The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-10-02

not at war, from the ports of Prussia--from
Austria. He cannot keep in every part of
Europe sufficient French force to shut out
our naval force But he makes use of his
influence or preponderance over the Euro
pean powers to exclude us. We cannot have
before every port in Europe sufficient ma
val force To keepit in strict and sctual block
ade, but we have the prcponde,a nce on the
ocean, and we adopt a system OF ieprisal &
retaliation founded on the strictest Justice.
Mad would We have been if we had suffer.
ed France TO enjoy all the advantages of
commerce through neutral trade, whilst we
were suffering every inlury that could re-
suit from his DEGREES. But would any man
have advised so absurd policy. Would
my man suffer his country to perish because
the measures necessary for its preservation
might press upon neutral commerce, which
Bonaparte had previously violated. q There
is no contract without a reciprocal ohligati
on. and if neutrals did not oblige the other
party to adhere to the law of nations, they
could not complain of us for not adhering to
1t. Before the Berlin decree. Bonaparte had
adopted new and extraordinary means for
distressing our commerce means which
had produced the Order in Council of Nav.
1906. during the Ministry of MIR. Fox. by
which Order, the coast, from the river Elbe
TO :Brest, was declared in a state of
ted to approach the said coast, and enter
the said rivers. except The coast and ports
from Ostend to the Seine.-No sooner had
bonaparte succeeded against Prussia, than
ne took possession of Hamburger, confisca-
ted all British property, and issued his Ber-
lin decree. All the measures we have
dopted have been the consequences of mea
sures previously adopted by him.
1.-The revoke his DEGREES, our orders con
3.
also but if he suppose that we shall aban-
don any part OF the old maritime law, he
will find himself completely mistaken He
has said, that from and after the LIST No..
Tember, his DEGREES are revoked, and our
government, taking notice that the enemy
has announced his DEGREES to be no longer
IN force from and after the LIST November
may notify. that from the LIST November, our
Orders in Council, adopted in Consequence
OF those DEGREES, will cease.
1t seems extraordinary that any per
son should deny that Bonaparte has been
the first to condemnthis commercial rse
trictions, and to confess that they have
utterly failed in producing the effect he in
tended. On the one. and the same day he
opens his ports for the importation of those
commodities WHICH he cannot procure I'm,
from the power whose commerce he had
sworn to destroy, aud with whom he had in
teruicted every species OF intercourse: and
he notifies, to the American Minister. thu
because America has repealed her non IN
terconse act, and opened her ports to French
commerce, his Berlin and Milan decree,
are revoked ; as if these DEGREES had beer
the consequence of the offensive measure,
adnptedby America, which measures having
been Withdrawn, the DEGREES are also with
drawn.
Some misapprehension seems to have ia
ken place with respect TO the decree allow
ing the importation of certain articles of CO.
ionial and East India produce /. was sup.
posed that the second article of the decree.
ordering conRscation, if the declaration,
concerning the species OF qualities of good.
were false. meant coDhscation if ii should
be found that The goods were British. The
decree, as We observed or, Saturday mich,
IN that case well not have been issued.
for the most of the goods allowed to be i'm
ported are British. But the meaning of the
second article of the decree is, that goods
are to be cenfiscatcd if false declarations be
given Of their species or qualities for in
stance. if Levant cottons. which are to paw
a higher duty, be attempted to be imported
as Brazil cotton or if hyson or green teas.
which are to pay tax of nine or six hun
dred francs be attempted to be introduced
dnder the name of common teas, which are
TO pay only $50 francs