The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-07-12

/ q ~ u
to shew that the Justification OF tho British
orders on the ground of retaliation is among
the idlest subteriuges ever rcsorsed to, to
ialiis.ssi5 Itself =,
A. M Nat. Itt
Late in the year 1906, Bonaparte. IN a
| moment, it shonid seem, OF citation, unhap-
PLY by no means unnatural in his situation,
thought or issuing a decree which might at
feet the trade and navigation of this country,
| as extensively as those other DEGREES which
he had issued upon the consiren,, and had
executed By half a million of armed men.
This dec.se WAS not then for the first time
tried, nor WAS IT accounted by hin an expe-
riment of a very novel description, although
received In this country as sometaipg Who'll
ly new. 1t had been repeatedly tired before
and had in every instance manites.ly failed
Not TO 20 back to the war of 1889, may on
ly observe that in the war of 1855, the prin-
ciple was bi oadly laid down by the French
governments, that the seizure OF any manu-.
features or produce Of the British donations
should render the whole cargo among which
they were found, liable toconiiscs ZION. To-
wards the end of the American war a si,n-
lar principle was partially attempted to be
introduced but of these need not say mucn
for in the course os the revolutionary war tM
DEGREES similar to the fprcser. though still
| more near the Berlin decree, were issued
| OF these it may be necessary Tor me to men
ton the substance, The Iirst OF tnsm was
| issued In 1896, and after a variety os other
clauses, 1t subjects ali ships carrying Bril-
fish goods To seizure and detention We
| find not merely the detail of the Berlin decree
introduced as to goods out also The provisi-
en requiring certificate # origin (as this
| document has since been ca.lcd,) which was
| deemed sine qua non for saving he ship
4 L. =
was issued in 1900, after Banaparte's arri.
val in France. 1t was generally promulga-
ted, and remains, as far as any such DEGREES
Can be, in force. In 1897 those belligerent
principles were extended from the cargo to
affect the ship; and hold IL my hand de-
cree issued by the council OF Five Hundred,
enaCting that the Characters of vessels shall
be determined by their cargoes. In cense-
queRce of this enactment, every vessel, load
ed in whole or in part with English goods,
was declared lawful prize The second ar
ticie declares that no foreign vessel, which
in the course of her voyage shall have enter
ed an English port, shall be permitted to en-
ter any port in the French dominions.
1t is surely needless for me to prove that
although these orlers were thus promulgat-
| ed, they never were executed. [ need not
bring evidence to shew that these CONNER
cial DEGREES were nugatory. After thew
were issued the Progress of our exports pro-
ceeded not merely increasing, but in short
period almost to double the moment of for
mcr times. 1t is notorious that France, in
spite OF all such prohibitions, has been con-
Stunning daily more and more of the produce
of this country, down to the period of the
Berlin edict. But however ineificacious these
boasts may have proved, the enemy, it seems,
determined once more to try their effect.
He resolved to have another decree at us and
at our trade, expecting perhaps to frigh-
ten, if he could not hurt us. Accordingly,
in the month of November 1906, he issued
4 that one which forms the pretext for our or
ders in Council. This decree consists of
three branches. it condemns ali cargoes of
British produce or manufacture it threat.
ems the seizure OF all vessels going to or from
/ England: and IL shuts The ports of the enc
my against all vessels which have last clear
ed out from British ports. 1t may be asked
what chance was there that such decree as
this should succeed! Was it that France
had determined suddenly to assemble all her
fleets, and venture to send them to sea,
which she had not dared to do before :, Was
1T that she then intended TO engage all our
blockadingand cruizing squadroDs, which till
now she never burst look in the face. Was
it that she purposed in this manner to beat
us out OF the water, and destroy as it were,
our NAVAL vi was 1t tndt without
these preliminary steps, she was, by her
mere influence and great name upon the con-
tinent of Europe, to stop all vessels sailing
upon the sea 10 or from England, to Sc re every
article of our produce which could be found
i floating upon the ocean. to do that which we,
even we with our naval superiority, are not
able to effect? Surely if France had not the
1 power to execute her design in some ofthese
ways, it might have been calmly regarded as
a mere empty menace; nay staie one too.
We might really have hoped, that so vapid
and spiritless boast would not again have
taken in those, who had been so often before
dupcd intoa vain alarm by it. Nevertheless
/ it should seem that the enemy knew us bet
ter for we no sooner heard of it than we tell
into our old error ofsupposipg that. because it
was French manifesto, regularly drawn
up, and enforced by Bonaparte's power on
shore (where it might produce some effect, J
therefore it was also to have similar effects
| by sea.
| "Sir until our orders in Council were is
sued, it appears clearly, without any reason
ing, to any one who looks at the subject,
that there was no possibility whatever OF b.
naparte putting his threats into execution
But in order TO shew this more evidently than
could possibly be effected by any arguments,
we have brought witnesses to your bar, mer-
chants engaged in trade with the continent,
who have been able to state distinctly by dates
| names and circumstances the manner 10,