The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-08-05

gers. and foreign sailors of every nation aid
ing our trade and navigation
The English have taken (and often know
ingls) American and other seamen foreign
to Great-Britain, neutral and beliigerent.
from our ships, and forced them to their guns,
sublecting us thereby to quarrels with other
powers, and deep elimination. personal and
public. This is a real and most offensive
cause of the dissatisfaction and conduct of
France & Spain towards u.s. England know
ing this well, evadcs all cure, al measures of
remedy or precauton, to .',is hour
England in November, 1872, broke the ice.
IN the case of perverting ncutralS, their rights
and their commerce to the injury of these
neu'rals and of one of the powers at war
England then neutral, issued Il proclamation.
IN opposition to their own laws and to their
treaties with France and the neutrals, res
training neutral ships from carrying British
and neutral goods to France; though they
were allowed to go at the same time to the
ports Of Austria and Prussia, who were ut
war with France. This was the first ag-
81 esson Like the tue first blow III thc case
OF an ARRAY, it threw "the breach Of tbe
fcacc" upon the head OF Great-Britan. 1t
justified France in retaliation. II rendered
retaliation measure of sclf-dcfcnce 1t was
the real incipient cause OF the present op-
pressive mass Of aiit-neutral proclamations.
orders and DEGREES. For it and many other
acts of the same nature and tendency in the
remainder of 1899 and in the beginning 1875,
France on the first day OF February of that
year, declared war against England, stating
her abuse of neutrals to the Intentional inju-
ry OF France, as the cause. Thus France at
first fairly took remedy on England, and did
not rctahatc upon MS. Our vessels went and
came unmolestcd by France, and orr seamen
passed through all seas uni:npresscd by her
she did not attempt to search our vessels for
American, or Brici3l, or French, OF other
seamen Even their own French seanen
were suffered to be employed in our vessels,
which were protected, as to France, by the
law ct nations, though we had not one armed
ship on the ocean anh though the nav c.
France disputed the empire of che seas with
that of England until the action OF June, 1874,
between D'OIvilliers and Howe. The Br-
fish officers, long before that time, had i'm
pressed Americans, English, Danes and o.
Their foreigners ont of our vessels, so as deep
Iiy to wound and highly to incense France.
This conduct produced the French order to
treat Americans (nentrais) fount: in the Bri-
fish sea army (thcir men of war; fighting a
gainst their neutral duties, against France
as pirates. This irritation, this quarrel. this
act Of remedy or retaliation, England bro't
on us and continues to give cause for it. Our
wounds are Very deep and desperate, and re-
quire the trobe Of truth. We are disgraced
forever perhaps ruined, if we are not be-,
in truth undaunted in yeracitv and Justice.
In the month of January, 1898, England,
~ fieace 79ith France, sent her cvuizers to
take vessels of Hamburg, Denrasrk and Swe-
den, in their voyages from Hamburg to
France AS these neutrals suffered England
to treat them so, France, trembling under the
fear Of famine, ordered retaliation on En-
gland by war and on those neutrals, by taking
their cargoes into France, but she Ordered
those cargoeS 10 be faid for, and did fiay
for them and ordered further, tat when
England, would desist from thus abusing and
perveIting neutrals to the ruin of France,
her cruizcrs should desist from retaliation
1t is however, real and important truth
that France did not order any of our vessels
to be thus carried in.
On the 25th March, 1898, England and
Russia Coined afterwards by Spain, Austria
and Prussia) undertook the mGnstrous, ;nso-
lent, uninst, unlawful, irritating and ruinous
act, of eoiemn treaty engagement to IRE
0eht 0H6eneM ofncHtrai hade To and from
Er0Hce, az a 7'lcaSure IF ruin and Insult 10
beAHSerent Trance, ana IF utter herUer&ion
ana abuse Of neHtrGts, md destruction Of
their commerce and rights.
France was to lose all advantage Of neu-
trial supplies, & all advantage of sales to neu-
trails, &C all advantage of the revenues arising
OH neutral imports and exports: and neutrals
were deprived at once of all benefits from
French Supplies and consumption, and from
French commerce. The principles of this
treaty were death to neutral agriculture and
trade.
The words and meaning of tIIc treaties of
March (and pos,ea) in 1898, made by En-
gland with Russia, Spain, Prussia and Aus
tria, are so strong so full and so comprehen-
sive that If VIC take al tie SUBSEQUENT i.eta-
liating DEGREES OF France, of Berlin, Milan,
Bayonne, Ks. they do not go further; nor so
Eir.
in the month Of May, 1898, the French
government tool. deep alarm for their sub
stStcHcc. Foreign war and internal reyolu-
ion oppressed them at thai time, and they
Z found that the great maritime powers, B,i-
tain, Russia and Spain, and the neighbour
ing peop.c oFthe Netherlands, Germany and
! Spain, ali combined 20 keep from them sup
plies OF provisions, by land and sea, by r"o-
Iliibting their own supplies from being sent
to france, and by engaging to use all their
cndcavours toprcvcnt supplies of bread or a.
nv thing else being sent to that devoted coun-
try. Alarmed, injured, insultcd, and vitality
endangered hy this unlawful violation of
their rights as beliigerents, and by this abuse
and pcrvGrsion Of the neutral trade, supplies
and rights, France, more to save herself