis, and national
disgraces to Gieal-Brilain ; wlier*a.j the government
of Great-Britain Iratikly defined to uur minister,
soon after the puhlication ol t!»-• iii elm decree, lli it,
sIiol’.J our government, touuury to their expccta