Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1808-12-03
From ths National hteilsgsncer.
DocIMENTS
ACCOMPANYING THE PRESIDENT MES
SAGE OF THE 9TH INsTAFT.
[coKcLUDED.l
[coNCLUDED.I

SAGE OF THE 9TH INST AfT.
[coNcLvDED.]
From M5. Madison to Pr. Erskale'
lAarcd 20, 1907.
SIR,
Further reflection on the tenor and ten
dencv. of the order of his Britannia majesty,
communicated by your letrer OF the l2th
iinss. which was answered BY mine OF the
Goth, induces me to resume that lInPofsahle ut,
subject.
From the dilfculty Of supposing that the
order can have for It's basis, elther legal
blockade impossible tobe extended to an the
morris described In the order, ora supposed
iTlegality Of the trade. between those ports,
an illegality which has never been applied
bv the British government or lis admifaity
courts to an accustomed trade even between
ports of the same belligerent nation, ana Is
,,ttrrlv At variance with the conduct OF both
in reference TO trade between Q bsiii8crent
nation and It's allies, a necessity seems 70
result of ascribing the orders to the poncy
of countervailing, through the commerce 81
neutrals, th- French decree OF the @is1
Nov. last. $50,
Inthis view Of the order, it demands, on
the part of the u. States, the most serious
attention, both as to its principle and TO ITS
operation. - -,
With respect to its principle, It Wiil notoe'
contested. that retaliation by one nation
on its enemy, which is to operate through
the interest of nation, not an enemy, es-
sentially requires not only that the INJURY
inflicted should be limited by the measure
of iniurv sustained, but that every retaiiat-
inc step, in such case, should be precea-
ed by an unreasonable failure OF the neu-
trail party, in some mode or other, to put.
an end to the inequality wrongiully produe-
ed.
Were it certain, therefore, that the
French decree is to be enforced IN the sense
in which it is taken, and that IN violation 2 OF
the treaty between France 3 t a.. =. ata'ee,
- : b.
ehpied, the British order being peremptory
IN its import and immediate IN its execution
I might justly be regarded by the U. s. as a
! proceeding equally premature and uniriend'
8 IS s. -
BIT, in the uncertainty as. to the real
meaning of that decree; and whilst pre-
sumption offered itself that the decree, if
avowed and executed in a4unIawful extent,
might not embrace the commerce OF theU.
States, they are bound by justice to their
interests, as well as by respect for their
rights, to consider the British order as a
ground for serious complaint and rcnon-
STRANGE.
Should it prove that the decree had not
the meaning ascribed toit, and particularly
should the respect of France for her treaties
with the u. States, except their trade from
the operation Of the decree, the order of the
British government will stand exposed 70
still severer comments. 1t will take. the
character of an original aggression, will fur
nish to the French governments a like ground
with that assumed by itself for retaliating
measures, and will derive a very unfavora-
bic feature from the consideration, that it
was a palpable infraction of a treaty just
signed on the part of the British govern
ment, and expected, at the date of the or
der, to be speedily ratified on the part of the.
u. S.
The necessity of presenting the subject in
its true light is strrngthenedb by the obera-
ton which the British order will have on a
vast proportion of the entire commerce of
the u. S. Not to dwell on the carrying
branch of the commerce between the ports
and countriesof Europe, and which the i'm
munity given to our flag, in consequence OF
treaties with the enemies of Ca Britain, to
British property, and not enjoyed by the
property of her enemies, has hitherto been
advantageous to G. Britain; and without
enquiring into the effect of an application OF