Winchester gazette. [volume] (Winchester, Va.) 18??-1826, 1811-11-20

Heaiures or war. The operation on tn
American commerce of thofe precaurion
which the conduct Of France had rendered
lndifpeniable to our fecurity, is therefor
to DC aicribed to the understandable aygre,
aon OF France, and MOTTO thofe proceeding
on the part of Great Britain, which tina
aggreiion had rendered neceflary and juit
The object of our fy item was merely I,
counterfeit an attempt to crufh the Briti(l
trade Great Britain endcavoufed to per
mt the continent to receive as large por.
ton OF commerce as might be practicable
through Great Britain and all her Tub.
iequent regulations, and every mod,tica-
ton OF her fyitem by new orders or modes
OF granting or withholding licences, have
oeen calculated for the pu,pofe Of encour-
| aging the trade of neutrals through Grea,
| britain, whenever fuch encoufs ecmenr
might appear advantageous to the gcner al
'neefe1fs oil Commerce, and. confident with
the public fafetr of the nation.
lhc publication of his maiefy's orders
IN council, and the continuance of that de-
fence have always been reffed upon the .x :
iitence of Berlin an Milan and on the per.
teverance of the enemy in the fyftem Of
hoitility which have fubverted the rights
OF neutral commerce on the ccnrinent p:
and It has always been declared on the part
OF his majetty's government, thar wheoe-
yer France fhould have effeStusllv repeal.
ed the desrees of Berlin and Milan, and
iaould kave refored neutral commerce To
the condition in which il food previou1y
TO the PRONUNCIATION of thoie DEGREES, we
thosd Immediately repeal our order. in
council.
France has Altered thar the decree Of
Heriia was mcclure of juit retaliation on
Fer part occaioned by our previous ap
grehion, ana the French government has
limited that our fy fem of blockade, az il
exiited Previoufly to the decree of Berlin,
was a manifet violation of the received
law OF nations ; we mutt therefore, Cir,
refer to the articles Of the Berlin decree 70
Ind the principles of our fyitem Of block
ade which France conhders to be new,
and contrary to the law of nations.
! BY the 4tin and 9Th articles it is Aated
as Qualification of the French decree,
that Great Britain " extends to unforti.
aed towns and commercial nor,,, to hzr.
bors, and to the mouths of rivers, tholc
rights OF blockade. which by reafon and
the uiage of nations are applicable onl,
70 forahed PLACES and that the righrs o.
piocxade ought TO be limited 10 for,reffei
really invetted by fufficient force
| Ii is added in the fame articles tina,
Great Britain I" has declared places to b,
IN fate OF blockade, before which IN,
nas e fsgle ihip OF war & even place.
which the whole Bririlh force would b.
ih'utficient to blockade, endre coats and
a@hole EmpiFs. :"
Neither the practice Of Great Britain
nor the law of Nations has ever fanStione,
the rsle now laid dswo by France, sha
no place excepting fortIe8es in conpiea
Rate of inveffiture can be deemed lawful,
biockaaed by fez.
1t iucS rule were to be admitted /
would become nearly impraSticah,c 70
Ifedt biitaia 10 attempt ,i,r block ade o
any port OF the coptinen,, and oar lubmis
hon to this perver Gon OF the law of nation
while II would de&roy one of the princi
pal advantages of our naval fuperiority
would iacrifice the common rights and in
tefetts OF all maritime itates.
IL was evident thar the blockade G
May 800 was the principal pretended IL
hhcation OF the decree of Berlin, thouy
neither the principles on which the block
ade was founded nor its practical operatio
ahosded any color for the proceedings {
ln Poiat o. date the blockade of Ma,
1906, preceded the Berlin decree, but
was Juit apd legal blockade according /,
the eitabliihed law OF nations, becaaie
; was intended to be maintained aud was &C
tuaiiy maintained by an adequate force ap
pointed to guard the whole COAT defcribe
In the notification and consequently to en-
force the blockade
Great Britain has never attempted +
: dipute that IN the ordinary courfe of III
: law OF nations, any blockade can be iuf;
ned or valid rnlefa it be fupported by a
adequate force defi ned to maintain i
: and TO expoie TO hazard veiIels attemptin
70 eVade It's operation. The blockade .
May 1906, was notified by Mr.. Secreta
ry Fox on this clear principle, nor W.
TINS oiocksde announced until he had fats
: he'd himfelf by a communication With h
naJeity's board OF admiralty, thar I'll
admiralty pofeiIed the means and wonI
employ them, of watching the Who'll
COAT from Brett to the Elbe, and of ei
feetaally enforcing the blockade.
: The blockade of May, 1906, wa
therefore (accofding to the dotf rims
: maintained by Great Bfitainj jut and Law
ful in IT'S origin, becaufc it was fupportc
both ia intentioH and fact by an adequate
naval force THE ,y,s ,bs ;,a;s..