Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-05-29

to bind the rulers of the Great Nation. b.
naParte and his predecessors the Directory,
nave been alike psrhdious; and this Mr.. JEFF
ferson and Mr.. Madison Perfectly well know
Mr. Madison letter Of May %, 1907, to
Gen. Armstrong calls the Berlin decree, ga
gross lnfraction OF neutral rights And in a
subsequent letter, February 8, 1908 refer
ring to the emperor's construction (aboye
stated OF his Berlin decree, says, sit violates
as well the positive stipulations of the conven-
uon OF September 80, 1900, our last and only
existing treaty with France as the incontesta-
bic principles of public law" And yet the
French minister Champ .gny, we have seen
has the eHrontery to say "lt has seemed easy
to reconcile these measures in executing tie
Berlin decree with the observance of trea-
ties pa
But must again recur to Mr.. Jefcrson's
message. Every reader will bear in mind
that the four papers herewith communicated
were offered as the sole ground for laying an
embargo. He said they "shcwed the great
and increased dangers with which our vessels,
our seamen aud merchandise were threatened
on the high seas and elsewhere from the bel
ligerent powers of Europe" | have shewn
that the terms of the British proclamation
manifested a lessening, not an increase of dam
gers to our seamen and it had no relation to
vessels or merchandise. The other three d.
rers regarded the French and these, then,
II any, must show, the g great and increasing
dangers" mentioned by Mr.. Jefferson. Now
take his own opinion of the Berlin decree and
of the French emperor's construction OF it, as
expressed in Mr.. Madison's letter to Gen.
Armstrong, dated Feb s, s0s, in which he
saws" the conduct Of the French govern
ment, in giving this extended construction to
its decree, aud indeed in issuing one with
such an apparent or doubtful import against
the rights of the sea, is.the mere extraordina-
!, nv, inasmuch as its inability to enforce it on
:: thas element exhibited the measure IN the hgdH
>, Of entity menace" So now we see that
the Berlin decree and It's extended Coastruc-
ton which SHOWED the great and increasing
dangers 70 our vessels, sea,nen and mercl.an-
die" amounted to---W hat ? An empty me-
nace !" because of the Emperer's inability to
enforce the execution OF his decree upon the
sea. Aud in his letter to Mr.. Erskme, the
British minister at Washington, Mr.. Madison
says, France was without the means to caF-
; ~ the Berlin decree into effect"
: And what opinion, fellow citizens, can you
, now form of the Illustrious Jefferson :" He
, alarms you with dangers which he knew did
not exist; and protesting tender concern
: for the preservation of our vessels, searsea
and merchandise, "these essential resources"
recommends an embargo! In this single
! transaction (if other instances were wanting)
you have full evidence of hypocricy and du-
plicity, and deceit, and assumed patriotism
assumed as a screen behind which he con:
, trfyed scheme dishonorable to the nation,
: and pregnant with ruin. Fer nearly all the
5 losses and suferings Of our seamen, merchants
and other citizens, with the ruin of many, and
; the failure of the public revenues, have
grown out of the embargo, that fruitful mo-
| ther of all the plaques by which, i'll the narae
, of acts of Congress imposing prohibitions and
: restrictions, our commerce and fisheries have
: been laid waste.
t One plain, but very important inference, re-
: mains to be noticed and impressed. AS you
: have now seen Mr.. Jetferson's allcdged
ground Of the embargo to be deceittul and
false, it will be natural to enquire, What was'
the reason inducing him to recommend the
embargo As cannot suppose the worst OF
men to act without motive, so Mr. Jetter-
SON must have had some strong one to take SO
bold step, as to impose the embargo, such
as we have seen it IN its intended duration,
5 (which was purposely without limitation) and
in its ruinous effect. Read once more MIR.
, Champagny' letter of Oct. 7, (whie you In
, dulge me in some repettions) and see whe-
Their the motives | have detailed be not mani
fest.
, The object Of the Berlin decree is plain /;
: it was avowcd by Bonaparte, viz. to cut eli all
trade of his subjects, allies and neutrals, with
the British dominions, thinking by that means
, 10 ruin the commerce, and destroy the power
of Britain Against this monssrous Decree
violating our rights bytreaty and by the law
: Of nations, General Armstrong complained
In the answer OF Mr.. Champagny, we are toia,
: q" tbs decree of blockade has been now issued
eleven months. The principal powers OF Eu'
rope, far from protesting against 'tsprovlsions,
have adopted them. They have pereeiSea
: that its execution must be completes ~ lon
J. seemed easy