The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-02-17

Tith their carSocs, sailing 10 or from Grcy.
s:f:din, or having on board carSoess 3f
British origin. should DC subject To seizure
md contscation. On the SIS, December,
1906. certain>C Commissioners. OF tie British,
government, having then just concluded a
with a Minister of the Uni:saStates,
which treaty was never submitted to the
for their advicement, by direction of
their government presented Il memorial, 20
the American Minister, in which il WAS
distinctly declared, that if the enemy, re-
TO the Emperor Of France and the
Decree OF November 1906, I" should carry
his threats, into execution, and if neutral
nations should contrary. to all expectation.
accnicscc III such usurpations, his Majesty
might possibly be compelled, however re-
l'ictautly, to r~ctaliate IL his own Just de-
fence, and 60 issue orders Co his cruizcrs,
to adopt, towards the neutrais, any hos
tile system to which these n~cutrals should
have submitted from his enemies" In the
month or January 1eO7, his Britannia Ma
jesty issued an order for preventing an
Commerce from port TO port Of his cnem;cs.
comprchending in said order. not only the
ports o! France, but those Of other nations,
as either in alliance with France, or subject
To her dominion have, by measures Of active
offence, or by the exclusion of British s.iips.
K 4 part III the present war. In the
letter which accompanied the commurica-
ton OF this Order to the Secretary of State.
of the United States. this order is stated.
by the British Minister, to be authorised, Nv
the acknowledged principles of the law of
nations, and to have been induced, by a
knowledge on the part of the British gov
eminent, that the measures announced. bv
the Decree of the French government. Of
the 2lst November 1905, had already. in
some instances. been carried into execution.
by the priv2teers ofhis enemy.
ne American Minister at Paris, in the
month OF December 1906, requested of the
French Minister of Marine, an exp!anati-
on of the Decree of 21st of November pre-
ceding, and was answered that an Ame-
rican vessel could net be taken, at sea, tor
the mere reason that she was going to or
coming from a port of Eagand." The
French Minister of Marine, however. ad.
vised the American Minister, that it was
proper, that he should communicate with
the Minister of Exterior Relations, as to
what concerned the correspondence of the
citizens of the United States of .America with
England" another article declaring all
merchandise belonging to Eng'a and, or COM
ing from its manufactures, or colonies.
though belonging to neutrals, liable to Sci
zure, was to be carried into execution.-
l MS 1t seems was to be acquiesced in by
the American Government, if to operate
only In the ports of France, as conforma-
Die to public law, although in direct contra
%vention TO the stipulations of an existing
treaty between the u. States and the En-
peror of France
notwithstanding the hopes that were in
oulSed by the American government in con.
sequence OF the reply of the French Min.
lister 1t appears, from a letter of Mr.. Ma
olson IN fzaD Al.s %
May, 1907, 1t was known in the United
States, that the French privateers, in the
West Indies had. in virtue of the edict of
November 1905, committed depredations
on the American commerce-amd in Oc-
tooer 1907, an American ship called the
aorrizon bound from G.. Britain to Lima.
having been wrecked within the territorial
JURISDICTION OF France, was finally condemn
ed, under the French Decree OF November.
1906.
II any doubt ever existed as to the in
tehtlon OF France, to execute this decree
against the y. States it must lave been re-
moved, afser the conduct of her cruisers in
Inc spring OF $50? Her condemnation of
me f1orr'zoa III the following October, left
not the smallest prctence for Questioning.
that her violence and Injustice wonjd he
limited only by her power.
The pretensions OF the emperor of France /.
that his DEGREES were a retaliation On Great
Britain, for similar violations Of the laws Of
nations, previously committed by her through
the commerce of neutral nations, could ne
yer be admitted as true in fact. or iftrue. as
just IN pTincipie in regard TO the u. States.
me principle said 10 have been assumed
by GreaS Britain, in 1855, which has been
pressed into the service Of those who are
DESTROYS to find an apology, ,fnot a ius;i6ca-
ton OF every outrage, committed bY France.
although adopted iii the early part of last
war, was so modified as to afford no caus.
OF complaint to the u. States during y. lat ter
years or that contest, and il is believed. tina.
a similar temper Of Accommodation has been
manifested by the same power towards the
y. S. III the present war
While it has been said "that @. Bs;.ain
is the only nation that has acted upon Of. o.
therwise given a sanction to it," the edic,s
OF France from 1704 to the present day. with
but small intervals of deviation, either in
principle or practice, declare the reverse.
The DEGREES Of France in 1904, and l744
declare all goods, of the growth or fabric of
an enemy's country liable to confscation, un-
less bound from an %eleny's port, direct to the
port OF the neutral owner.-An ordonnance
blythe court of France delivered to the states
general of the United Provinces. and prb.
lished by authority in the Utrecht Gazette.
July 1856 declares, If any Dutch ships carry
any goods or merchandise Of the Growth o..
manufacture 'f the enemies of France thev