The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-12-09

butte TO the prosperity Of Aieres. Il; leaving to its
| commsrce all The Liberty and all the extension
which can render it aoarishng"
2Siciai note rom Cour, CAa'nbagny tr Gen. Ayns'
susx.
rRASsLATIoN.
ALrsNsuHo, Aug 90, 1902
SIR,
His majesty, the Emperor. appraised that
you are to send vessel to America, has order
ID me 20 make known to YOU the .nvarable prn-
ciples whieh have regulated and which will
regulate his conduct on the great question ofneu-
trails. .....
France admits the principle, that the flag COW
ers the merchandise.
merchant vessel, sailing with all the neces-
sary papers (aveo ies expcditioas) from it's gov
eminent, is floating colony. To do violence TO
such vessel, by visits, by searches, and by o.
Their acts OF an arbitrary authority, is 10 violate
the territory of colony this is, 10 infringe an
the independence ct its government The xeas
do not belong to any nation : they are tie com
mon property ut mankisl, and the domain ofail
Enemy merchant vessels belonging 70 inllvi-
duals ought to DO respected Individuals vino
do not Eight ought not to be made prisoner. o.
war. In all her conqucsis, France has respected
private property The warehouses and the shops
have remained with their propretors. They
have been free 20 dispose of-their merchandise
As they pleased, and at this moment great num-
Der (coavois) of wsggons, loaded principally
with cotton, pass through the French aynies,
through Austria sad Germany, OH their way %
such places as comH.rce has directed
III France had adop,ed the usag.s IF maritime
war, Ill the merchandise of the continent of E,i-
rope would have been accumulated in Franc.
and would have become source of immense
wealth. Such would have been, without donht,
the Pretensions OF the Eaglish, il they had had
ON the land that superiority which they have on.
canned at sea. We should have SEEN As in the
times of barbarism, the vanquishe1 sold as slaves
and their lands parcslled out. Mercantile avidi-
ty would have usurped every thing; and the
return to barbarous usages would hsve been the
work of the government of a nation that has i'm
proved the arts and Utilization Tnat govern
Inent is notignorant of the injustice of its mari
time code--but what siguifie, 1t, what is Just
II only considers what is useful to itself
Such the primo pies OF the nperor on the
ussges and the rights OF maritime war When
France shall have acquired marine proportion
ed to the extent of her coaets, and her popula.
ton, the emperor will put more and more in
practice these maxms, and will use his :mdea-
vors TO render the adoption of them general
Ihe right, or rather the pretension of block
aiding by a Proclamation, rivers and coasts. is as
monshous (revoltante) as it is absurd. A right
cannot be derived from the will o. the caprice of
one Of the interested partes but ought TO be de.
rived from the nature of things themselves.
place ~ not truly bicckaded until ii is invested
by land and by sea it is blocsaded to prevent it
IRON receiving the succours which might rctard
Its surrender. 1t is only then, that the right of
preventing neut al vessels from entering il, ex.
lists for the place attacked is in danger of be.
ing taken, and the DOMINION oft is doubtful, and
contested by the master of the town and him
VINO blocksdes OF bescges it. Hence the right
OF preventing even neutrals from having access
oft.
The sovereignty and the independence of the
fsg are like The sovereignty and Independence of
the territory, the property of all neutrals. A
state may give itself to another, may DESTROY the
act of its independence, may change it's sove.
reign but the rghtn of sovereignty are indivi-
slbe and unalenable mons can give up any part
OF them
England has placed France in a state of block.
ade. The Emperor by his decree Of Berlin, has
declared the Britannia isles in state of bloek-
ade The first measure kept neutral vessels at
distance from France, the second has inter.
diced TO them England
BY lies Orders in Council of the 18th Novem.
b,r. 1907, England has lid toll on neutral yes
Sells, and has obliged them to pass through her
Iorts before they SHOULD go TO the places ftheir
destination. BY decree Of I've 18th of Decem
her, OF the same year, the Emperor has declared
those vessels, who's A Z shall hive been violated.
degraded, trodden under foot, as no longer be-
longing to heir Nations, (denationases)
To screen itself from the acts Ofviolence, with
which tins state OF things threatened its COM
mercs, America laid an embargo in her ports
and although France, who had done nothing
more than resort to rcprisals, saw her interests
and the interests of her colonies wounded by this
measure, nevertheless the Emperor applaudcd
this generous determination of renouncng all
eommerce rather than acknowledge the domini-
on (donnatien) OF the tyrants OF tue seas. The
embargo has bee raised, system of exclusion
has been substituted for il. The continental pow
ers leagued against England make common
cause they aim at The same OBJ ect, they will reap
the same advantages, they ought also to run the
same risqurs. The ports Of Holland, of the Elbe,
of the Weser, OF Italy and of Spain, will not en-
Joy {" jouiront" any advantage Of which those
of France may be deprived. They will both lies
uns ct les autres) be either open or shut at the
same time to the commerce Of which they may be
the object.
Thus, sir, France acknowledges in principle
the liberty of the commerce Of neutrais aud the
independence of maritime powers. She has res
pected them until the moment when the maritime
tyranny ui England (Which respected nothing)
and the arbitrary acts offs gosemment have for
ced her TO measures of reprisal, which she has
not adopted but with reluctance. Let England
revoke her declarations of blockade against
France France will re yoke her decree of block.
ade against England Let England revoke her
Orders in Council of the 11th November, 1907 ;
the decree of Milan will fall of itself The A.
nerican commerce viii then have regained all its
liberty, and it will be sure Of finding favor and
protection in the ports of France. But it is for
the United States by their frnness, TO bring on
these happy results Cam nation that wishes to
remain free and sovereign, even balance between
re- int,