The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-11-29

Read and ordered to be committed to :,
committee of the whole H. of r. on Thurs
uay next.
REPORT.
The committee to sviom 4eds referred 80
much Of the Message ofthe President of
the United States, Of the Sth inst. as
RESPECTS our relations with foreign kozo-
REPORT, IN PART
After a period of twenty-five years of
peace, hardly interrupted by transient hos
tilities, and of prosperity unparalleled in
the history of nations; the United States
are, Tor the first time since tie treaty which
terminated the revolutionary war, placed
In situation equally difficult, critical and
dangerous.
nose principles recognized by the civili-
zed world under the name of law of natioas.
winch heretofore controlled beligerent pow
ers, regulated the duties of the neutrals and
protected their rights, are now avowedlv
disregarded or forgotten by Great Britain
and France. Each of those two nations can
tures'and condemns all American vessels ira
ding with her enemies or her enemies al.
lies; and every European power having be-
come party in the contest, the whole of
our commerce with Europe and European
colonies, becomes liable 10 capture bv either
one or the other If there be any nominal
exception, 1t is made on consideration OF
tribute, which only adds insult to the iniu-
ry.
The only plea urged in justification of those
hostillties is that of retaliation, grounded on
a presumed acquiescence of the United
otates IN previous aggressions by the other
party. Waving discussion of the Correct
hess OF the principle of retaliation, a prin-
ciple doubtful in itself, and altogether mad
mlssible to the extent to which it has been
Carried, and when operating on the neutral
rather than on the enemy it is altogether
untrue that the United States have ever vo-
UNFAIRLY acquiesCed in the unlawful apgres
Sions OF either nation; omitted or DELAYED
any measure calculated to obtain redress.
or IN any respect deviated from that Impair
tiality to which they were bound by their
neutrality. France has alluded to the vim
lations OF the neutral flag, and of the soye-
reignty of the United States, in the instan
ces OF .Pierce's murder, of the OUTRAGE on
the Chesapeake, and of the destruction Of
the lmpetuous. The measures taken IN oh
tam redress i'll those cases are of public no.
torlety, and it may be added, that with the
eXceptioh OF the last, those aggressions on
the sovereignty OF the United States did not
afect their neutrality, and gave no right to
France either of complaint or interference
Setting aside irregularities of less imnor-
lance and equally chargeable to both natl
ons, such as the British order of June. 1905.
and the decree of the French general. Fer
rand the principal violations by England
OF the neutral rights of America, prior to
the Berlin decree of November, 1906, and
winch, 1t acqulesced in, might have given
| grounds OF complaint to France, are the
nF 1.
louial produce, founded on renewal of tina,
pretended principle generally called The
rule OF 1885, the impressment of Ameri
can seamen, compelled thereby to become
the auxiiarles of England against France.
and proclamation or nominal blockades,
particularly that of the coast from the ri
yer E!be to Brest notified in MAY, 1906
1t VIII not be asserted, that the United
States ever tanely acquiesced in either Of
those pretensions. 1t will not be denied. that
with respect to the two first, the most sire
nuous efforts were necessarily made to pro-
cure an alteration Of tin British system.
! 1t is rue, tina. TO the nominal proc;a,uati
on blockades of England, the United States
had opposed only spirited aud repeated re-
monstrances, and that these had not ALWAYS
/ been successful. But the measures which
a neutral nation may be supposed bound to
. nGutfAlI-
Ity, must always bear a certain proportion
to the extent and nature OF the injury receiv.
ed and 10 the means of opposition. 1t can.
not certainly be pretended that hasty re-
sort to war should in every such instance
have become the duty OF America. 40,
can the irregularities OF England, in declar.
/ ING in state Of blocka&c..a certain cxtcn,
of coast, part Of which was not, and the
whole OF which could not, even by herr pow.
er'ul navy, be actually invested and block.
AIDED, be plead in justification of that de.
cree, by which France, without an efFici.
ent teet, prctcnds to announce the blockade
Of ,he dominions Of power which has fh,
iinconestiblc command Of the sea, and bcfor,
no port Of which, she can station a singl,
vessel.
! The Milan decree of1S07 can still less res
tor its defence on the supposed acquicscenct
| q the United States in tho British orders O
the precedirg month. since these orders
! which have nOt certainly been acduicscet
IN, Scre nos even known in America az the
date of the decree. And it is proper her,
70 add, that the French have, particular,
by the cquestraticns of certain vessels in thei