Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1807-02-24
Berlin, 18th Nov. 1906.


Rchort ofthc m:.7ister Of exterior relations
70 his majesty the emher0r and king.
SIRE,
Three ages of civilization have given to
Europe law of nations, which, according
TO the expression of an illustrious writer,
human nature cannot sufficiently appreci-
ate.
This law is founded upon the principle
that nations ought to do in peace the most
good and in war the least possible evil
According to this maxim, war is not re-
lation between man and man, but relati-
on between state and state, in which the
individuals are only accidentally enemies,
not as men, not even as members or sub
jccts OF the state, but only as it's defenders.
Tie law Of nations permits not that the
rights of war and the rights Of conquest,
which are dcrivedifrom il, should be extern
1cd to peaceable & unarmed citizens, to ha-
citations and private property, tomerchan-
dies, to the store houses which contain
them, to the carriages which transport
them, to unarmed vessels which convey
them on rivers and on the ocean in word
to the person and property of individuals.
This law, the offspring of civilization, has
also favored its progress. IT'S 10 it that
Europe is indebted for the maintenance
and increase of her prosperity, even in the
midst of the frequent wars which have di-
Vided her.
England alone has preserved or return
ed to the usages of barbarous ages 1t is
by her refusal TO rcnounCc her maritime
course, that this unjust and cruel prac-
tice has been maintained, notwithstanding
France, who, in time of peace, and promp-
ted only by ideas of Justice and humanity,
had proposed to abolish it.
France has done every thing at least to
mitigate the evils which she had not pow
erro prevent-England on the contrary has
done every thing to aggravate them.
Not contcnted with attacking the mer-
chant vessels and with treating rs Driso-
ners of war the crews Of these unarmed
vessels, she has reputed as enemies who
soever belonged to the encmy's state and
she has also taken as prisoners of war,
commercial factors and merchants, who
were sailing in furtheranCc OF their CONNER
cial business.
But il was not sufficient for her purposes
thus to invade private property, & to despoil
4 Cypress innocentand peaccablc individu-
ais. Having been, for long time, behind
the nations Of the continent who preceded
her in the progress of civilization, and hav-
ing received from them all its benefits, she
has conceived the foolish project of alone
enjoying them. She has formed the wish
that there should be on the face Of the
earth no other industry than her own no
other commerce than that carried on bv
herself. She has felt that, in order to sue
coed, 1t will not be sufficient merely to in.
terrupt, but that she must totally destroy the
communications subs5ting between nations.
IL is in this view, that under the color Of
the right of blockade, she has invented and
put into practice the most monstrous the
DRY.
According to common sense, and the u
sages of all civilized nations, the right Of
blockade is only applicable to fortified pla-
ces.
England has undertaken 70 extend it TO
seats ofcommercc not fortified, to harbors
and the mouths Of rivers. a place is block
AIDED only when il is 50 invested that we
cannot attempt n approach it without ex-
posing ourselves TO imminent danger En-
gland has declared places blockaded before
which she has not a single ship of war.
She has done more-sheha dared to de-
clare in a state Of blockade places which
all her united forces were incapable of
blockading ; immence coasts and the whole
~ a vast empire.
Dsducing afterwards from a ehimerical