Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-07-01

| is at ti.is time, specially aud absclalc!v
prohibited.
From Tie decree Ct Tie ! 9Th d Jul, t
moreover appears. that fEere can be 10
importation into France, Gut upon trints
and conditions utterly inaisriise;a.,, al
that, therefore there can be &c ;.:>s;c =
ton at all Of the following arti"ses C
produce of the United States, n.-ioCiH !;
fish oil, dye wood, salt fish, cod FISH, 81; y
and peltry.
As these enumerated articles constitute
the great mass OF the exports from the L.
States to France, the mind is naturally a
wakened to survey of tiie actual condi-
ton Of the commercial relations between
the two countries; end to tie considcla-
ton that no practical good worthy OF no
tice, has resulted to the Z. States from
the revocation Of the Berlin and Milan
decreeS combined, as it unexpectedly has
been, with change in the commercial
system Of France, so momentous to the
United States.
The act of congress Of May last had
for its object. not merely tic recognition
of speculative Legitimate principle, but
the enjoyment Of a substantial benefit.
The overture therein presented, obvious
" embraced the idea Of commercial ad-
vantage. 1t included the reasonable be-
lief, that an abrogation Of the Berlin and
Milan DEGREES would leave, the ports Ct
France as free for the introduction Of The
produce OF The U. States, as they were pre-
v;ously to the promu!g cation Of those de-
cretS.
The restrictions Of the Berlin and Mi
Ian DEGREES had the effect Of restraining
the American merchants from sending
their vessels to France. The interdic-
tons in the system that has been substi-
tuted against the admission OF American
products, will have the effect Of imposing
upon them an equal restraint. If then
for the revoked DEGREES, municipal laws,
producing the same commercial effect.
have been substituted, the mode only. and
not the measure, has undergone an alter
alton. And however true it may be that
the change is lawful in form. it is never
theless, as true, that it is essentially I'M
friendly and that it does not at all COM
port with the idea inspired by your letter
Of the 27th ult. in which you were pleas
ed to declare the Sc distinctly pronounced
intention Of his imperial majesty Of IA
voring the commercial relations between
France and the United States in all the OBJ
jects Of trafc, which shall evidently pro-
coed from their agriculture or nfanUfac-
tures.''
If France, by her own acts, has blocka-
ded up her ports against the introduction
of the products Of the United States, what
motive has this government in a discus
sion with third power, to insist on the
priviledse of going to France? Whence
the inducement to urge the annulment
of blockade OF France, when, If annulled
no American cargoes could obtain mar
ket in an any other ports In such
state of things, a blockade Of the coast Of
France would be to the u. States as un-
as would be a blockade of the
coast of the Caspian Sea.
The British edicts may be viewed, as
having a double relation-frst, to the
wrong done to the United States--second,
to the wrong done to France. And il is
in the latter relation only, that France
had right to speak. But what wrong.
it may be asked. can France suffer from
British orders which cooperate with her
own regulations?
However sensible the United States
may be to the violation of their neutral
rights under those edicts, yet if France
herself has by her own acts rendered il a
theoretical instead Of a practical viola
ton, it is for this government to decide
on the degree in which sacrifices Of any
sort may be required by considerations
which peculiarly and exclusively relateto
the United States. Certain it is, that the
inducements to such sacrifices are weak
ened. as far as France can weaken them,
by having converted the right to be main
tanned, into naked one, whilst the sa- ,