Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-07-26
JURISCOLA.
FROM TIE MONITOR.
AMERICAN GROUND.


AMERICAN GROUND.
The dispatches by the Usage, although
they have inspired us with no hope of anne
Iteration of the policy of foreign powers to-
wards the Uuited States, enable us, never
theless, to understand more clearly the ma
ture of our own situation, as well as the
probable views of France and Great Bril-
tain with regard to this country.
France and her allies at this moment
have little or no external commerce; nor,
in truth, is trade of that kind so essential to
them as 1T is TO great Britain. Agriculture
and internal traffic, constitute the basis of
all their financial systems. Hence foreign
trade, with them, is not primary consid
Grafton in their fiscal arrangements. 1t is
| at all times the effect of war between
Great Britain and France, that the exteri-
or commerce of the latter is cut up and
destroyed during the continuance of the war.
And not only can Ut be annihilated with res
pect to French bottoms hut whenever
Great Britain chooses to violate the laws
OF nations, by infringing upon neutral rights,
her immense naval force enables her to
prevent all intercourse between France and
nations who take no part in the war. 1t
must be reCollectcd tina, Great Britain is
not vulnerable to the French power by any
y
this France has not got. The business OF
France, therefore, was, to find out some
indirect mode of reaching and injuring her
antagonist. In all their European wars,
down to the year 1907, the British had
been enabled by coalitions, subsidies, and
otherwise, to teep open channel on the
continent of Europe, thro' which they could
pour IN their manufactures and produce,
and were thus enabled TO support the war
by the profits of trade carried on during
the war in their own or in neutral vessels,
even with their enemies for, the goods
once introduced on the continent, would
readily find their way into everv quarter.
Bonaparte saw and felt the evil to himsele /;
but, at the same time, was aware of his
Ilncapacity effectually TO obstruct, unless he
could, by deep and well laid s,ratagem,
induce the British government unconscious.
ly to cooperate with him. The Berlin de-
cree, for which English orders had previ
ousiy furnished ample pretext, was an &C..
feriDlent that has certainly fulfilled more
than the French emperor's most ardent
expectations. That decree was never car
! ried into effect against neutrals (as has been
proved by British merchants strictly ex-
amined at the bar fthe house Of commons)
before the English orders Of council were
issued III November last; and, indeed, Ma
Ipoleon could not have executed that decree
agalnst the Americans, who were the prin.
I cipal neutral, without rsking way with
us, which it was far from being his desire
then to provoke. Misconstruing Bonaparte's
intention, and excited by the unccasiDg cla-
mors of the West India planters, the En-
glish ministry, under the influence of the
| right honorable Spencer Percival, chancel-
Tor OF the exChequer, induced his majesty
! to pass those fatal DEGREES, which COM
lpletely threw the commercial world upon
new axis. think can prove, sir,
| (says Mr. Brougham, speaking to this
point) that we ourselves, blinded and alarm
ed by the empty menaces of the enemy,
which we had often before experienced to
be Intellectual, turrifed by vain fears which
we could not describe, and arguing from
the very uncertainty of the darkness in
which we were, that some evil was impen-
ding, we knew not what, countersigned all
the DEGREES of the enemy; backed their
futile threats with our solid orders carri-
ed them triumphantly into execution by our
all powerful navy, and reduced the COM
MERGE OF the country to that state, to that
pitch of degradation to which he, our in
veterate enemy, had wished, but IN vain
wished by those DEGREES to reduce it; and
to which, by no earthly power than our
own could he have succeeded in bringing
it, The peace of Tilsit, and the seizure
OF the Danish feet in fact, shut British
bottoms out from the continent /; and there
was 30 other means of intercourse, gene
rally speaking. than by American vessels
The obnoxious orders Of council restricted
the latter from proceeding to the ports of
France or those of powers dependent on
and IN alliance with her; this brought the
Berlin decree into full play, which was
rendered still more severe by that ofMilan !;
and the emperor of the French triumphed
IN the complete success of his scheme.
Without an efficient navy, and without in.
curing the necessary and enormous en-
| ense of one, Inc has placed the commerce
OF England in a situation the most humil
iating, and by singular duluess of appre-
henSion on the part of the British ministry,
has actually succeededia making the Brit.
ish navy tight the maritime 6attIcs of
france.
From such situation we look in vain
for Napoleon to dislodge himself. He
sees very plainly that he has every advan-
tage ON his side. To relax his DEGREES
with regard to the United States, whilst
the orders Of Great Britain are in exist
epce, could be of no possible service to
France, whilst it would be of immense be-
nefit TO her enemy. Nor would it suit the
views of Napoleon just now to declare war
against us for in war with the Ameri-
cans he has nothing to gain but il is his