The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-10-07

IN possession of English troops, or steering
her course TO England, English colonies, OF
to places in possession of the English troops
shall he considered good and lawful prize
The Milan decree was enforced by proc
lamation of the King of Spain, dated from
Aranjeuz, the Sd Ja,iua,,y last.
Iou will readily perceive that adverse
orders and DEGREES SO comprehensive i'm their
extent, produced of Inecessity the total am
limitation o commeiEe.. We were the only
Neutral nation that tspired to commercial
Commence; it was thy refor'e perfectly under
stood, and must have been contemplated by
the belligerents, that these DEGREES and or
ders should be and we're principally direc-
ted against us. There scarcely remained
a port i'll the world to which a cargo could
be shipped, or a SPOT upon the ocean that
could be nav;gatcd with safety With the
single exception Of ttat of Sweden, the
whole sea coat ofcon:ihcntel Europe, from
the .7rchfEeloSso to+the fartbcrest extremity
OF ."orgvay, was in the possession of France or
OF her allies. If we destined,a vessel to the
continent, we violated the orders of privy
council: it We sent ship to an English
port, VIC infringed the Berlin decree if the
vessel was .ho,nd tn Cheat R"itain IN tho
first instance with a vies of lan,ling her
cargo and paving duties there, and from
thence proceeding to the continent. we con-
'travened the decree of tfitau. IN either
event, there was no escape from capture
and from condemnation. The direct ope-
ration and manifest intention of the British
orders were to abrogate very ancient prin-
ciple that had been settled by the law of
nations to render American commerce de-
pendene upon the mandate of her privy
council, to impose a tax and to create a re-
venue from our trade. We could not sub
Al.,r ILL
tobecome the tributaries OF England. The
DEGREES of France. on the other hand, being
equally an infractinr of the liws of nations,
sought the destruction of commerce which
Fer enemy had resolved to abridge, or to
regulate in such mannerjas to render it
Subserv1ent to its own resources. In a state
OF affairs thus desperate and humihating, a
continuance OF commerce wou' have a.
mounted to a surrender of our independent
rights, equally degrading and ruinous--.-
Such an aCquiescence could neither have
been reconciled with the duties of our go
vernment, the dignity of the nation, the in
terests OF our citizens in general, or even
with those of the merchants in partiCu-
Ian.
From the stern and arbitrary regulations
of the cabinets of Europe, We direct the at
tention for a moment to the conduct of bclli-
gerent cruisers the coast of the United
States. Our West-India trade. had long
been infested by the privateers of New Pro-
whence, and in proportion to their means
by those of the French. But with respect
to the English, toretrospect no farther than
to 1901, detachments from their regular ma
Wy were stationed along our shore. Our prin-
clpai sea ports were closely blockaded, our
vessels watched and intercepted, our native
as well as lawfully naturalized seamen
Impressed by violence and the whole of
our commerce subjected to their abuse. Not
contented wish attacking private vessels,
they fired at the revenue cutter, stationed
at New York. and commanded by captain
bre wster, within, DIR own waters and &C
k"owledged Jurisdiction. On the 18th of A
pril, 1906, the murder OF Pierce was perpe-
trated within the limits of tn port of New
York. 10 inj2re the feelings and PROSTATE
the dignity OF our country, the offender capt
Whitby OF the Leander, instead of being pu-
nishcd, is stated to have been elevated to a
superior command. On the 22d June, 1907,
orr national frigate the Chesapeake, unpre-
pared for an attack, her commander believ-
Ing his country to remain in STATE of peace,
relying upon the inviolabi!ty OF our jurisdic-
tion and the protection of our laws, was for
chilly attacked by the Leopard ship of war,
commanded by capt. Humphries, under the
superior direction OF the British Admiral,
berkeley, several of our fellew- citizens Kill
led and some Of her seamen, proved to be A
mericans, impressed by violence. Such has
been, and such exists the state OF our affairs
Atrocious injuries have been aggravated by
marked and repeated indignities. Each bel
hBerent without exception or distinction, had
determined that our commerce should be
its victim, but England in particular, e5ult-
ing III the strength of her navy, openly dis
carded every semblance of equity and every
appearance of moderation. She blockaded
Our harbors. She captured our merchant
ships She attacked national vessel. She
impressed and impresses our native mariners
and by tile tenor Of her conduct evinces obdu-
rate and unrelentiBg hostility.
The Concerns OF our country had arrived
to an uncAampled crisis. 1t was necessary
to determine upon peace or war. The lat
ter was tIbe sustained with fDrtitude, ii rem
dered inevitable. The former, unquestiou-
ably preferable, if possible to preserve it, by
policy, by the force of reason, or even by
moderate sacrifices. Government was conf :
PEELED TO elect between its pacific and neu-
trail system, and All immediate recurrence tn
hostility. 1t has stjdie1 to preserve the IL
berries, and cherish the interests Of OFF
country. Commerce vigorously ipterdicted
by foreigners could not have been pursued
with advantage, TO any class of our citizens
An equal and impartial int, course with the
PAYERS at war, was sterDlY prohibited by
all (; q partial intercourse with one INNS: IN a Va.