The Sun.
London, England, 1806-12-18 00:00:00

troops.

We expel the publication of the. documents
and official pieces, which may allow more. light
upon, and give chore importance, to
,this
_measure.
As we run a risque of erring as to the details, until
we have the -I.vhole before-us, we shall only sub:
mit the folloWing refledions, suggested to us by
the first idea which this news presents, with 06.7
,fian and distrust:"

.•:" This Decree, ..brought about by extraordinary
circumstances—by an exaggerated ablise of the
new Maritime Legislation adapted by Baglitod-rtan-
not be considered.but as a reprisal exercised by an
enemy whose patience and generosity England has,,
at length, exhauted.'This Pecree seems to out-
rage the ideas generally reccked, in which one isnot
accustomed to hear such language from the mouth
of the "Conqueror of Austerlitz and Jena ; but the
opinions hitherto, adoPted respeCting the maritime
code, and the application that tigland has made of
them, were false in themselves, tareign to the law
of nations, contrary to humanity, and repugnant to
the present civilitation of Europe.
" Continental wars, in the infancy of society,
and during the invasion, of the barbarians, were ex-
actly what the maritime wars are at present with re-
spei to civilized nations.
" Onemay feel astonishment, but still this is no-
thing beyond strict' troth in these ferocious wars
the property and the persons of the vanquished
paSsed over to the conqueror; individual was never
distinguished from public property. Force was
Aleronly law acknowledged. We read the history
,Abese calamities with horror, and yet we can still
-look upon them with tranquillity in the present
maritime wars. The English pillage individuals of
their property with impunity ; they, treat their per-
sons as slaves they even pay no regard to neutrals.
The legislation of the' English is, in every respeti,
the legislation of pirates Or barbarians.
" If every Power possessed the means of resist-
ance nearly equal; they would soon feel the neces-
sity of recurring to' principles less destrndive of all
,society--of all reciprocal commerce=of all common
industry. They would soon distinguish, as they hay
done in the continental war, betweep the person of
the7nation„ and public and private property. But
Ittrgland most t'onveniently,appotles every develop-.
went of social ideas, as in tins respe& she sets up
an exclusive systena of morals and laws for herself

alone. Entirely fixed upon one &Lira-, tabjeaing
the g-rerett interests of Europe to commercial avi-
dity, she has exhausted their substance, devoured
their clpitals,• and, strictly speaking, has, conquered
the indastry of the Continent.. ,• : . ~ •. • '
-. , , ,
_,-,,
" We have several ,timeS thrown out..,som „.eoasty
ideas relative to thi; -gradual usurpation. 11'1,..,ii iVeukt
form the matter rather of a volume than utitilritcle
in a newspaper.. In restuning, our ideas' upon this
sublet*, we may observe the advantage England
has had ;over all the nations on the Continent.
She has never had but one object, which was to
proceed with a firm and uninterrupted-progress.
Other, States have been distraEted by the anxiety
she has excited. among them relative to • intrigues
and foreign interests. .• France alone, being •in .4
situation to prevent the usurpation of commerce,
and able to undertake the. cause.with .success,:has
been t :le isarticular object of her,enmity and hatred.
The French marine has only floerished at,ii,yor alp,
-because at the:. moment when, it might hkver!l di
ATI
Europe from tie marttinie yoke of, England,- the alt-d
ter always called'forth enemies to ward offlits,blows.'.
.Every maritime Power has been a special objea of
attack with the English; but the hatred she bore to
France has survived the ruin ©fall the rest which she
has destroyed. y,
Why have Austria, Russia, and Prussia, been •so
often in alliance with England ? It is because Aus-
tria is not a maritime Power. During the short in-
terval when -JOSEPH 11. wished to have a marine,
be excited the ill-will of the English.- - 'r" .
" As to Prussia, England, saw FREDERICK 1. and
-his successors pats 11-orn the Marg-raviate of Branden-
burgh to a kingdom of the first order, without re-
gret; beaiise ii iNicitild dismember the Hanse Towns,
whose concurrence and maritime confederation might
have been dangefous to her-.
• " Respeaing Russia, which advances with the
pace of a giant, and which already weighs so heavy
upon the Western and Southern States of Europe,
England has not been alarmed—she shuts her eyes
-upon remote dangers and successive usurpations,-7-
She favours the.systeM which destroys the equili-
brium of Europe, in hopes of gaining a powerful
Ally in the North—a kind of bug-bear to oppciSe; to
her-rivals; and above all, with the•hope of haVink a
:Treaty of Commerce—a hope completely realized.
She is not contented with carrying Russian merchan-
dize-: she herself has manufaCtured articles of the
first .necessity out of them—and thus, for fifty years
past, received the benefits of freights, brokerage, and
indultry.- -
" For this shameful consideration England has
consented to the redu&ion of Sweden and Denmark.
Perhaps she was charrned with the idea that the
two Powers who-commanded the important passage
of the Sound should be weakened in such a triaistler
as -never to beable to dispute it. Besides,--, she has
seen with pleasure some isolated neutral cities,.under
the name of free and Imperial cities,,without protec-
tion, and which she looked upon as her depots, and
as offices for her clerks.

" But the moment has arrived to stop thecourse of
these maritime usurpations. The efforts made use of
to destroy France have atlength tended to bring her
into cdniaet -with her enemy.
ascendancy she has gained on the Continent
will suspend its quarrels, and bring back the question
1.4.1 a point -more -important in respect' to the prospe-
Tity of nations than the acquisition of some' Pro-
Vinces, and the advantage they may offer to the.pride
oft heir Sovereign.
ft France, compelled to contend with different
arms, _ought not, however,, to abandon the field of
battle ; the traveller, whom robbers may attack
with pistols, may defend himself with the sword.
The French Government, in banishing the Eng-
lish into their own Island, makes use of the right,
they have given her. She will resume the ad-,
tient code—the ancient privileges of the conquero;--1-
till England shall adopt a maritime legislation-,
formable to the new code of war between civilized
nations."

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