Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1808-07-08
From the North American.
Liberty of the Seas.

It is tri.e observation, that the liber.ie.
ola country are never in greater DANCE
than when the plot against them is carried
on under The disguise Of friendship for
the people. It was owing less to the i'm.
mense physical strength Of France, than
to the dextrous add deeeitful use she
made Of this principle, that she became
so powerful BY the accessions of other
smaller portions Of strength, as to over
awe and control the greater nations. In
the early part of the revolution, she
preached, through every organ of com.
municauon, the rights Of the oppressed
agains the oppressor, until, by prompt.
ing and even aiding them to break the
bands OF authority, she seized the Cd.
portuIity Of rivetting her own chains
upon them. Living retired from her
neishbourhood, aud from our free in.
stituions less liable to the seduction of
her sophistry, we were nevertheless lia-
bic to danger on another account. We
felt sympathy for her, laudable in ito
motives, but which being carried beyond
due bounds, had we'll nigh served as the
channel of the contagion, which, had it
taken effect, would have proved mortal
20 our liberties. =:
- Having overstrained the pretext Of
giving civil freedom to the world, and
the government Of France being chang.
ed into form, which no longer admit.
ted the continuance of that pretext; ano-
Their delusion was engendered, under
the cover Of which, the remaining ma.
tons, being generally maritime, and SIC
tua.sd at a distance, were to be debauch.
cd from their duties to themselves
This was what is called the " Liberty
of The Seas" Great Britain being pre-
dominant on that element, from which
her enemies have for a long time been
swept, has not used her sceptre, inevo-
| ~ instance, with circumspeetion,, and
ha. sometimes surpassed, 10 order to
accomplish her ends, those palpable lie
mits Of right which ought to have been
the protection of neutrals. In many
cases neutrals have therefore suffered
unforeseen injuries, which a returning
sense OF Justice in the British ministry
has not completely Unidentified. Such
is the nature Of man, that abuse is IN
seperable from transeendent Powsr.-
Bot the neutral maritime nations be-
came still more disguised with the rules
prescribed by Great Britain for her
cruizers, because they disavowed GER
tain principles introduced among them
BY specific conventions, the exercise Of
which, if yielded, would have reduced
the right. of war within narrowersom-
pass. Such are the freedom Of conveys
from search, and the protection of the
cargo by the neutral flag; principles,
which The United States, alone among
the neutrals,' Justly renowned as not
obligatory on England. :. ~,
1t is TO be remarked, that the French.
regulations have, more than those of
any other nation, discountenanced these
neutral ptetensionst and that in the
face Of them are her captures made,
and do her tribunals pronounce sem
tence. The instructions issuing from
the French Marine, lay down rules enc
tirely contrary to this liberty of the
seas. No nation has ever allowed less
freedom Of navigation than France has,
on the neutrals her eruizera have NEE
WITH They have not thought it neces-
saryto carry them even so'a port of adj
Indication but have upon the spot pue
an end to all controversy, by burning or
scuttling them. With respect to the
| a. roversno the nronerfv France has
never admitted it in her practice as. a
rule Of the law of nations. = When exc
pre.sly stipulated, as i, was with Us, she
has uneeremoniously Sc, it aside, both
a. respect. our treaties with the former
monarchy, and the convention made
with Buonaparte in 1900. What cham-
/. pion of the liberty Of the seas could be
so little entitled TO confidence IS France
and Buonapartes Is it safe to put into
his hands. il it were possible, the power
| Of regulating the ocean! Whassecurity
| ~. La,,~ 81 - - could nnf me- Se