Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-06-17

and the nature of whose discussions can on
ly be known through the medium of indivi-
dual members, who may give body and form
to the conversations which the Emperor at
times Familiarity holds with it. Such COM
munications, being frequently committed to
writing from memory, must often be inaccu-
rate. But, admit that the speech be per-
fectly genuine, it is matter in which we are
not concerned; we have nothing to do with
his speeches to his officers or confidants, any
more than he has with the private CONVEX
sation of the President of the United States
with his Secretaries or other officers of go
vernment. 1t is not to such chitchat as this,
but to his acts, that we must look for his dis
position towards the Y. States.
We cannot let this opportunity escape of
noticing the confusion of ideas which exists
on the subject of the revocation of the Berlin
and Milan DEGREES. For any thing We yet
know the Emperor of France has complied
with his engagement to repeal the DEGREES
of Berlin and Milan, SO Far as they respect
the u. States. When we intimate this, we
are asked, by friends and foes, does he not
conhscate our vessels with colonial produce,
SSc.i This we freely admit he has done, in
la most veXatious and unprincipled manner |;
but still he has complied with the letter Of
our iazv, so as not only to have justified the
Execution of the United States in issuing the
proclamation which has interdicted the i'm
portation of British goods; but, as far as the
Berlin and Milan DEGREES are involved, so as
70 warrant the present state of our CONNER
cial regulations The law of May 1st 1910.
was imperative, and admitted but of one
construction, its injunctions were vigorously
and promptly executed. But, it is said, the
Berlin and Milan DEGREES are not annulled-
Neither are they, we reply, SO far as we know,
erceht as relates 10 the U. States, which
was all required by our law to the hands of
| France, in order to entitle her to the exclu-
sive privilege she now enjoys in our ports.
| MorseYer, she has done all that was neces-
| saxysfor her TO do, to enable us to demand of
GyBrhaine oiiheipwn principles and admis-
A6nsA tNe Aevdcatpn of her edicts of like
| , Th$pS mid RA regulations of France, asto
cSnhR&ce inVfr PORTS. her seizures of our
vessels And tllesu& equent retention of them,
however offensive, and justly SO. to US, have
| not the most distant connection with the Ber-
| lin and Milan DEGREES, which involved mere
ly the abstract principle of blockade by dec
larations on paper, of which we had so great
cause to complain as one of the great COM
munity of nations; and particularly as, be-
| ing the only neutral, we were the exclusive
sufferers by it. Each of the great belliger-
ents solemnly declared that its edicts of this
| description we've dependent on those of the
other for their existence. With the sole
| view of inducing one or the other to rccede,
of testing the verify of their professions, and
| thus removing the key stone of the whole ia
brio of paper blockades, Congress passed
the law of May 1, 1910. France awaited
| herself oft, and has. to the best of our know
ledge, complied with the letter of our law:
| G. Britain, by refusing to follow the example.
has not only wilfully caused the exclusion
ofhe productions from our ports, but has
conclusvely demonstrated the fallacy of the
pretences on which alone she indicated her
violation of neutral rights. This is true
statement of the case, which neither argu-
ment or sophistry can invalidate.
Whatever reasonable ground of dissatis-
faction we may have at the unfriendly con-
| dfct Franse manifest toward us in her own
Ifrts, Sssfas right to do as she pleases
tNreSrher YouducA in that regard involves
n6F ss&tiorfQn natbnallaw; it concerns us
ato'Sk 1t viii rest With the National Legis-
laturSto decide ysat measure it will be the
policy ofsAe--U. States to mete to her in re-
turn. Nat. Int.