Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-07-18
From tie Yisginia Patriot.

TeleCteuO y Engtanu, VIII eiS ".',.
B that it is g a point of considerable lmpor-
tance, inaslnuch as it proves unequivocally
the disposition of the British government,
md rests the sincerity OF its previous as
surances."
With much more truth might this obser-
servation be applied to The government OF
the United States, il the whole transaction
has indeed been correctly statedin the 60
yernment paper. (
We are informed that the ministers OF
both France and England have frequent
~ declared that as the measures taken by
their respective governments were entirely
retaliatory, either would, on the previous
repeal of theorders ofthe other, revoke Its
own"
g To put the sincerity of this assurance
to the test" propositions were made by our
government to France, through Gen. Arm
strong.
Ii is well known, that the first measure
which is to be considered as making open
war on American commerce, was the Scr"
lin decree, issued by the emperor OF France
in.Dec. 1906, immediately after the con-
qusss Of Prussia. TO reealiate this mea'
sure, the British goverament issued the
orders of Nov. 1907, which were originally
far less obnoxious than the Berlin decree
and which have been since considerably
modified. These orders were followed BY
the dscreessof Milan and Bayonne, under
which all American property found either
s. at sea or on shore has been swept into the
imperial treasury- =,
Had The object Of oar government really
been to put the sincerity OF the assurances
respectively made BY the ministers OF France
and England to the test, toe enquiry made
of the latter power would have been, whe
3 sther she would revoke her orders, It the
Berlin decree were previously repealed
ard, on receiving an answer IN the athrma-
tive. this answer would have been laid be.
fore the government Of France, accomPa-
MED by a request fot the repeal OF that OBJ
snoxions measure. Under such circum-
stances, an answer in the negative from Ell
8 Their OF these powers, would, IN reality,
shave tested the sincerity OF the assuran-
ACES made by their respective ministers,and
struly indicated the party to whom the con-
'ttihuance OF thepresent outrages on AmeH.
sCa are really 10 De asCfipea'
But.this would have been useless be-
cause England, unasked, has answered her
rart of the question in the affirmative, and
France refuses to meet her on this fair
Ground. To have asked this question: there
fore would not have answered the purpos
-es of our government; for it would have
furnished no additional means for aggra-
vatinp the offences of the former, or palli.
Safing those of the latter.
The proposition then was made to France
requiring. that the FIRST step should be taken
BY England. This, Of itself, maniiests a
partialiiy too glazing MOTTO be perceived by
both nations. tits arranging ourselves on
the side of France, bye procedure which
irresistably implies that the Berlin decreeis
nor the iniation of that war on neutral COM
merce which would exrertninate it it the
power of Napoleon at sea were equal to his
control on the land: but that It is consider
ed by us as a measure of retaliation pro-
duced if not justified by the previous Inva.
sions ofneutral rights onthe part Ot Eng
land,
1.-THE requisi,ion thus made, that the srs'
retrorade step should be taken by that pow.
er which had only followed at a very great
distance. the strides of Its adversary, ma.
nifrsts the partially of our administration
she nature Of that retrogade step, thus re-
quired, affords s,ll more conclusive test,
moHy of that Partially.
The French minister is asked "whether
If Great Britain revoked her blockades OF ;
date anterior TO that (the Berlin) decree
his majesty would consent TO revoke tia
decree
The act to be performed by England