The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-04-16
INHALATION. Anril. 9.

WAsnInGToN. April9.
All the late accounts from England represent
The British government willing to cultivate the
most perfect smity, and enter into the fullest
commero 's' intercourse with the u S. on ba-
sjAgeconcileable with the maritime rishfss of
C. 1t is on that tsss alone the VI S. desire
an adjustment OF differences And so tar, both
go.ernments are agreed. The question then 10,
-9hn are fhe maritime rights of G. B.? They
are clearly defined by the law Of nations. What
soeycr that law does not allow, cannot be a
right for all rights are referabie to some law
IN virtue of which they exist. Advantages OBJ
tained by an arbitrary exercise of force, directly
contrary 10 law, constitute tyranny, and sue has
been the definition in all ages of the world
The standard by which we are to decide the
question, therefore, is the law of nations, as it
y laid.down by the best writers who, in fact,
have done nothing more than embody the rules
and regulations which custom, experience and
Humanity. have dictated to soycreigns for the
henesiS ct the communities fpeopie over which
they preside.
ifthe British government, or that of the u.
S-c's''n any thing beyond the prescriptions of
inns 'aw' theS clam soro,e, injure other na-
tons, and, on the remons,rsnce of the injured
party, ought to relinquish the wrong and return
10 The right Let us then, briefly examine, whe-
Cher the U S. have claimed from G. B more than
the law of pat'ons allows them!
- II neutral nations (says Vattel,b. 81, CHI.
my commune oeir customary trade, they
only exercise right which they are under no
oeiigation OF sacrificing TO be;ligerent."
Ane sole exception To- this ruiz. is that species
OF commodity which is termed con.raband of
vv :" In the trade of common goods (vattel.
DIS, ch. z, ll2) neutral nations are to enjoy an
Sh'Te nos 1t Is IN common goods only,
Ssuch as Sodhsh, cotton, tobacco. &c.) thai The
". ;, hsTe claimed the neutral right of custom
cry tr>'fe- This trade, the la W of nations de.
Glars, they are under no obligation of sacrificing
to s.. g.
Bur G b has interrupted the trade thus Law.
Sclly secured to the Us
LIST. BY the imposition of transit duty (bv the
orders IN council Of Nov 1907, on our com
lnerce with France and her dependencies
"a. BY the entire prohibition (by the order in
council of the 10Th of April, 1902, of all trade
With France & Holland, and the ports of Italv
comPrehended under the denomination Of the
Kingdom of Italy.
The order of April is a modification ef those
of November and all of them are a yrbstitu,fon
N ero'trdry sriH for RTE rae Of public kau. That
oi April still continues in force, notwithstanding
the solemn promise Of repeal by the British in
Me event OF The abrogaton of the French de-
Admitting, however, that the order of Apr;,
were annuited, there is Sd WRONG, efrie sa.se
nntUe, which must be rectfied, previously to a.
ny accommodation. We mean the British ;Xe.
xaf eioekades. Do the U. S. require any thing un.
lawful On this head
All commerce fsays Vattel, b. s, ch. =.
@ii7} is entirely prohibited with a bes;eped
fcSrn II lay siege to place, or only form the
blockade, have right TO hinder any one from
entering"
Iii's doctrine the u S. have never disputed
but what particular circumstances constitute a
blockade The British government Itself ha,
described them and the U S. admit the J.r.i.
Vof the description. It is in the FOLLOWING
WORDS contained Ia a communication from Mr.
Merry to the seeretary of State, made on the
-12th OF April, 1904.
Not to consider any blockade as existing.
phie's Il" respect OF particular PORTS, which may
DC 0eHaiy i"osSfed, and then not to ca pture YES.
sells bound to such ports unless thew shall have
peen previously warned not to enter them"
inoeed, as MIR. Madison remarked in hi, note
81 Oct. 18th, 1908, 10 Mr.. Thornton, (,hen
charge des stfaires of his Britannia majesty. \
esciyterm used in defining the case imports
inc presence and position of force rendering
access to the prohibited place manifestlv diff,
cut ana dangerous. Every jurist of reputati
VINO treats with precision this branch Of the law
o. nations, refers TO actual and ooytchiay bloc
ksae Not single treaty can be found which
UNDERTAKES TO define blockade, in which the
SI ia,.o1ii goes not exclude general nominal
blockade, by limiting it to the case of suffici-
emit force so disposed as to amount to an actual
IND particular blockade" Vattel is precise In
tresting the SUBJECT, lie invariably connects the
Term siege or blockade with the worG &c fo,on''
OF Place"
: Tie acquisitions of the IT, S. are altogether
conicrmahle 70 Ibis definition They have never
deni.aided OF England any thing further. Not
LOGGER go tban the 18th of October last. the
- s'dents instructions to Mr. Pnkuey (see do
Guin:n's, page 2O,) expressly referred TO such a
dehaltion OF blockade as the u S. would accede
10 namely That IN order 10 determine what
cnHrac'erises blockaded port, that denominati-
OF IS gwen only to port where there is. bv
me disposition of the power which attacks i
Wi'h sfip9 stationary sufficiently near. an evil
den danger of entering"
= 1i's is, verbatim, what G. D stipulated with
Nussia IN the convention of June, 1901. What
g.Ss"n ofpublic law exists, then, for /. different
aoctFne wth respec. to the u. S. Champap
Hys oehmHon OF blockade, we positively aver.
mas been waved by this government, which nd
heres to the old established law on thai snh
ject. w '"'' 'u'
The U S. thus fortified by authority. are in
,ne ia%iui pursuit oftber rights when they re-
aui'e from q. b. the revocation of the blockade
OF May, 1906 Tie honest but uniformed CT
tizen VIII ask, what is this Nocsade of Nav p
~ we tell him that it includes line of coast of
not less uish one thousand miles in extent, in a
fo 20 ing mood be may still enquire ,phat is tant
to me Bur when we INFORM him that this line
ct COAST enbr,ces Hamburg, Bremen, Rotter-
uain' Amsterdam, Havre De Grace, Brest and
2 number OF other ports ; that to some of them
american vessels cannot go at all that TO o.
shers ot tHen no American vessel can proceed
nom SPAN, Portugal, Italy, Naples, Denma,k
-" eoeh siid Russia and cree versa and that
Bill tlis VAL take place in consequence NJ the