Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1811-02-08
gge 8a5ette.
M~artinsburgh, Feb. 8.

On the 1st May last, our enlightened congress,
having some time before solemnly resolved that the
i honor and the independence of the United States
4 would not suffer it to sab1nif to the DEGREES of Napo-
leon and the orders in council Of George 3rd, and be-
ing at its wits end how to resist-in the profundity
OF its wisdom, passed a law to this effect" That if,
g prior to the 4th March, 1911, either France or
=" Great Britain should revoke her DEGREES ~piolating
I" neutral yghts, the president should declare the same
s'by proclamation, and that, if the other party should
not within three months thereafter, revoke her de-
" crees, the non. intercourse law should be put in
force against her."
In obedience to this law, the secretary of state, by
j the directions of the president, on the 5h Of Iune
A last, wrote thus to Gen. Armstrong our minister at
u Paris.
eff, however, the arrangement contempla-
ted by the law should be acceptable to the
French government, you will understand it
to be the purpose of the President, not to pro-
coed in giving it effect, in case the late sci
cure OF the property of the citizens. of the u
nited States has been followed by an absolute
coniiscation, and restoration be finally refus-
ed. The only ground, short Of a preliminary
restoration of the property, on which the con
temPlated arrangement can be made, will be
an understanding that the confiscation is re-
versible, and that it will become Immediate
ly the subject of discussion with a reasonable
prospect of Justice to our injured citizens
Ia another letter to General Armstrong, dated on
the 5th July, be says,
If it be not the purpose of the French
government to remove every idea of friendly
a adjustment with the United States. it would
tn nnae,Ifa H.,4 4l~4
this violent proceeding must lead to a redress
OF it, as a preliminary to a general accom-
modation OF the differences between the two
countries"
And IN a subsequent part of the same letter, a. Il
DESTROYS OF leaving nothing at inference upon this
important point, he gives to our minister the follow.
ing precise, definite and conclusive instructioa-
AS has been heretofore stated to YOU. a
satisfactory provision for restoring tie pro.
perty, lately surprized and seized, by the or.
der, or at the instance, of the French 90.
vernment, must be combined with a repca]
Of the French edicts, with a view 10 a non,
intercourse with Great Britain such a pro.
vision being an indispensable evidence of the
just purpose of France towards the United
States
On the 9Th of August, the duke of Galore writes
to General Armstrong,
/" am authorised to declare to you, sir,
that the DEGREES of Berlin and Milan are re,
yoked, and that, after the first of November,
they will cease to have effect; it being un-
derstood that, in consequence of this declara,
ton, the English shall revoke their order,
IN council, and renounce the new principles
Of blockade which they have wished to e.
tablish or that the United States, confor
mably to the act you have just communica.
ted, shall cause their rights to be respected
by the English"
On the 18th September, Gen. Armstrong write
10 our secretary of state,
81 have the honor to enclose copies of two
other letters from the duke of Galore, one
of which is an answer to my note of the 8th
instant. To the question, whether we had a
ny thing to expect in reparation for past
wrongss They reply, that their act being
of reprisal, the law of reprisal must govern
in other words, that if you contiscote French
property, under the ta1c of non-intercoarse
they 1DiU confscate your property, mndes
their decree of RdmbouiIlet. The words I'm
derscored, is the verbal explanation which
accompanied the letter.
On the md November, the president issues hi.
proclamation, declaring ''dhat France had SO reyok
"ed her DEGREES as that they did, on the list Novem
"ber, cease to violate OR neutral rights."-And or
the same second of November, the secretary OF state
writes thus to General Armstrong,
+" 1t is to be remarked, moreover, that II
Issuing the proclamation, it has been pre-
sumed that the requisition contained IN ina