The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-06-16

but which he has never completely unfold
eel IN all its extent until the present mo-
ment and in what an insulting and pre-
Posterors shape does he now attempt to
bring forward and promulgate this code
which he is to force upon all nations? He
assumes the Treaty of Utrecht to be in
force, and to be a law binding upon all ma :
tons because it suits his convenience, at
this moment when the navy of France is
driven from the ocean, to revive the doc
trine oil y" tree ships making free goods"
ne has recourse to a treaty no longer in
force, IN which such stipulation existed
atreaty which, by his own express refusal at
Amiens to renew any of the ancient treaties,
was not then revived as even binding on G.
Britain and France, between whom alone
as parties to it, and only while they were
at peace with each other, could it ever have
had any legal effect, yet even this treaty is
too narrow basis for his present pretehsi-
ons, Since he cannot find it in his rule for Ii
miting maritime blockades to fortresses ac-
tuaily invested, besieged, and likely to be
taken no provision of any description ha-
wing been made in that treaty either for de-
inning or regulating biockades.
Surely at sach an instant, America Will
not urge Great Britain to abandon or to sof
ten any precautionary, any retalatory
rights against such power. Ehe British
government not only feels itself imperiously
bound to defend them, as they respect
Great Britain, with all vigor, but to cali up
on every nation to resist such exorbirant
pretensions.
II Great Britain, at such moment, were
to relax her orders in council against
rance, would not all other nations have
reasons to complain that the common cause
was abandoned
America must feel that Bonaparte is not
acting, as indeed he never has acted. with
any view of establishing principles of real
freedom, with respect to navigation but is
merely endeavoring to cloak his determi-
nation, II possible, to ruin Great Britain, by
novel demands and rejected theories of ma
ritlme law; and America must see, that
Bonapartc's object is to exclude British
commerce from every coast and port of the
continent; and that in pursuit of this OBJ
Ject' trampling on the rights of independent
states, he lnsultnSly proclaims his deter
mlnatIon to effect it by direct invasion of
those independent states, which he as in
sultngly terms guarantee, thus making
the most solemn and sacred term in the law
OF nations SYNONYMOUS with usurpation of
territory and extinction of independence.-
America must see, that as all the states
nltherto IN his power have been seized on
to guarantee his system, he is now proceed
ing TO destroy whatever remains of indie
Pendence IN other neutral states, to make
that guarantee complete. From his want
OF power to pass the Atlantic with his ar
mics Ia want of power for which the United
States are indebted to the naval superiority
OF Great Britain his system of a guaraa-
feetnS force may fail as to America, but as
he cannot hope to shut American ports a.
gaInst Great Britain by occupancy and in
Vasioh, he hopes to effect his purpose by ma
nagement and fraud, and to accomplish that
by Insidious relaxation which he cannot ac-
complish by power.
Great Britain he feels is only to be ruin
ed by excluding her from every port in the
world ); he hopes therefore to Shut everv
port OF Europe by force, & every port in A.
merlca by management he pretends to
conciliate America by applause of her con-
duct, and partial relaxation of his system
in her favor. He accompanies the promise
OF repeating his DEGREES with conditions,
which he trusts America win not disavow,
and which he knows G.. Britain must re-
lect; knowing at the same time that the
relaxation OF his DEGREES will be of little use
TO America, without corresponding re-
Taxation by Great Britain, he throws every
obstacle against concession to America by
Great Britain, making her perseverance in
her retaliatory system more than ever es-
sential to her honor and exIstence.-
And surely 1t will not escape the notice, or
excite the indignation of the American 90
vernment, that the ruler of France, by ia
acted .he --.?~-J-iv., which America sup
posed him to have made. He has incensis-
ter.ly and contemptuously withdrawn from
her the ground upon which she has taken
a hostile attitude against Great Britain,
since the repeal of our Orders in Coun-
Gil, and even the Remuneration of our rights
Of blockade, would no longer suffice to
obtain repeal of the Berlin and Milan de-
crees. ''''
His Majesty's government cannot but hope
that America, considering all the extrava
CANT pretensions set forth by the ruler of
France, in the Duke Of Bassano's report,
and at the same time the resolutions to
march his armies into all states, into the
ports of which the English flag is admitted,
will acknowledge, that this doctrine and
resolution constitute complete annihilati-
on of neutrality, aDd that she is bound as a
neutral state to oisavow and resist ther,.-
Every state that acquiesccs in this report,
must act upon the principle, that neutral
& enemy are to be considered henceforward
as the same in the language of the French
law OF nations, & G. b. has right to consi-
der that every nation who refuses to adj
init her flag upon the principle assumed
admits and recognizes the doctrine of the
l will not now trouble you, cir, with MANY
relative to the blockade of
May, 1906, as the legality of that blockade,
assuming the bloCkading force to have been
frfc . n f.r,fn H. L.