Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1808-11-25

srhe alteration Of a, acquie IN the
Herlin decree Of November 1906, By which
alone the British government pretends 70 JUS
tify the orders of csuncih Is equally un-s
founded. In the motto GA that subject, ad-
dressed on the slst Of December, 1906, py
the British government to the American MI,
nisters, after having stated that : they couio
not believe that the enemy would ever
" attempt to enforce such system, tne
following declaration is expressly raaeic !" II,
however, the enemy should carry these threats
into execution. and if neutral nations, con-
trar, to all expectation, should acquiesce y
such usurpatioas, his majesty might pfoDap y.
be compelled, however reluctantly, TO retail
ate IN llis Just defence, &C. TIE two reaui-
sites necessary in the opinion OF Great 3 iltain
TO Justify retaliation, are stated TO Be, the
execution ofthe decree, and tse acqniescence
of neusra: nations. Yet, withia eight days
after, and in the face Of that declaration, With
out waiting for ascsrtaining either OF those.
facts, the rctaliating British order Of January
7ta, 1907, was issued, which, contrary to the
acknowledged law of nations, subjected TO
capture, vessels Of. the United States sailing
from the ports Of one belliserent to a port OF
anosher belligcrcnt. IS
The United States, in the mean while, and
without delay, had taken the necessary steps
to ascertain tile manner in Which the french
government intended to execute their de-
cree. &.
{ That decree might be construed merely as.
municipal law forbidding the introduction Of
British merchandise, and the admission OF
vessels csming fran England Under that
aspect, end r confined to- that nsjeot, the
neutral rights of America were nss affected
by its operation.
s a. belligerent may without any iniractioa
Of neutral rights forbid the admission into his
ports Of any vessel coming from the ports Of
his ener;uy And France had undoubtedly
the same rightto exclude from ker dominions
every species Of British merchandise, witch
the United States have exercised in forbid
ding the importation of certain species G..
Britain might be injured by such regulations,
but America had no more right TO complain
Of that part OF the decree, than France had to
ob;ectto the non-importstion act. SO far in
deed as respects the United States, they we're
placed by the municipal part OF the decree, In
The Same situation, in relation to France IN
which they are placed in theirintercourseW with
Great Britain by the permanent laws OF that
country The French decree torDids Amcrl-
can vessels to import British merchandise IN
to France. The British navigation act fof
bids American yesselsto import French mer-
chandize into England. But that broad clause
of the Reilin decree which declared the Bril-
Etish islands in stare OF blockade, though not
followed by regulations TO that effect, sill
threatened an intended operation onsthe high
seas, !. This if carried into effect would be
fragrant: violation of the neutral rights Of the
United States, and as such they would be
bound TO oppose it. The minister OF the y,
States at Pari., Immediately spilled for ex-
PLANTATION On that sutjtct; and the French
minister Of marine on the Gath OF December,
1906, seven days before the date of the above
mentioned note of the British government,
stated in answer, thatthe decree made no al
.cration in the regulations then observed in
France with regard to neutral navigation, or
to the commercial convention ofthe Z. States
with France. That The declaration Of the
British islands being in a state of blockade did
net change the existing French laws concern
ing maritime captures, and that Americas
vessels could not be taken at sea for t,ae
mere reason of their being going to, or Rs
turning from an English port.
The execution Of the decree conparted for
several months with those explanations se-
yeral vessels were arrested for having intro
duced articles Of English growth or lnanufac-
ture, and among them some which being az
tually from England, and laden with English
colonial produce, had entered with forged
papers, as if coming from the United States.
But no alteration Of the first construction civ
en- by the French government took place till
the month of September, 1907. The first
condemnation on the principle that the de
or,