Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-06-17

is certain, that application having been made
to the minister at the requisition Of the Senate
during the present session, ne had declared an
entire ignorance OF every thing relating to the
subject.
To dissipate the last shadow of doubt on
the question of the repeal OF the French De-
crees, Mr. Serrurier, in his letter of July %,
1911, to the Secretary Of State expressly de-
cafes, that 6 the nezu distositions OF our CO.
vernment, expressed in the supplementary
act of the Cd Of March last, having been Off
cialy communicated to his court, his imperial
majesty, as soon as he was made acquainted
with them, directed that the American ves-
sells sequestered in the ports of France since
the I'd of N-ov. should be released, orders
were at the same time to be given TO admit H.
duce u
Under these circumstances, whatever diff
ference of opinion might exist as to the pro-
priety of the Presidents Proclamation in the
first instance, there could be none as to it's re-
vocation. As soon as it was ascertained, not
only from the proceedings of her cruisers on
the high seas, but OF her courts OF law, and OF
her government, that France had acted, maia
tide, towards this country, 1t surely became
the duty OF the President to recall that procla-
nation. He could have no doubt of his con-
sti,utional power over the subject, having al
ready exercised it in case not dissimilar.
Erskine' arrangement That proclamation
was the dividing fire of our policy the root
OF our present evil From that fatal procla
nation we are to date our departure from that
neutral position to which we had so long S, so
tenaciousl, adhered, and the accomplishment
of the designs of France upon US. In issuing
it, the President had yielded to the decetful
oyertures of France; and it Was worthy of
observation how differenfa construction had
thereby been put upon The act of non-inter
course Gas it was commonly called) from that
of May, l8l0--although the words of the two
acts were the same. In the first case, modl-
fcation of the DEGREES and orders ot the belil-
gerents, so as that they should cease to violate
our neutral rights was alone required.
In the second, other matter was blended
with them, although the words of the two
acts were identicaliy the same. This grew
out of the insidiouS letter Of the duke OF
Galore, the terms OF which were accept
ed, with the conditions annexed, by the presi-
dent Of the United States. These conditions
presented two alternatives: That England
shoald revoke her orders in council and abo-
lish those principles Of blockade which France
alledged to be new, or that the United States
should cause their flag to be respected by the
English''-in other words should become par
ties to the war on the side of France. In or
der to know what these principles were, the
remuneration of which we were to require at
the instigation of France, 1t would be neces-
sary to attend to the language of the French
DEGREES. By these it would not be denied
that principles, heretofore unheard of were
attempted to be I" interholated into the lazvs Of
NATIONS" -Principles Numerically adverse to
those which the government of the United
States had repeatedly recognised in their COR
respondence with foreign powers as we'll as
in their public treaties, to be legitimate and
incontestible. The French doctrine of block
AIDE being the only branch Of the subject en-
braccd in the duke of Cadore's letter of the
5th Of August, 80, would alone be noticed.
These required that the right Of blockade
should be restricted "to fortified ports, in
vested by sea'and by land. That it should not
extend to the mouth Of rivers, harbors or
places not fortified
Under such definition the blockade of May
1906, otherwise called Mr. Fox's blockade,
stood condemned : but Mr. Randolph had no
hesitation in affirming that blockade to have
been legal, agreeably to the long established
principles ofnational law, sanctioned by the
u. States. In Mr.. Fosters letter Of the Cd
Of July last TO Mr., Monroe, he says" The
blockade of May 1906 was notified by Mr..
Secretary Fox on this principle !" that no
blockade can be justi6abe or valid unless it
be supported by an adequate force destined
to maintain it and to expose to hazard all YES
sells attempting to eyade its operation" nor
was that blockade announced, until he had sa-
tisGed himself by a communication with the
board of Admiralty, that the Admiralty pos
sessed the means and would employ them Of