Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1807-12-05
IMPORTANT QUESTION;
!" Whet is The nature Of B0naparse's

IMPORT MT QUESTION;
!" Whct is The nature Of B0napar.e's
| ELocKADINC DEGREE
AS Great Britain, IL Is reported, will re.
talia,e bis decree. in. preeise terms, i IS
important TO Americans TO know what the
|, nasure Of that decreegis We have assend.
ed 10 he subject, & We state the following
10 be its purport.
AIlpessels or cargoes bound 70 or from
any ofshe British isles, are good and
lawful prize;
Ali British manufactures or produce, TO
whomsoever belonging, or wheresoe
yer bound are lawful prize.
The first question which offers is, BY
what Acknowledged principle Of the law OF
ua.ions does Bonapa,te claim the iight to
issue such az erGsr
Is IL the principle Of blockade.
NO-Ey that principle the blockade
must be actuai--It mus, be positive, and
10 power ST the party TO exclude oil COM
munica,ion with the biocksded port.
Bonapsr,e so far from being able to
blockade the British ports, Cannot relieve
his own from blockade.
Again. By the principle Of blockade
you can only seize and cop6sca,e vessels
10 ,hei. egress or eniry into The biockaded
pert. But by this decree all properly Of
British growth or msnufac:ure is lawful
prize even IN passing from one neutral port
to another.
L i II II m ~,
treaties with France!
Its a direc, violation Of them, without
having been complained Of 10 our govern.
men. Of any non-execusion on our part
BY the 12h article of our treaty with
Bonsparie, made the so h S-p.. 1900, i. is
stipulated, lha, " we shallenjcy free CON-
merce with The enemies OF France icon,
traband excepsed) without opposition or
disturbance whatever, and TO trade freely
unless The por,so such enemy are ACTu-
ALLY blcekaded, besieged or invested, &
it is agreed in case Of blockade actually
existing, no vessel shall be cop6sca.ed I'm.
less after bsing turned away she shall at.
tempt again TO coter."
It's then clear che had 90 right to de-
clare blockade, without Investment or &C.
,ual blockade, ncr even to cou6scate with
cut 6rs.iurning away The vessel attempting
To- enter. Both iheae she has violated 10
the present decree:
BY the 14h article, free ships shall
make free goods" 10 other words that we
shoald always have rightto carry even
British property under the safeguard Of our
flag.
Now the emperor withou, one act of TO-.
civility on our part undertakes DOT only to
annul that article. bat to declare good prize
all American property, if the produce Of
Great Britain, though paid foraby rs. In
other words, you shall no, trade with my
enemy as all.
Great Britain, as must be expected, re.
talia.es this decree. She had assured oar
government she should do II, last winter,
If we submitted to SUCH an imposition,
We have submitted. Our rulers. it is ap.
pareat, will NOT resist the. conduct Of
France. They condemned Mr.. Adams
for. doing it. Grsa. Britain says. az we
should suppose she would, o submit
Without resentment TO gross violation OF
your neutral rights, avowedly aimed at my
destruction. is admitting the business OF
such pre,ensions, and in effect joiGing my
enc my 10 the only warfare she can urge"
why has Bopapar.e done this At this
moment. Because he knew Great Britain
must retaliase, and it would widen the
h,e,cb between her and as.
IA shor. time sioce, parisb officer 70
corporation Borough, about 100 miles