The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-04-20

Of the whole world recognized no mar
time nation as independent. rendered all ma
tions her tributaries. Subjected them to her
laws. allowed the m no liberty of trade, unless
with direct profit TO herself. fixed the foun-
dation Of her revenues upon the industry OF
other nations. and the produce cf their ter
ritories, and declared herself Sovereign os the
Ocean, of which She disposed as any govern
mcnt wopld do of the rivers in the interior OF
its dominions.
E" Adverting to this plan of legislation,
which was nothing else than the public as
sertion of universal sovereignty, a measure
extending the jurisdiction Of the English
Parliament over the whole ofthe gtabc, the
Emperor found himself under the necessity
OF taking an extreme part. and of employing
every means of opposition in his power ra
Their than suffer the world to bend under the
yoke which the English endeavored to i'm
pose on it. He published the Milan Decree.
declaring all vessels denationalzed which
had paid the tribute imposed by the En-.
glish. The Americans, threatened with a
second subjugation by the English, and with
the loss of their independence so gioriously
acquired. put general embargo on all their
vessels, and renowned all navigation and
commerce thus making sacrifice of the
interests of the moment to that which Is her
independence.
"The success of these measures depend
ed more upon their exertion in Holland than
in any other country. Holland. on the con
trary, was an obstacle to their execution.
The Dutch still continued to carry On a COM
mercial intercourse with the English All
the representations of France upon this sub J.
ject were entirely useless.-His Imperial
Majesty was obliged to have recourse TO mea
sures of rigor, which proved how much he
was iisp,easea.-Twic were the French
Custom Houses shut to the commerce Of
Holland They are so at this moment, so
that the Dutch have no legal concentration
with the nations of the Continent-and the
Emperor determined not to open these bar
riers while circumstances remained unchan /.
ged. In effect, it would have been to open
them to the English commerce. The Dutch
nation, far from initiating the patriotism of
the Americans. have been guided in all their
transactions solely by miserable mercantile
considerations.
ION the other hand. the Emperor ob
serves, that Holland is destitute of the means
for carving on war. and almest without re
sources for her own defence She is without
marine--the 16 vessels which she ought to
have furnished have been aismanted-she
is without energy. During the last eXpedi
ton of the English, the important position
of We're, which was neither provisoned
nor armed, made no resistance and the
Important post OF BATE, upon which might
have depended the success Of so many events,
was abandoned six hours after the appear
ance of the advanced guard Of the enemy.
Without army, without revenues, it might
almost be SAID without friends and without
allies, the Dutch are a society animated on
" = VII tn fnpiv oil
and forminga rich, useful, and respectable
company, but not nation.
. His Majesty desires peace with England.
He took steps at Tilsit with view to this
object, but they were without result. Those
which he concerted at Erfurth, with his Ally
the Emperor of Russia, have had no better
success. The war will therefore be long,
since all the steps tsker to arrive at peace
have been useless. The proposition even
of sending Commissioners to Morlaix to treat
for the exchange of prisoners, although cal
led for by England, remains without effect,
because it was feared it might lead to re-
Cancellation. England, in arrogating by her
Orders of November 1907, an universal sove-
reignty. and in adopting the principles of
perpetual war, has broken every thing, rem
dered legitimate every means of repclling
her pretensions. If therefore the change
which has lately taken place in the English
ministry. produces none in the principles of
England, which it will be easy to discover
from their speeches in the new Parliament,
and 1t she continues to proclaim the princi-
pie ofperpetual war and of universal soye.
reigAty, in maintaining her Orders of Coun-
Gil, in that case the undersigned is charged
TO declare to the Dutch Ministry and Natl
on, that tine present situation of Holland is
Incompatible with the circumstances or the
situation in which the new principles adopt
ed by England have placed the affairs of the
Empire and the Continent. In consequence
his Imperial Majesty proposes
81. To recall home the Prince of his
blood whom he had placed on the Throne of
Holland. The first duty of French Prince
placed in the line of hereditary succession to
the Imperial Throne is towards that Throne.
When in opposition to that, all others must
give way the first duty of every French
man in whatever situation destiny may place
him, is towards his country.
I" III To occupy all the m ouths of the ri
vers in Holland, and all its ports, by French
troops, as they were from the conquest made
by France in 1894, to the moment when
his Imperial Majesty hoped to conciliate
every one by establishing the Throne of Hol
land
III. 10 employ every means, and with
out being stopped by any consideration. to
make Holland enter into the continental sys.
TEN, and to wrest definitivey its ports and
coasts from the administration which has
rendered the ports of Holland the principal
entrepots, and the great part of the Dutch
Merchants, the Brokers, and the CONNER
ciai Agents of England.
(Signed)
"DUC DE CADORE."