The Delaware gazette. [volume] (Wilmington [Del.]) 1809-1810, 1809-10-18


various moditit atoms OF the national laws.
From the S1mc.
On tie im-oiicy Of English nj French Restrictions
on trade.
Continued.
The French government has pursued an
equally unwse policy with regard to COM
merce. In her frutless attempts to re,a.
late an her enemy, she has still more deep
" wounded herself. Ii is astonishing thar
a government SO enlightened IN other res.
poets should have betrayed so fragrant an
ignorance on this Y.int. Such conduc, is
among the!mos, striking proofs of the blind
ness with which ungovernablc passion pur.
sues its illgitma,e ends. Its, il possible,
still more surprising that the eyvs'of the
French government have not been opened
by experience. lie, us hope that the day Of
d,spassionatc reflection will soon arrive,
and tina. Napoleon will at length discern
that the solid interest of his nation vii! be
| bcs, advanced BY removal of every res,ric.
ton on neutral trade, and that this will he
the most terrible as well az honorable reta.
ia,ion he can retort upon his enemy.
The French government in adopting the
| conviction that it would be able 10 seal the
ports nf the continent against the intro
luc,ion Of British commodities, surrender
ed itself TO fatal error. l, ascribed to ply.
steal force power which i: does not and
cannot possess. Il fancicd that it could
carry into effect an object, repugnan. 10 the
habits and feelings of ages, BY an armed
force, only eflicicn. by concentration, and
even then subject 10 the influence OF con-
slant corruption. BY partial enforcement
OF its measures, i: presented the mos, pow.
erful temptations 10 fraud by its rich reward
in every Instance where il was successful.
4 1t scattered far and wide the seeds of dis
cord by producing the impre ssion that the
existing depriya,ions were the offspring OF
French measures, and no. Of thpse of Eng.
land.
i Let US reverse the picture and contcm
; plate the effects of an opposite policy.
Let us suppose that France had oppos.
ed to every British re-, lotion on trade a
new freedom or privilege; or. in other
words, that she had thrown open all her
. por,s to the whole world, even to England
herself. and had induced all the nations OF
I the contue Mt TO initiate her example,
She would, at once, have had the voice
OF all nations on her side and they would
: have united under such banners without the
shadow of coercion. Their people would
have supported them heart in hand, ascrb.
ing the deprvations they suffered to the
' English government, against which they
/ would have cordially united.
She would have embroidered neutral com,
I merce to the most strenuous efforts to dis
a pose of her produce and supply her wants,
a by diminishing the risks attending il and
increasing its rewards.
Il She would have lost the profits Of trade
:, Ga loss under any aspec, OF affairs inevi,a.
blc) but she would have balanced The gains
of her enemy by those Of neutrals, and have
i completely succeeded in preventing a mo-
e nopoly.
C She would have retained several Of her
,, colonies by the means for their defence
If which she would have been enabled to gath.
4 or from their prosperity, and their conse
u qnent satisfaction with their paren, coun
&c try.
=. But it may be said this is all idle, ans
- that just as these remarks nigh, have beer
!. some years since, they are applicable Il
r. the present state Of things.
l. Were this the fact we should not hav
N offered them, They are substantially sucl
lie as ought still to guide the Court Of ST
at Cloud.
" II is true tina, France has lost her marin
and those OF her coloDies, and is shorn Of tn
- honors OF commerce, and that most Of he
-, ~ allies are reduced to the same condition.
Of It's no less true that England has game
Or great part of wha, they have lost.
n, How then is France and her associate
ID to retrieve what they have lost, or 10 gal
in an equivalent for i, /!
m We answer, by an eternal ad;eu to til
e, system OF commercial restriction in all il
in features.
Ve This will still have the political efer, c
!. uniting all The nations Of Europe into an in
~ dlssolnbr chain of interes, against the DIES