The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-05-01

,SN" " eeAS posscSsioi, oy lorSS Oh arms, O
the Province 49,
But let us go little way back--G. Britai,
had AN eye ON the spanish possessions in
tins hemisphere. For It's 20 suffer her OF
any other power to wrest East Florida from
US, would not only have been 10 have giyeD
up all chance or indemnity from Spain for
her past spoliations, but to have suffered a
dangerous nation to plant herself on our
borders, Congress animated by these and
otner cUi"iderations, passed "a law autho-
rising the President ''to accept possession of
q! T.. 4. IRON ms ioca' saihori.ies, or to take
| it against the attempt of a foreign power to
occupy it, Holding it in either case subject to
future and friendly negotiation The Pre-
sident' meg haze employed Gen. Matthews
asihis commissioners in these respects. to nc
cers possession from the local authorities. or
to Keep a vigilant lock -out as to the attempts
OF foreign powers. But M. had Dositiye
information that the English were about
sending two Black Regiments there - and,
moreover, regarding the Patriots as the
constituted authorities of the country" took
ms measures and received Amelia-Island in
the name of the L. 5.
1t the British have obtained cession of
Cuba from the Regency at Cadiz, (Which
mas been confidently asser.ed)-if Apodaca
named IN this report as the Commissioner of
". Britain, has arrived at the Hayannab
& assumed the reins of government las is al.
SO reported) with view of receiving nos
session OF Cuba, the government of the u. S.
are bound to pause ere they play the part of
Penelope, nndoinS syhas has been done.
As under the Spanish laws, f.. Florida was
a dependency of Cuba, the British NAV mt
In claim, which we should be unwilling
to recognise, and take steps to assert it,
which would at once make it the duty of the
PRESIDENT to occupy the country
\ Saving and excepting that article of the capi,u
iat'on' which relates TO British Trade.
From the London Courfer-NAareA 1eth.
ORDERS IN COUNCIL AS THEY RELATE
TO AMERICA.
That the whole conduct of government in
relation to the orders in council seems to
nave been strictly conformable, not only tc
| the principles of sound policy, but to the
law or nations, as necessarily modified nv
| the unprecedented circumstances Of modern
| times, cannot now be questioned A neu-
trail trade is trade that owes its existence
to the federation of belligerents, a trade suf-
! iered TO proceed in time Of wal, because it
allevlates the calamitics of war, and is sub
seryient not only to the profit Of the neutral
| trade, but to the accommodation of both
belligerents. The convenience of the belli-
gerents is however the primary object of
this species OF traffic--the profit of the ira
der Is only secondary consideration. Neu-
trai trade therefore can only be carried on
uncer such regulations as the beIlieerents
choose to impose-and if the belligererts
IND that 1t is not essential to their accommo-
datlon, or IT for the sake of annoying each o.
ther, or from any other motive whatever,
they wish to suspend it, it follows from the
very definition OF neutral trade, that they
have right to do so. I
1 1he whole. body of E,aa.l g,
British Orders in Council, taken as a system.
may be regarded as a sort of tacit agree
ment between France & England, that neu.
tral trade shall no lSnger be carried on.
Cur Government is justified in issuing the
Orders IN Council, by the conduct of the
french government ir issuing their DEGREES
and, until satisfactory evidence is produ
ced, that the DEGREES are sealIv and bona
1de rescinded, the Orders ought certainly TO
oe continued IN force. 1t wNIld even seem
that under the very peculiar circumstances
OF modern times, a broaderview of the right
OF the British Government b issue these Or
ders may be taken, than THAT results from
the principle OF retaliation, and that, tho the
Erench aecrees never existed, the British
Caonet would have had good right to is
sue the Orders in Council On finding that the
Americans Carried on, il fact, the whole
| trade OF France, and deprived England of
almost all the advantages, which in regard
to the annoyance of her enemy, she was.
entitled to derive from her naval supremacy.
| In all former wars, the naval power of
the contending parties mas been pretty e.
quaily balanced, and tie rules prescribed
| tor the regulation of neltrals have been pro-
| muiSated by the joint authority of ali the
| beiligerents. In this war, however, there is
but one belligerent that appears upon the
ocean-the powers aid i;feTo5ativss tiiiai
used to be divided among several, have been
absorbed by the resources and valour of the
nation that rules the seas. BY the laws,
therefore, OF nature and nations, as well as
by the principles of Common sense, this pre-
dominant power musthave. right to enact
laws for the regulation of its own element.
and to coDhne the trade of neutrals within
such bounds, as its own rights and interests
require to be drawn.
| The dimnution of Neutral trade, necessn-
rily occasioned by this just exercise of Tie
maritime right of Britain, is ~ present
made use OF by the American rulers as
convenient handle TO Influence the populace
! against England, and they even seem to be
holding out the extraordinary PROPOSAL of
indicating what they call their neutral
rights, by force of arms
| his scheme, if seriously entertained, will
4 be no less abortive in execution than it is
absurd Ill theory, an armed neutral is a con-
| tradiction in terms--when a nation arms for
the purpose of asserting neutral rights, it
ceases to be neutral, and America may
| rest assured, that the cause of neutrality