Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-07-29
PHILADELPHIA, July 24.
The Navigation of Neutrals.


The course which France has recently ia
ken, in effect amounts to an alteration of its
policy, and the abandonment of an irrational
and unjust direct rigor againstth pacific neu-
trail, in order to affect indirectly the violent
and oppressive belligerent. This change of
policy viii have very important effects, and
1t is incumbent on the trading part of the A
merican nation to look to it in time, and con-
slider what the operation of this change will
be.-France has for several years past acted
as if the United States were still the colonies
OF Great Britain, and not an independent ma
ton, for whenever the intolerance, or the
spirit or monopoly of the British government
produced measure calculated particularly
to restrain the enterprise and confine the
commerce of the United States to her own
ports, or TO exclude it from other ports, the
French, instead of holding forth contrary
course, instead OF presenting favors and ad
vantages when her rival presented wrongs
and injustice, her policy was to heap new
wrongs in addition tothose other rival; when
England comitted an outrage, France reta-
Ented by another outrage on the injured, as
1t an injury done to the United States was al
ways sure to reach England
This policy of France, indicated very I'M
usual and limited knowledge ofthe human cha
racter, and particularly of the true circum-
stances of this nation; it is the point which
is perhaps the solitary and iDscrutabIe one in
the chart of French policy. 1t is very true
that there was some speCiousness in the con-
ception, that the injuries done to the great
mass of commerce carried on under the A.
merican colours, must materially affect Bril-
fish capital from the vast sums invested and
the number of British houses cstabl shed in
the u. States, either directly and open, or by
r led
| abuse of the flag and of forced hahers pro-
cured and sent to every part of the world by
Americans resldingin London, gave fur
Their color to the oppression of our commerce
| by the French; and the patient suifcrance Of
reiterated outrages on the part Of England
by the u. states argued too iorcibly to be ca
SLY resisted by any other than local expert
ence, the plausbility of that policy which was
| pursued TO disregard our rights lin order &c
| injure her enemy the whole L. States were
| therefore treated By France as mere hewers
| of wood and drawers Of water, because Bri-
| fish capital was invested in our commerce.
| because some Of our own citizens were
! HuTchaScd by the facilities which an illici.
trade afforded to acquire great wealth SUD
| denly and at light hazards-bcc ause others
lost co all sense Of virtue, TO the national cha
! ractcr, 20 all the generous feelings which
Constitute tfCc hOnOI ana integrity, set the
| Almighty ut defiance BY perjury, and put all
human laws IL defiance to assure wcalth be-
cause these things were done, and will bt
dCno wliiic human nature is approachcble by
the passions the French government tramp
led upon the rights Of a whole nation, be
cause her Iiya! derived advantages from tho
vices OF a comparatively few She injured Z
Whole people because a few were depraved
That these have been the htfHci1ies Of tn,
French policy is not 60 be doubted for it has
been frequently ayowed and although frc
qucnt re.axations have taken place in tn,
pTosecuuri Of it, as in the never cNecutin,
those parts OF tie Berlin decree which j.
imitation Of England prciesSed 20 declar,
that island in a state of blockade, as the BrI
tish had previously declared at times tn,
whole Of France, at other times only a par
OF France, and at other times the who'll
coast of Spain when in siliance with France
Itnow appears that ETance has determine,
to change herpo.cy, and to act at last as sh
should have acted 1t first She oppressed Il
to affect England, but the Consequence ha
, been only to defeat the purposes which sh
hoped to accomplish by that policy. She an
pears now disposed topurSuc policy Of IA
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