Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1810-12-18

10 violate our neutral fights, 'yoa viii
transmit the repeal, properly aushenti.
Gated, to General Armstrong, and, It
necessary, by special messenger,
and you will hasten 10 .transnfit'it also
to this department.
Withgreat'respecs, &c.
r.. SMITH
VIM. Pinkney, Esq. &c.
Department Of State, July II. fsib.
SIR,
You will herewith receive dupli-
Gates of nv letters to you. of the 18th,
10Th and Goth June and I'd and 5th of
July.
This despatch you win receive from
Lieut.. Spence, of the navy, who is to
proceed frora New York in the sloop
ofwar the Honet. This publicvessel
has been ordered to England and to
France, not only for the purpose of
transmitting dispatches TO you and to
our functionary at Paris, but for the
further purpose of affording you, as
well as him, safe opportunity Of con.
veying TO this departments before the
next M citing of Congress, full infor-
NATION of the ultimate policy, in rels-
ton to the United States, OF the. gov.
ernmelt of England and Francc.-
And with view to ensure her return
to the United States in due season,
her commanding officer has received
orders not to remain in any port of
Europe after the first day 'of,Octobcr
next. With respect, therefore, 10 the
time 'yoh will 'detain Mr. Spence in
London, you Will be influenced by The
information which you may receive
from hiGas as to the orders he may
have from the commanding officer of
the Hornet.
/ have the honor to be, &c.
r. SMITH,
WINS Pinkney, Esq. acs
Department of State, Oct. 10. 1910.
SIR,
Your despatch ofthe 24th of Au.
gust, enclosing a newspaper statement
Of letter from the duke de Galore,
TO Gederal Armstrong, notifying re-
vocation OF the Berlin and Milan de.
crees, has been received. 1t ought
not to be doubted that this step of the
French governments will be followed
by a repeal on the part of the British
government of its orders In council.
And if termination of the crisis be-
tween Great Britain and the United
States be really intended, the repeal
ought to include the system Of paper
blockades, which differ Ia name only
from the retaliatory system comprised
in the orders In council From the
complexion of the British prints, not
60 mention other considerations, the
paper blockades may however not be
Abandoned. There is hence a pros
pect that the United States may be
brought to issue with Great Britain,
on the legality of such blockades. In
such case, as it cannot he expected
that the u. States, founded as they
are in law and in right, can acquiesce
in the validity of the British practice,
1t lies with the Bri ish government TO
remove the. difficulty. In addition to
the considerations heretofore stated to
you in former letters, you may bring
to the view of the British governmrn mt
the Retrospective operation of those
diplomatic notifications of blookades,
which consider anotice to the minister
as a notice to his government, and to
the merchants, who are at distance
of three thousand miles. Ii will recur
to your recollection, that the present
ministry, in the debates of parliament,
in opposition 10 the authors of the or
ders of January, 1907, denied that
they were warranted by the laws OF
nauens. The analogy between these
orders and the blockade of May, 1906,
insofar. as bosh relate to trade be-
tween enemy ports, fur ishcs an appeal
~ the consistency OF those now In Of
Ace, and an answer 10 attempts by them
to vindicate the legality of that block
ade. II is remarkable also, thar this
blockade is founded on "ihe new and
extraordinary means resortcd to by
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