Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1808-09-05
From TIE North american.
No. vi.

ssbe dominions of Great Britain, and also
IN .rticles produced or manufactured IN
those doHiinions, does, in terms, positively
comprehend the United States. II, IN It's
expression, instead Of the general descrip-
t;on which is used, there had been an emu
meratiion Of the nations to which it was to
apply, and the United States had been ln-
serted in that enumeration, it would not
have been more explicit or ineligible.
No power canisafely afix to the language
in which the DEGREES of foreign sovereign
are expressed, especially if that sovereign
be an ambitious conqusfor, whose lust tor
dominion no acquisitions can satlate, a
meaning in direct opposition to that which
the words import, unless authorised to 40
sohy the riost uneeuivocal declarations
Indeed, even then, it would be more desira-
BE that the exception should be made. q
public act. The United States, therefore,
could not be justified in supposing them
selves exempt from the operation Of de-
cree, the words of which expressly included
them, unless officially assured of such ex-
ennption. Until such assurance was given,
prudence and duty required that our rulers
should act with cautious clrcunsPection,a and
on the principle that this decree wonid pc
construed according to its letter and its spl-
rit. =,
Such assurances were never obtained.
An individual officer Of the French govern
ment, who protested himself to be unin- -
formed on the subject, and VINO declared
himself not 20 be the channel through which
communications Of tia. description were to
be made, conectured that this regulation
would not be applied to the United States;
and Oh this vague conjecture, our rulers
have confidently reposed. Not only have
they omitted to take those measures OF pre-
caalioa, which the extremity Of the outrage
and the ;,nminence Of the danger required,
but the messages of the supreme executive
to the grand council OF the nation, and Tho
debates in that council, have given apab-
licity and an official form to this blind and
infatuated crsduiity, at which the cheek OF
every real American must burn with ndig-
nant shame.
The business Of this censure is tacitly
acknowledged by the acquicscence Of our
rulers In the conduct Of Boaaparte. No
member of the administration, nor any on
Of It's numerous champions, has ever once,
in lublic conversation OF in the papers, re-
preached his Imperial majesty or the French
government with that auplicity or prevari-
cation in this respect, with wh.chhc or they
would be Justly chargeable, had the expo
sition given in the first instance to the
decree OF Berlin, been OF a character to
entitlt Itself to our confidence.
This was the critical point Of time, when
firm ard upright administration, impartial
between the be!liserent powers, and Only
anxious to preserve the honor and the lnde-
psrdsnee of the United States, would have
adopted, and ought to have adopted, sys-
ten which would have rescued the nation
from the disgrace and the calamitles which
have ensued, and from some OF the CANCERS
with which it is now threatened.
No man is less disposed than myself
wantonly to provoke Fraace---but no man IS
more perfectly Convinced, that, with France
esPSei OH <, SUBMISSION TO injury invites adj
ditional in;ay. We must diiscreelit all
our own experience, as well as tila, of other
nations, if we doubt this truth. TIE go
yernmsnt of the United States ought, On
that occasion, to have assumed firm and
dscfded as well as moderate tone. Repre-
sentations Of our friendly disposition to-
wards France, ought TO have been accom-
panied with the most unequivocal deelara-
ton OF an nnaltelable e.ett rminstion not to
submit to the outrageous violation Of our
acknowledged rights, which the execution
OF the Berlin decree would consunmate.
We ought to have required from authority
an explicit assurance that this decree was
mapplicable to the vessels of the U. States
and, on the failure to obtain such assurance,