The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-09-03
from me prMoonAl1o rarss.
AN EXAMINATION

Respecting Neurals, since the peace of Amiens, in
1905, and before the treneh Berlin Decree, in
1906.
Ills the peculiar felicity of the government &
people of the U. s. that we continue uncommit-
ted in the stupendous war, which egitates all
Europe. and deeply affects the four quarters of
the world. II has pleased God to smile upon
our righteous institutions, in this their early, IN
expected and wonderful trial. May he equally
favor the honest purposes of all other nations
and give, to the peace loving and prosperous n
Mericans, thankful hearts
It's believed that it will not be good for either
oi the belEgerents TO make an unjust war upon
US. Therefore it is, al this crisis, Of the utmost
Importance 10 ms TO satisfy our own consciences
and Judgments as TO the course, in which we
ought to proceed 1t is also of the utmost I'M
portancc to theni.
In performing this high duty, we ought to
keep our minds equally unprejudiced by the SO
phistries OF foreign governments, and by the in
cessant tide oil matter, which flows from the
presses oil foreign nations, within and without
cur country, and from those of national, local. or
professional parties among ourselves. 1t is
only by our calmly ascending TO high ground
and taking view Som thence of the great e.
vents OF the war, and of the belligerents' acts
which have grown out of them, that they can
hope to comprehend our situation ard prospects,
CIR real dates and Our true poncy
considering, that the wars aid aggrcssions,
which srosc out of the French revolutions of
1889. 1890 and 1899. were formally terminated
IN 1902, by the Treaty of A.,rieas, and that the
conduct OF the great maritime states, in those
.sars and aggressions has been carefully exam
ineo, compared and considered, as well i'm re-
terence the time, before the commencement
of hostIlities in 1898, between G. Britain and
France, as since that event aud do wn to their
Treaty otpeace at hmiens, in 1902, that first
1snr mar ha -. l.. I
facts and observations, which have been hereto.
toIe collected and submitted.
On the part 81 the sopernmentof France, from
The renewal OF the wax IN 1903, until the date of
her alledgeo retaiiat0ry decree of the DIST Nov.
1890, there does not appear among The fsreign
acts, OF which copies were transmitted with The
message OF the late President, Jefferson on the
$50 December, 1903, any one single Decree or
Proclamation, executive, Legislature or ralitory,
affecting neutral rights, before that OF the 2Ist of
November, 1906, commonly denominated the
Trench Berlin decree Il appears therefore, ,tiat
no srtineutrsl act Of the French government
could have laid any Just foundation for any anti.
neutrs or allsdged retsliatory Orders in Coun.
Gil, on tic part os &. B. between the renew
o war in 1903, and the issuing of The Berlin
Decree.
On rhe part of Great Britain, the several fol-
lowing important acts occurred and were pro.
pla;Ted 10 the whole world, her allies, her adj
EeISdTtCS ana aNtCaDle nCutralS:
l. Great Britain reaenscted IN 1903 the followe
ing section of i7eS in public act of Legislsi.
IN. :" Provided always and be it enacted, that
nothing in this acP' (to promote her navy, jhro'
her seamen) " shall be construed TO restrain
ilis majesty, his heirs and successors, from CIV
ing such further rales aud directions from time 10
time, to his respective courts of admiralty and
vicc-AdmIraty, for the adjudication and conde4,,-
&afion of prices, by his majesty, his heirs
and successors, with the advice of his or their
PRIV council shall be thought necessary or ero-
1@ss,- ~
This public statute gave to belligerent France
and neutral America, solemn and formal notice,
thai D. deliberately intended again to coun.
ter-sct The constitutions OF the court of admiral.
ty and of c. &. ali;horitativeiy settled and adj
mitted by the Judge, The kings three law Off
GERS snd the king himself, through his prime
minister the duke OF Ne Castle, in the time OF
the last war of George the second, in the case
OF the Silesia loan. THIS British statute once
more unwsrrantshly converts the 6u6iic.lasr court
IN G. Britain, into an executive office of State
which in the hands of Sir William Scott, ha
been made and IS continued 10 be made plia-
bic instrument to impede and destroy neutral
trade, TO confscate neutral property aud to pre-
vent the commerce, supplies and prosperity Of
adversary belHgerents, at the despotic will of
one government and in a manner unauthorized
by the law of nations. 1t is in truth O statutory
ons, ensurins the habituai commitment Of such
scts.
IL. On the 23d of June 1905, (and after the
present war with France had commenced) c.
3 issued an order IN council, subjectng a ueu-
trail vessel aud ne7g cargo in new voyage, in
the trade between neutral countries and belIge
rent colonies 10 seizure, ifthe neutral vessel, in
her out wardvoyage, had supplied IN enemy with
articles contraband OF war a seizure anaRthoYis
d6J the IG7p Of Nations and an usurpation of
the regulation OF neutral trade, tempting or pro
Voking her enemy to q similar usufpation, as Of
ten as we submitted TO it.
Ill On the 25lh of July 1903, the British
Admiral, Sir Samuel Hood, notified pretend
ed blockade of fe9o seho!e and csnsiaeYG5e French
West India lsiahds. This unexampled act was
made ,@ftoSbsctive, TO the extent OF thrty-eight
days. Ii wts in operation for nearly z months,
during which France and our trade must have
been materially harrsssed and injured. 1t was
abandoned after long time as unlawful, but
without remedy
w IN the month Of March 1904, the British
Admiral, Sir Jobn Duci<wortb, the same who
tried 10 coerce the Turks, after a fruitless at.
tempt to take by seige thu principal place Of
srms oftse Island Curracoa, proclaimed 4 block
ate of the whole Island.-It is not understood,
That any check or censure was given to ADM.
rails Hood and Duckw0rtb, but or the contrary,
they like hdmirals Nelson, Berkeley and Pop
ham, several of their CommodUres and Navy
Captains, have been cherished, countenanced
and encouraged and converted into pernicious
examples By a change to better ernployments &
ky actual promotion. Such things excite the
opposite belligerents to similar or other veSati-
ons aud injuries to neutral rights and commerce ;