Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-02-26

lNOs y.
Mr.. Pinkney to Lord Wellesley.
GREAT CUMBERLAND PLACE,
lOsh December, 1910.
My Lord,
In compliance with the request con-
tanned in your note of the 9th inst. | pro-
coed 70 rccapitulate in this letter (wi,h some
variations, however, the s,aemants and
remarks which had the honor to make in
our conference OF the 5th respecting the
revocation of the French DEGREES, as con.
nected with change OF system here on the
subj-ct of neutral rights
Your lordship need not be told that |
should have been happy to offer at much
earlier moment every explanation in my
power on matters of such high concern to
the rights and commerce of my country and
the future character of its foreign relations,
If had been made to understand that ex-
PLANTATION was desired.
NV written communications OF August
and November were concise, but they were
not intended to be insufficient. They fur
nished evidence which thought conclusive,
and ab.taiued from labored commentary
because | deemed it superAuous. | had
taken up an opinion, which abandoned re-
luctan'iv and late, that the British govern
mrn, would be eager to follow the example
of France in recalling, as it had profssed
TO do in promu' eating, that extraordinary
system OF maritime annoyance, which in
1907 presented to neutral trade in almost
all its directions the hopeless alternative of
inactivity ar conhscation; which consider.
ed it AS a subject TO be regulated, like the
trade Of the United Kingdoms. by the sta.
tues of III. British Parliament; and under
took to bend and fashion it by every variety
of expediens to all the purposes and even
the caprices of Great Britain. / had no
iGsa that the remnant of that system. pro-
ductive of no conceivable advantage to En-
gland, and deservedly odious, for its theo-
~ and destructive effects to Others, could
survive the public declaration of France
that the edicts Of Berlin and Milan were
revoked. Instructed at length, however,
by your lordship's continued silence, and
alarmed for the opcrtv Of my fyllo Stciti-
Zens, now more than ever exposed, BY an
erroneous confidence, to the ruinous opera.
ton OF the British orders, was preparing
to support my general presentations by
d all d rrmonstrance, when received the
honor of your note of The 4th inst. In the
conference which ensued troubled your
lordship with verbal communication, of
which the following is nearly the substance.
The doubts which appear to stand in the
way of the recall Of the British orders in
council (und-r which denomination | in.
cude certain ord,rs of blockade of kin
dred principle and spriD must refer TO the
manner, or the terms, or the practical effect
of the alledged repeal of the DEGREES of
France.
That the manner OF the proceeding is sa
tisfactory to tn" British government cannot
b. question since it is precisely that in
which its own numerous orders for estab-
fishing, modifying or removing the block
AIDES and other maritime distractions are
usually proclaimed to neutral states and
merchants.
The French repeal was officially notified
on the 5,h of August to the minister pleni-
poteatlary OF the United States at Pa,is bv
the French minister for foreign affairs as
had the honor to inform your lordship in
my letter of the 25,h of the same mon, n,
which not only gave the import, but Gas the
encloscdc copy will shew) adopted the words
Of general Armstrong; statement to me of
the tenor and effect of that notice.
On the 9th of August the notification Of
general Armstrong was published in the
Msniteur, the official journal of the French
government, as the act of that government, !;
and thus became formal d-clar alton and
public pledge 70 al! who had all interest in
the matter of it.
1t would be a waste OF time to particula.
rise the numerous instances OF analogous
pracnces in England, by which this course
is countenanced, but a recent example hap
pens to be before me, and may therefore be
mentioned. The partial recall, or modi6.