The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-11-26
THE ENQUIRER.
RICHMOND, MoVEMBER 2e, 1911.
THE QUESTION TRULY STATED
No. III.

THE QUESTION TRULY STATED
No. III.
We have touched, in the two first Num-
bers, on the leading idea in Mr.. Fosters let
tiers; to wit, that the DEGREES of France are
not revoked at all; and We have at the
same time seen. how hollow are all the argu-
ments which he has taken to support it
We come now to the Cd position which he
has taken, as an excuse for, the misconduct
,ot his cabinet; viz: that, even if the French
DEGREES had been revoked a al, they are
not revoked in all their. farts-And as the
test OF this, that the manufactures of q. Bril-
cain are not admitted into certain ports of
the continent. 1t might have been supposed
chat the Importance of this conditi n would
at least have ensured its candid exposition.
\ ct this is not the case the British Minis
ter seems to shrink from the task which he
has undertaken. He at first wraps up the
idea III the most general phrases; and we are
at a loss to know what he means, or whether
he means any thing, until pressed home by
the repeated enquiries of MIR. Monroe, he is
compelled to throw off the Masque, and pre-
sent the Monster in open day.
From the time of the Orders in Council.
indeed, it seems somewhat difficult to fix
the Precise intentions of the British Minis
tiers. In their early acts they dealt in very
general phrases they did not saw, that it
was their Intention to abide by their Or
ders, until their goods were admitted into the
comment yet the style in which they ex-
pressed themselves was SO ominous as to
draw our attention, and SO general as to
embrace the very terms now unfolded by
Mr. Foster.-These public acts recite. by
way of excuse for their aggressions, the ills
which threaten G. B. from both features OF
the Berlin decree; yet neither do they state
IN express terms, that both these must cease
before the acts of G. b. can cease.
Ihus-the first Order which succeeded the
Berlin decree, (that of Jan. z, 1907 recites
that whereas the French Government has
issued certain Orders, which, in violation of
the usages OF war, purport to prohibit the
commerce OF all neutral nations with his ma
lestys dominions, and also to hreuent such
nations from trading 4uith any other country
m any articles, the grozoth, produce or ma
nntacture Of his majesfy's dominions. yc.
&c. his majesty therefore feels himself bound
TO take some steps on his part to restrain
TINS violence and to retort upon them the e.
Wis OF their own injustice. I'm the Orders
OF lith Nov. ofthe same year, they follow up
TINS blow, with stronger steps but with the
same preamble, viz: that by the French de-
cree not only" the British islands were de-
clared to be in a state of blockade but
all trading in English merchandise is pro-
hlblted, & every article Of merchandise be-
Longing to England, or coming from her Co
ionies. or 81 her manufacture, is declared
lawful prize"
1t might have been hoped, however, that
wnen tnese instruments were drawn, they
might nave been inadvertently framed, soas to
embrace both points without laying equal
stress uDOD both IxotJ, / Il
been touched upon, by way of preamble,
yet that G.. Britain did not mean seriously to
embrace both within the conditions ON which
ner Orders were to cease. tits certain that
the British Minister here was not instructed
on this subject.--Mr. Madison tells General
Armstrong in his dispatch of Feb. 10, 1903,
that Mr.. Erskine had Just communicated the
Orders OF Nov. with the assurances of his
majesty regret, and that he would readi-
~ follow an example of relinquishing such a
course or even OF making relaxations, har
fassn, with his enemy" "Whether (Mr
Madison adds,) these intimatiop< have any
reference to the distinction between such
parts OF the French decree as operate mu-
nicipally on shore, and such as operating on
the high seas, violate the rights of neutrals
or to distinction between the former re.
strlctlon and the late extension of the de-
cree with respect to the u. S., Mr.. Erskine
aid not seem authorised TO saH The proba.
bility is, that neither of these distinctions
entered into the Uie zos of the British cabinet ,
Mr.. Madison tells Mr.. Pnkney, on the 1etf
OF February, that Mr.. Erskine was asked
whether his government distinguished be
tween the operation of the French decree
municipality on land, and its operation on tn,
high seas On this hoint he was unable n
ons7oer."
| 1t might have been hoped, too, that even |;
they had taken this ground, from the first
knowingly and deliberately, they would hav,
dropt it at last that as soon as their pas
sions had cooled down, and reason had re-
sumed its sway, they would be struck witt
the outrageousness of this pretension to force
trade in the manufactures of England
that they would let it die silently aWav. g
say nothing more about it. But vain was such
hope. The same pretcnsion seems to peer
out in the note of Lord Wellesley of 31st An
! gust, I810--but it peeped out if at all, in tn.
4 most vague and general expressions. Hi
Lordship says, that "his majesty would re
I llnq 1ish his system, whenever the repeal O
tue French DEGREES shall have actually Ia
: ken effect, anil the commerce. If neutral ma
HoHs shaH hare been restored TO- The conditi
on IN zchichh stood previously to The hro
nulgation Or Hose decrees."
| hese terms, vague as they are, wer
scii oninous enough to excite ca suspicion
| very thinking nan in Ame,fca believed tina
they meant something, though they did no
4 rrpriocI,- & : t.