The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-10-21

sta'es-General, which reprrtentsd this tranfac-
non as dire9 attack upon shc fov..r~ign,y of
their High Misht'neiIes, and ap.remptory de-
mand made ofrepIation and redreis. () This
remembrance was treated by England with con.
temptuous fcorn.
Holland however, was far from being alone
IN her complaints refpeaing the violated
rights of neutrality. The powers of the Baltic,
with hrmer tone, declared their refolution
10 ADOPT iuch meailires as were neceGary for
their own fecurity." Early in the Sprine,
1880, the Emprefs of Ruflia addreGsd decla
ration to the courts of London, Versailles and
MADRID, containing an explicit Gatement of
the Principles, on which fiie had determined
to act, for the protection Of her own and the
general commerce. Thefe principles are re-
ducible Gays the State paper of RuiIia) to the
following points:
Firft. That all neutral fl,ips may freely ma
vigate from port to port, and on the COATS of
nations at war.
Secondly, That the effects belonging to the
iuhJetts of the faid warning powers fhall be free
IN all neutral veiiels, except coutraband mer-
chandifc.
Thirdly, That the emprefs, as to the fpeci-
hcat'on OF the aforementioned merchandise,
holds to what is mentioned in the 10th and 18th
articles OF her treaty of commerce with Great
BRITAIN extending her obligations to all the
powers at war.
Fourthly, That, to determine what is meant
oy o'ocked-up port, this is OILY to he under.
itood OF one which is 70 well kept in by the
ih'ps OF the power that attacks it, and which
keep their places, that it is dangerous to enter
into it,
Filthy, That thefe principles fcrve as a rule
Tor proceedings and judgments upon the legality
of prizes.
fhsfA
Jeity declared I" ffe was firmly ref,lvcd to ad.
here, and for the honor of her flag, and the
tecurty Other fubjeets, flie had orIereda con-
dderabie part of Der .forees to be equipped
to aet whenever her honor, intereft, or ncceil.
ity thould require"
Denmark and Sweden acccding in form to
this declaration of Ruffia, and ordering G,ni
lar equipments of their marine, this confe-
der1cy of the powers Of the North acquired
the appellation of" the Armed Neutrality" (2)
The origination of this projctf has been al.
cribed to various authors. Some have given
all the credit of it to the celebrated Catha,iue
H.; others have declared that the king of Swe-
den gave the firf hint of it to Count Panin,
(rinfter of the Great Frederick of Pruflial
with whom it fome time nept before it was
communicated to the emprcfs of Ruffia. Isl
Wben propofed, however, it was adopted by
every power in Europe, except Portugal. G..
Britain was, however, in no Gtuation at tbat
time, to try the qucftion by an i1se at arus
and the confcquence was, that no formal renun
cations or combinations were made of the
rights in quefion. There was no war. no
fubiequent treaties Of paeifeation and no for
NAL arrangement on the fubjett. G. Britain
was merely fient as ia the point at ifue; and
fh- Nc-thcr:, tnc-S.s 'lenieI commenced with
this flent remuneration of her eucroachmeuts.
lxr
neutrality of 1900
1t was during the year 1900, that the proiea
of the armed neutrality was revived, a Eeoud
time. 1t was at this time Gays the Annual En-.
eih Rcgifter of Jsol) that " the chief confuI
OF France, bG1'ng made peare syitb AuRy;a,
was at liberty 70 bend his undivided attention
to England. The leading features of his poll
cy, sviib repef to thar country, appear TO
have baen thcfe: to excite eonfeGeraey ayainh
that country, among all the maritime bszver5
to exclude her from all The ports of Europe
to attack, and ifnecenary, to Iubdue her .uly re.
maInngally, Portugal; & to<xbauHber faaneey,
and weary out the patience ofthe Britih nation,
by the continued threats & alarms of iny.fion.u
The contemplative reader need but eou,oor.
the circumstances of 1900 and 1906 TO r,erc.iv.
that thefe are not very unlike the leading fea.
lures OF the prsffnf policy of France. That.
france was therefore deeply inte-fHe4 in thi,
re-efablifhment of the armed neutrality. ia oh
vious to all; but it is not to be denied. tina,
the contracting parties had the mott feriops
ground: for complaint, and fully equivalent 10
the reliltanCe which they determined to MAKE
Sqveaen deemed herfelf injured on variety
of occahons, more Especially by the dsfeation
and condemnation Of frveral uerebopt,,.,
bound for the Mediterranean, under the co,.
Vsy ola fhip of war. (Cafe ofthe Swedifh mrr.
chantmen, laden with pitch, &C. feized in the
Engliih Channel on the Soth of June 17os af-
forwards condemned by Sir w. Scott. IT was
IN aniwer to this opinion, that Schle.el
competed his celebrated bampblet on The
TIgbf of/eareb.) She complained too, that one
OF her merchantmen, without a cargo, Rad
been feized by an Englfh fquadron, and em.
ployed in hottie enterprfe againff two Sna.
Min frigateS in the bay of Barcelona, by With
aratagem they had both been captured. az
Denn'Hrk afierted that number of her yef
tels had been ieized on the mott frivolous pre-
texts and even carried into the ports of Grear
Britain, though no fpeciea of contraband
whatfoevcr had been found on board. She
complained at the fame time that the CAPTAIN
of one of her frigates (caGe of the HaufenenI
had been detained and treated with harfbnef.
Yet though tine armed vefTels of theft two
powers bad profej2ed agaiDft fearch, and one
OF them had actually required TO G1aH-orut,
yet no regular engagement had yet taken place.
This, however, at length occurred in the FUN
mer OF 1900 for the captain of the Freya.
having refufed to permit the yeGels under his
protection to be examined by an Rnglifh fouad.
~ H. 4 Il