Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-08-19
WAR W.T.. ff.s- ,sE.AND.

bolv verging 20 that crisis, which every man
In the nation who knows any thing of Bril-
fish policy and British folly, and who saw the
iilegitinatc professions which were set up by |
that government, to the dominion Of the o. |
cean, long since calculated on taking place /
at no remote period, with rs much certainty |
as an astronomer calculates an eclipse or the
period of the solstice True it is, that the
United States have for season been able to
ward OF the blowout it has been by sub
mission to British outrage and insult of eve
y; species, and in every form and shape in
which it was possible to iniiict dishonor and
disgrace ON the nation. In the experiment
To preserve peace, we have sacrificed the
liberties and even the lives of thousands of
our maritime brethren, rs we'll as the pro-
perty OF eur citizens, and worst of all, our
rational character is annihilated. Foreign
nations pay us not the least respect, and ut
home the people have sunk into a state of
slumbcr and apathy, from which nothing
can arouse them until the dogs of war shall
be let loose upon them, and enter into their
very habitations.
1t is then. and it would seem not till then,
that the American people will arouse and "a
adopt measures for their defence, which if
dopted in time, would ensure their safe
~, and preserve the lives and property of
thousands
We entreat those persons in the u States,
who imagine that it was possible to avoid
war with Great Britain without the surrender
of our national independence, and returning
to the colonial state, to take 4 calm view of
the late act of robbery, committed by that
nation ON the United States in the condem-
nation i'll the court of admiralty by sir VIM.
Scott, of upwards offifty American ships with
their cargoes bound to and from France in
trade, the fairness and LEGALITY of which
was never questioned, until British arrogance
thought fit to denounce it by ha5ier 6iockades.
Ii is not ON account of the magnitude of the
amount OF this robbery, that we call the at
'tention of our readers to the transaction, for
great rs the sum is-it is nothing to what the
Americans have been plunderrd of by cap
lures and condemna; ions in the British courts
OF admiralty, in Halifax and the West Indies,
and which have been kept out of view as na-
fo'0L depredations, on account of their pas
SIN through the legal process which is but
mere mockery Of justice. We talk of the
representations of Bonaparte-God knows
they are bad enough--but five were to bring
forward the number and amount of British
condemnations of American property in their
courts of admiralty, which are VIGOROUSLY
without fixed principles and the mere regis
ters of the arbitrary orders of the govern
recently condemned by sir William Scott, the
French spoliations both as to number and a.
mount would sink into insignihcance ccmpar-
ed with those Of the British. But to our sub
ject.
1t viii be recollected by those whose pas
sions and prejudices permit them to reflect
that in May 1906, Great Britain issued an
order in council declaring the whole CONT
nent from the Elbe to Brest in state of
blockade In the following November Bo-
naparte issued the Berlin decree in retalia-
on for this order. In November of the sue
ceeding year Great Britain issued her famous
orders in council--as the marquis Wellesley
informed MIR. Pnkney-fur the purpose of
Carving into operation the system of block
adc which had been projected by the May
order-and in retaliation for the orders Of
November the French emperor issued the
decree of Milan in the month of December
following.
The effect of those orders and DEGREES as
regarded the United States, was that, each
nation prohibited our ships from trading with
the other, on pain of capture and forfeiture
several vessels which had been in England
were seized-the property sold and seques-
tered by France and we know not of a sin
gle American yessei sound to or from France,
Holland, &c. and captured under the orders
in cornell, zyhich has nor bern condemned by
the British government, or what amounts to
the same thing-by their Courts of admiral
ty Against those unjust and illegitimate
proceedings of the belligerents, which par
alysed our commerce, the United Statesre-
moDs.rated over and over.
The answer which we received from
France, was" Our DEGREES are in retalia-
ton for the British orders in council--let
these be Withdrawn, or cause your rights to
be respected as AN independent neutral ma
ton, and our DEGREES shall cease to affect
yottr- commerce."
In reply TO our circumstances TO C.. Bril-
tain, she insisted that the Berlin and Milan
DEGREES were issued prior to her orders in
council, which latter she declared to be mea-
s1res OF retaliation only. and sunifor : " as
sured our minister in London that her or
ders shouldb be repealed as soon as the French
DEGREES were withdrawn
CoBhdng in those assurances, the Aneri-
can government passed the law of the list
of May 1910, holding out to each Of the bel
ligc cuts IN new form AN invitation Co re-
spect our just rights. This law pledged ;he
United states. in case either England or
France repealed or modified her edicts AS
Tar as they affected the commerce Of the I ].
States, TO cease to import from the nation
refusing to repeal or modify, all goods. wares
and merchandise the produce OF that natl
on, whilst free intercourse was to be main
tanned with the nation evincing a sense of
Justice by the repeal of her offensive laws. II
is proper here to remark that in this law or
proposition of our government, there was no
provision made for the restoration Of proper
y sequestered or condemned by either of
me oeliigerents under the orders and edicts.
a simple repeal of those obnoxious acts by
one oil them was the only condition of our
enforcing the non-in;portation aoains, The =