The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-06-17
COMMUNICATION.,

It IS said, that all the American prope a.
at Hamburger has been contiscae ed oy the
special order of the French Enheror-y TINS
report is however directly in conflict with
the more authentic statement aid before
the underwriters Of Baltimore, which con-
fines this confiscation co the ship Juniata K to
others placed 81 :; similar i,Teai, a1ueIrt -
The difference between those two reports is
obvious. by the one, all the American pro-
perry is conhscated by the other, oh a
certain Part, that stands on the same ground
with the cargo of the JLRiata. 1t is not a
little curious that the grounds on which tn s
condemnation has been made, have not been
stated in any Of these reports. This con-
cealment itself gives room for suspicion, that
there was at least some co.ourab.e pretext for
the adoption of this measure ; and as this
subject IS yet completely wraptin obscurity
every man is at liberty to frame his own con-
lectures of the pretexts or reasons, which
produced 1t.
1t seems probable, that the property said
to have been coniiscated at Hamburger, stands
on different grounds from the American pro-
perty in the ports of Spain, sequestered I'M
der the decree of Milan, and said to have
been lately released. This latter properly
most probably consist OF bona tide American
cargoes, which had not touched at England.
If the property at Hamburger zvas placed in
the same situation, is is impossible to recon
Gle the inconsistency, which would prevail
between the decisions of the two cases.
In the one, the property is said to have
been conisc&ted in the other, it is said to-
have been ieieesed. The only way to avoid
the sJpposition Of any Inconsistency III these
TRANSACTION IS, TO suppose tiat the proper
~ al Hamburger was either British property
which had been frandulently introduced un-
der cover OF the American flag, or that if it
was 6o'a J!de American properly, it had Ell
ther touched at England, or rad been taken
IN England, or had violated some of the er =
ecutcd provisions Of tie Desrec Of Berlin
it is known by most merchants, that in
pite e theTnterdiction of trade between the
English and German ports, some shipments
have been made from Liverpool and other
ports to Hamburg and ciher ports. The
great demand OF the Hanse towns for vari-
Gus articles liasno DOUBT produced frauGu-
! lent trade. Most merchants know also that
the American flag has been abused for these
purposes, principally by the British agents,
who have actually settled in this country to
reap the benefits of the neutral trade. Mr.
Barring, lis true, has demonstrated in his
pamphlet, that smaller part Of this fraudu
lent traihc is carried on under cover ofthe A.
IHcIiCdh nag IMAM by any Other neutral nation
in proportion to their commercial resources
but Il is still not TO be doub;ed, that the piivle
ges ofthe American flag have been frc Iue0tly
abused by the British merchants, wko curse
it's independence while they claim its pro.
lection.
Recent circumstances show, that frau
dujcnt trade 9Th various parts on the CONT
nent IS still going oil, in spite Of at Ncpo-
leon 8 effOTS to sitDrTe.S If In is said m a
letter from Rotterdam Of March g. to a
gentleman IN New-Tork, published in tho
American papers, that g six of the FIRST
merchants at Antwerp had been seized and
aent 70 die Tempe, for having held cSm.