Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-07-11


sistibiy impelled, as was, by principle and
by feelings altogether American. prepared
Il; feDly my letter of Dec. 10. 1910, and laid
il before Mr. Madison. Perceiving upon rea-
/ ding it that he could not but acqu;esce in the
\ scBdinG Oft, he merely suggessedt the expedi-
| cDcy ofadding tnit what might have the effect
! of preventing the British government from
prcsuMing too much upon the ground taken
IN the letter.
This letter Of Che 18th Dec. being promi-
i'nsnt IN the catalogue Of the offences that
had brought upon me the displeasure Of MIR
Madison, oar fellow citizens Will dispassion-
;ately consider whethc7 il ought TO be look
| cd'at as {. o sin beyond forgiveness"
The following is the letter, and is replb-
Fs,,ea Cor Tie convenience Of n more easy
reference,
Tie Secretary Of stats 20 Genrsuf 7-aweau.
DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Dec. 10, 1910.
SIR,
have had the honor of receiving your
letter of the 10Th inst. in reply To my inqui-
ries in relation to certificates Of origin az vel
as to the admission into France of the pro-
ducts Of tic agriculture of the us.
From your letters it appears that the i'm
pertation into France, of cotton and tobacco,
the produce Of the United States, is at this
From the decree Of the 18th of July, it
moreover appear, that there can be no i'm
portation into France, but upon terms and
ccnditionsu utterly inadmissible, and that, there
can be no importation az al OF the following
articles the produce Of the r. S. namely FISH
oil, dye wood, salt FISH, cod FISH, hides and
pe!try.
AS these enumerated articles constitute the
great mass OF the exports from the u. Statss
to France, the mind is naturally awallend 10
a survey OF the actual condition of the com
mercial relations between the two countries !;
and to the consideration that no practical
good, worthy of notice, has resulted 60 the u.
States from the revocation Of the Berlin and
Milan DEGREES, combined, rs it Unexpectedly
has been, with change in the commercial
system of France, SO momentous to the u.
States.
The actof Congress of May last had for its
object not merely the rec gnition ofa specu-
latiye legitimate principle, but the enjoyment
of substantial beneiit. The overture therein
presented obviously embraced the idea of
commercial advantage. 1t included the rca-
sonable belief, chat an abrogaton Of the Bcr-
lin and Milan DEGREES would leave the ports
Of France as free for the introduction of the
IiroGuce cfthc Uaitcd States, as they were
previously to che PRONUNCIATION of these de-
crees.
The restrictions Of the Berlin and Milan
DEGREES had the effect of restraining the A
mencan merchants from sending their YES
sells to France. The iRterdctians in the sys-
TEN that has been substituted against the adj
mission OF American products will have the
effect OF imposing upon them an equal re-
straint. Jfthcn, Tor the revoked decrees, mu-
nicipal laws producing the S me commercial
effect, have been substituted, the mode only,
and not the measure, has undergone an alter
alton. And however true 1t may be that the
change is lawful in form, it is nevertheless as
true, that it is essentially unfrieRdiy, and that
1t does not at all COmport witA the ideas IN
spifed by your letter Of the 9th ult. IN which
you were pleased to declare the "distinctly
pronounced intention of his imperial majesty
offavoring the commcrcialrelations between
France and the United states in ali the objects
Of traiiic which shall evidently proceed from
their agriculture or manufactures"
Ii France, by her own acts, mas Blocked up
her ports against the Introduction Of the pro-
ducts ofthe United STAKES, what Alotive has
this government in n discussion wish a third
power, to insist on the privilege Of going to
France Whence the inducement to urge the
annuiment Of blockade Of France, when.
il aAulied, no American cargoes could obtain
a market in any of her portsl In such "A
state Of things, q blockade of the coast of
France would be to the United States as an
important as would be blockade of the coast
Of the Caspian Sea.
The British edicts may be viewed as hav-
ing double relation-6rat, - the wrong
dorc u the u. States-second, TO the wrong
done to France. And it is in the latter relati-
on only that France has right tn speak.
Bat what wrong, il may be asked, can France
suffer from British orders which cooperate
with her own rcgulations9
However sensible the United States may DC
~ the violation of their neutral rights under
! these cdic;s, yct, If France herself has BY her
own acts rendered IL a theoretical instead Of
! a practical violation, it Is for tiis government
TO decide on the degree IN which ssoiifces Of
/ any sort may be rcqa rcd by considerations
| which pcculiar.y and cXclUsiyeiy relate %
the U. states. Ccrtainit is, that the induce
! Iacnts 60 such sacrifices arc weakened, as fur
40 France CAV weaken them, By having COL
vclycd the right 70 be maintained into a n.k-
| Cd onc. whisc the sacriiiccs 20 DC made would
/ be substantial and extensive.
A hope however is INDUCED, that your
! m5HNcton8 from your government VIII soon
enable Won to give some satisfactory explains
tons Of thc measures 20 WHICH refcrcn:e has
been made, and that their operation IN virtue
! Of notifications, which have net yet trana-
pred, viii no. be as has been herein repre-
sented
| g'be Pree;se,t hae ~cceivcd ,s;f,, o-roat &C.