The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1811-12-11

attack on neutral rights, in which she pro-
| fessed TO be only the reluctant follower of
! France, has advanced with bolder and con,in-
| ually increasing strides. To the categorical
| demands lately made by our government for
| tie repeal OF her orders in council, she has
affected to deny the practical extinction OF
the French DEGREES and she has, moreover,
advanced new and unexpected dem and, in
crcasiDg in hostility the orders themselves.
She has insisted, through her accredited
minister at this place, that the repeal Of the
orders in council must be preceded, not only
by the practical abandonment of the DEGREES
of Berlin and Milan, so far as they infringe
The neutral sights OF the United States but
by the Remuneration on the part Of France, OF
the whole of her system Of commercial war
fare agains, Great Britain, of which those
DEGREES originally formed part.
The system is understood 10 consist in q
course of measures adopted by France and
the other powers on the continent subject to,
or in alliance with her, calculated to prevent
the introduction into their territories of the
products and manufactures of Great Britain
and her colonies and 10 annihilate her tiade
with them-Howcver hostile these regula-
tions may be, on the part Of France towards
Great Britain or however sensibly the lat
ter may feel their effects, they are, ncverthe-
less, TO be regarded only as the expedients of
one enemy against another, for which the u
States as "a neutral power, can, in no respect,
be responsible |; they are, too, In exact con-
lormity with those which Great-Britain has
herself adopted and acted upon in time Of
peace as well as war. And it is not to be
presumed that France would yield to the un-
authorized demand Of America, what she
seems TO have considered as one of the mose
powerful engines of the present war.
Such are the pretentions upon which G.
Britain founds the violation of the maritime
rights of the United Statcs-pre,entions not
theoretical merely, but followed up by a des-
olating war upon an unprotected commerce.
The ships OF the United States, laden with
the products of our own soil and labour, nav
Igated by our own citizens, and peaceably
pursuing lawful trade, are seized on our
coasts, at the very mouths of our harbours,
condc cmned and confscated.
Your committee are not, however, Of that
sect whose worship is at the shrine of CAL
culating ayarice And while we are laying
before you the just complaints of our me--
chants against the plumber of their ships and
cargoes, VIC cannot refrain from. presenting
10 the justice and humanity of our country
the unhappy case of our impressed seamen:
Although the groans Of these victims of bar
barity for the loss of (what should be dearer
to Americans than li(e) their liberty--al,ho'
the cries of their wives and children in the
privatioh of protectors and parents, have, Of
late, been drowned in the louder clamours at
the loss OF property yet is the practice OF
forcing our mariners into the British navy,
in violation of the rights of our flag, carried
on with unabated rigour and severity. If it
be our duty to encourage the fair and legiti-
mate commerce of this country, by protect
ing the property of the merchant, then, in
deed, by as much as life and liberty are more
cs,imabe than ships and goods,so much moro
impressive is the duty TO shield the persons
of our seamen, whose hard and honest servi-
ces are employed, equally with those of tho
merchants, in advancing, under the mantle
of its laws, the interest Of their country.
To sum up, in word, the great causes Of
complaint against Great Britain, your COM
| mittee need only say-That the United States
| as sovereign and independent power.
claim the right to use ,he ocean, which is
| the common and acknowledged highway of
nations, for the purpose of transporting, In
| their own vessels, the produce of their own
soil and the acquisitions of their own indust-
| ry, to market IN the ports of friendly ma
tons, and to bring home, in return, such ar
| ticles as :heir necessities or convenience
may requlre--always regarding the rights Of
belligerents, as defined by the established
laws of nations. Great Britain, in defiance
of this incontestible right, captures every A
meriean vessel bound to or returning from a
| port where her commerce is not favoured ;
cnslaves our seamep, and in spite of our re-
mons,rances, perseveres in these aggres-
| sions.
! To wrongs so daring in character, and SO
/ disgracefu in their execution, il is impossi-
bic that the people Of the United States
| should remain Indifferent. We must now
| tamelY and quietly submit, or we must re sist