Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1808-12-05

the 2sd OF February explaining the character OF GER
tain Brrh orders ef council ifued IN November ait,
proceed 10 communicate the oblervatonS and repre-
fentations which will manife to the government the
fentiments Of the preldent 70 deep violation Of
the commerce and rights of the u. S. Thofe orders
nterdi TO neutral nations rather the United States,
now the only commercial nation in fate of neutral
ty all commerce with the enemies OF Great Britain,
now nearlT the whole commercial world, with certain
exceptions only, and under certain regulations, but
too evidently falhoned TO the colnmercia the manu-
featuring, and the ical policy Of Great Britain and
on that account the more Gerogatory from the honor
and independence of neutral nations.
The orders are the calculated 20 excite furprizc
IL the United States as they have dircgarded the re-
monfrances conveyed in my letters of the 10th and
2gh of March, 1907, againf another order of coun-
Gil ifued on fmilar plea, IN the month OF January,
1907. 10 thole uit remontrances, no aniwer indeed
was ever given whilit the order has been continued
in It's pernicouS operation againit the lawful COM
nerce of the united States, and find added to
it Others infituting fill more ruinous depredations,
without even the addition of any pretext !; and
when moreover it is notorious that the order OF Janu
airy was Of nature greatly over balance IN lis et
fes anv injuries to Great Britain that could be appre
hended from the illegal operation Of the French de-
crees on which the order retaate, had that de-
cree IN IFS illegal operation been actually applied 10
the United States, and been acquefced in by them.
The lalt orders, like thoie of January, proceed on
the mott unfubhantal foundation. They ahume for
fact an acquefcence of the United States in uuaw-
ful application 10 them of the French decree: and
they afume for principle that the right of retaliation,
accrung one bellgerent againit neutral, through
whom an injury is done by another belgerent, is not
TO have for its meafnre that of the injury received
but may be exercifed in any extern, and under any
notifications which might iuit the Pleaiure or the
the policy Of the complaining party.
The fact fir, is unequiyocaliy difowned. 1t is not
true that the United States have acqueiced in an lie
gal operation of the French DEGREES nor is il even
true that at the date of the BTdh orders, Noyember
II. Jingle application of thar decree 80 the commerce
of the United States on the high teas be Preumed
to have been known TO the Britiih government.
The French decree in quefion has two diiin6 al
pe6tsone clearly importing intended operation with
in the territorial limits as local law; the other ap-
apparently importing an intended operation on the
high ieas.
Under The fri afpcd, the decree, however other
VII. Questionable, cannot be aid have violated the
neutrality of the Unite! States. If the governing
powers On the continent Of Europe chooie to exclude
from their ports Bririh property er Brith produc-
tons on neutral vehels proceeding from Britih ports,
i IS a at Of fovereignty which the United States
have no sight 10 controvert- The fame sovereignty
exercleI 1y Great Britain at al times, in peace
zs Heritaue book prelentS thouiand illultrations
Il Is on!v therefore, under the other afped of the
e-r1a lhat it can have violated neural rights and
this would have reiued from lis execution on the
hgh faas. whether or not the pretext of nominal
blockade, or with view euforce domeitic regula-
ton aqaina foreign vetels, not within the domeific
precn6s but under the authority and protection OF
the law Of nations
Had then the French decree been executed on the
high leas, againf the commerce Of the United States
with Great Britain, and have the United States ac-
quieiced in the unlawful and injurious proceeding
late, fir, on undenabe authority, that the tlrit in
inance which that decree was put in force agan the
neutral rights of the u. S. that OF the Horizon, en-
American flip bound from Great Britain 10 Lima,
wrecked within the territorial urdidion OF France,
bur condemned under an expedition OF the decree ex-
tending the high ieas irs operation again neutras.
This judicial decGon took place as late as the 10Th day