Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1808-05-27

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rights Of war, As well As the rights Of
peace. 1t was al uniusti6able enlarge.
ment Of the sphere of hostile operations,
The enemies Of Great. Britain had by the
universal law Of nations = right to the
benefits Of neutral commerce within their
dominiions (subject 70 the exceptions Of
actual blockade and contraband) As we'll
As neutral nations bad right to trade
with them. The exclusion from that
commerce BY the new principle Of war
fare'which' Britain, in defiance Of all i'm.
memorial national usages undertook BY
her single authority to establish. but too
naturally led her enemies to resort to
new and extraordinary principles by
which in their turn, they might retaliste
this injury upon her. The pretence upon
which Britain in the FIRST instance had at.
tempted to colour her injustice, was a
miserable fc:ion.-ls was an argument
against fact. Her reasoning was, that a
ne utral vessel ~ mere admission in time
Of war, into ports from which i. would
have been excluded in time Of peace. be.
came thereby deprived Of its national
character, and ipso facto was transform
ed into enemy's property.
Such was the basis upon which arose
the far famed rule Of the war Of 1856
Such was the foundation upon which
Britain claimed and maintained this sup.
posed right Of adding that new instru.
msnt Of desolation to the horrors of war
1T was distressing to her enemy-yes
Had she adopted The practice of dealing
with them in poison--Had Mr.. Fox &C.
cepted the services of the man who Of
Iered to rid him Of the French emperor
by assassination, and had the attempt
succeeded, it would have been less dis
tressing to France than this rule Of the
war of 1856; and not more unjusti6able.
MIR. Fox had too fair a mind for either,
but his comprehensive and liberal spirit
was discarded, with the cabinet which
he had formed.
Il has been the struggle Of reason and
humanity, and above all Of christianity,
for two thousand years to mitigate the
rigours of that scourge Of human kind,
war. tits now the struggle Of Britain
to aggrAVate them. Her rule of the war
Of 1856, in itself aud 10 its effects, was
one Of the deadltest poisons, in which it
was possible for her to tinge the weapons
OF her hostility.
In itself and in its effects, I say-For
the French DEGREES of Berlin aad Of Mi
lau, the Spanish and the Dutch DEGREES
of the same or the like tenor. and her
own orders Of January and November
these alterations of licenced pillage, this
eager competi,ion between her and her
enemies for the honor Of giving the las.
stroke to the vitals Of maritime neutrali-
ty, all are justly attributable to her as.
sumption and exercise Of this single
principle. The rule Of the war of 1856
was the root from which all the rest are
but suckers, still at every shoot growing
ranker in luxuriance. - " /'--
f.. am not the apologist Of France aud
Spain Lhave no national partialities;
ne Acknowledgement, but to my sown
country. / shall never undertake to
justify or to palate the insults or injuries
of any foreign power to that country
which is dearer to INC than liIc.: IF the
voice Of reason and of justice could be
heard by France and Spain they would
sa"-you have done wrong to make the
I'M Justice of youf enemy towards neutrals
the measures of your own. II she chas-
Uses with whips do you not chastise with
scorpions. Whether France would lis
tin to this language, know not. The
most enormous infractious of our rights
hitherto committed by her, have been
more in menace than in accomplish
ment. The alarm has been Justly great /;
the anticipation tire catching /; but the a.
mount Of actual injury small. But to
Britain, what can we say! five attemp,
to raise ourvoices, her minister has de.
clared toMr. Piuckey that she will not
hear. The only reason she assigns for
her tTeeent orderS ofconnrilis that France