Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-03-09

This, England in April tsos) ordered the
entrances Of the Ems, Weser, Elbe, and
Traye, to be most vigorously blockaded,
I" according 70 the acknowledged and allow.
ed usages of war in similar cases." lf We
adopt conjecture pasronized by Mr..
Monroe, according to our published docu.
mepts. and which carries with it. its own
confrmation)itwa in order to relieve Ame-
rican traders from the effects of a part of
this real blockade, that Mr.. Fox, in Nav
1906, contrived an extensive, but nominal
blockade, stretching from the Elbe to Brest,
and then artfully narrowed the operation of
! it by clause, which left it only in force
against enemy's property and contraband Of
war so that, unless between Ostend and
the Seine, this whole extent of coast was
treated, only as common coast of COM
mon enemy is treated in all wars whatever.
This therefore, when properly understood,
was measure of civility, rather than mea-
sure Of oppression to American neutral
traders. 1t happened also, that the block
ade was still further moderated in Septem-
Der following, in consequence Of Prussia
having attempted at thar moment to resist
France, which naturally led the English to
terminate the blockade between the Ems
and Elbe.
Here let US turn from England to look
at Bonaparse, who at this time adopted
desperate step against neutral commerce
and against England to which he was
particularly excited by an immediate pros
poet OF gain; as he had entered into new
territory, where there were many large de-
posts Of English goods. Having prepared
his measure by pretended arguments and
by tie march Of different detachments OF
troops, he issued his famous decree OF No.
vember 81, 1906, from the capital Of the
Prussian dominions, then in his posses.
sion f; directing this decrse to be commu.
nicated to his allies, for their adoption -
and declaring it fundamental law of the
French empire and of Italy, as long as En-
gland should refuse to acknowledge certain
neutral laws invented by himself. BY this
Berlin decree he ordered the blockade of
the British islands the seizure Of the per-
sons of the British, though unconcerned in
war, wherever found as also of their let.
tiers, and property of every kind, real and
personal; the stoPpage of all trade with
them the capture OF all articles coming
from their colonies or manufactures [tor
neu,rais who had innocenily bought them,
were to forfeit them, as being by the very
purchase, proved to be " the accompHces of
Ensaud"] together with the exclusion of
all which had touched in England or its
colonies. Half the amount Of the confs-
cations of the frs. seizures, was to be ap-
piled to indemnify the sufferers by English
eruizers: though we may presume, with
ont any breach of candor, that it has never
REACHED that benevolent destination.
The English upon this renewed proveca-
ton, resolved to treat the matter under
commercial point of view but American
considerations still came across them to
check this conduct. On December 81,
1906, they had arranged their treaty, with
Messrs. Monroe and Pinckney but they
honorably declared, that the signature 81
ven to 1t must only be provisional; tor if
America should, at the order of Bonaparte
abandon her neutral rights, where they
were useful to England it was clear, that
Notwithstanding this treaty, England could
not respect such OF these rights, as were to
be exercised in favor of France. In the
mean time the British government, as to
immediate measures, acted with modera-
ton. They only adopted what has been
an acknowledged French practice that
is, they stopped the trade bst1Ueen one ene-
ms's port and another (Which was done by
o,dsrs in council, dated on the second Of
Jan. 1907 after which they rested on their
arms, to observe the measures of the u.
States for the restoration of the full block
ade from the Ems to the Elbe, which &C.
CURED in 1907, was the mere consequence
Of the return Of Prussia to French subiec-
ZION. But the Berlin decree, we are to
remember, acted both by sea and by lana
and the British, who had severely suffered
by actual seizures Oh the continent, and BY
the necessity of stopping farther very ex.