The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-04-17

mcnded to the boarding officer to execute
this indignity with politeness. About the
same time the government was informed OF
the case of the Horizon, condemned under
the Berlin decree, and that the Emperor
had determined, that that decree thould en-
brace Americans as we'll as other neutrals-
This determination was directly contrary
to the assurance given general Armstrong,
by the French minister of marine, as we'll
as to the practice under the decree. This
was the first intimation given to our govern
ment, that the Berlin decree would operate
on the interests of the u. S.
The President Gas was his duty) laid both
those subjects before Congress in message,
and it was we'll known at the time, (altho'
not oficially,) that the British order in coun-
Gil of Nov had been issued.
What was then our situation with those
nations France had declared every Anne
-s>>~ vessel that ~os bound 20 or from @.
Britain. or. having on board goods the pro-
duce OF manufacture of G. Britain, to be
lawful prize. Great Britain declared that
every American, vessel bound to any port of
Europe should first come into her ports.
there land her cargo, nay transit duty and
depart Gf they pleased) to their original
port of destination, and any vessel failing to
do so, should be liable to condemnation
that any American vessel having certih-
cate of origin on board, should be consider
cd good prize. Thus situated, we had a
choice of war or embargo. To make war
on France would have been idle, we could
lnfiict no wou.d on her by war. except that
OF Withholding our supplies from her West
and East India colonies, and this would as
effectually be done by an embargo. In a
war with England We could inffict severe
wounds on her immense commerce, and she
is always vulnerable on the side of Canada.
A more pacific system was however adop-
ted, the embargo. Had that measure been
rigidly enforced, it could not have failed to
have compelled removal of the unjust con-
duct of those nations, most certainly of that
of Great Britain. The Senate aware that
a measure of that kind could not be enfor-
ced without physical force, sensible that
the prospect of profit would induce many to
prevent its intended operations by evasions,
did Immediately pass a bill authorising the
President to tit out and put to sea all the arm
ed vessels of the U. States for the purpose
of preventing evasions of the law. to employ
our seamen who were thrown idle, and to be
prepared for events, should war ensue.-
The bill slept in the other house, and by an
Ill timed economy was ultimately rejected,
by which free scope was given to the eva.
ders of the law. and the system (Which was
a wise one,) was in some degree frustrated
yet it had an effect highly salutary on G.
Britain, it compelled her to MODIFY the or
ders of council of November, and no longer
were our ships compelled to go into her
ports and there pay tributs no longer were
our vessels subjected to condemnation for
The embargo was severely felt by Great
Britain while in force, every article which
they had been accustomed to receive from
US, rose Immediately in price, and am con-
hdent that had it been continued and exs
cuted, full satisfaction would have been Civ.
en- by G. B.ifor the various outrages which
had beer committed on our honor & indepen-
dence. 1t was relinquished, and non in
tercoursc was substituted as to both nations.
This measure, although less strong, was
such as would have been very severely felt
by the British nation. 1t completely exclu-
ded the importation of our manufactures
from the United States /; it took from her a
market for more than one half of her man.
ufactures, it turned idle a large number OF
workmen, and although it did not prevent
her from getting our produce, yet she OBJ
tanned them in such a way, that they cos,
her in some instances double their usual
price. Thisncw system was however, check.
ed in its course by the arrangement made
with G.: Britain through Mr.. Erskine.-
Our ports were thrown open, and our yes
sells (then nearly all in our harbors) soon fill
ed G.. Britain with every thing she wanted
at low prices; flour fell instantly in Eng
land to nine and a half and ten dollars the
barrel
Great Britain in lieu of the orders of coun-
Gil excluded us from France and Holland
and their colonies, and from Italy by pa.
per blockade; an ubiquitous, illegal system,
which she had adopted in 1898, and has eli.
Their contracted or extended at her pleasure
ever since. Our law excluded us from
France and Italy. This tended to give a
direction to great proportion Of our trade
to G.. Britain, and thereby completely sup
piled her wants. On the disavowal of Mr.
ErskiDe's arrangement, the non-intercourse
" as renewed, and a stop put to our exports,
to O. Britain (; the consequence was, that
flour rose Immediately to IL and Is dollars
in England, cotton, tobacco and other arti.
cles in proportion still greater. 1 mentl
on this to shew, that whenever we stop our
tradeito g. Britain, she feels it sensibly in
the high prices she has to give for our ex-
ports, and thus to shew the efficacy of the
system that has been taken, if it had been
duly executed. But in her exports G.. Bri.
tain felt little, for our merchants had given
their orders under the arrangement, and il
would have been unjust to have prevented
them from receiving the goods they had or.
dered the non-impsrtatiou part, which
| conceive the most essential part Of tue non
intercourse, had in consequence been impe.
ratiye.
What then was our situation when Con.
gress metz The French privateers were
capturing our defenceless merchant ships