Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1812-06-29

added the mott lawleis proceedings
in our very harbors; and have wan
tonlv fpI' american blood within the
fanctuary OF our territorial Jurlidlc-
ton. The principles and rules entor-
ced by that nation, when neutral
nation, aeainf armed ve1els Of bellig-
ereuts lowering near her COATS, and
diturbing her commerce are well
known. When called on, neverthe-
lefs, by the u. States to Puniih the
greater offences committed by her
own vefels, her government has be-
flowed on their commandersaIdition-
al marks of honor and confidence.
Under pretended blockades, with
out the prelence Of an adequate force,
and fometimes without the practical
bility Of applying one, our commerce
has been plundered in every iea the
great fapies Of our country have been
cut of fro heir legitimate markets /;
and DE- I've blow aimed at our
agricultural and maritime intereits.
In aggravation Of thefe predatory
me2tures, they have been conhdered
as 10 force from the dates of their no.
tiGcation Retrospective effect being
thus added, as has been done in other
important cafes, to the unlawtulneis
of the courfe purified. And to rem
der the outrage the more ignal, thele
mock blockadcs have been reiterated
and enforced in the face Of official
communications from the Britiilf
government, declaring, as the true
definition Of legal blockade, 4" that
particular ports mutt oe actually in
vefed, and previous warning given
to vef1els bound to them not to enter"
Not content with theie occafonal
expedients for laying waite our neu-
trail trade, the Cabinet of Great-Bri-
tain reforted, at length, to the lweep-
ing fy(em Of blockades, under the
name of Orders in Council, which
has been moulded and managed, as
might belt fuit its political views, Its
commercial jealouies, or the avidity
Of Britilh cruiierS.
To our remonltrances againf the
complicated & tranfcendant injufice
of this innovation, the firit reply was
that the orders were reluctantly adop-
ted by Great Britain as a necel1ary
retaliation on DEGREES of her enemy
proclaiming a general blockade Of tAe
Britiih files, at a time when the nava,
force of that enemy dared not TO ii1ue
from his own ports. She was remin-
ded, without effect that her own Prl-
or blockades, uniupPortTd by an ade-
quate naval force actually applied and
continued, were bar TO this plea
that executed edicts againit millions
Of our property could not be retaIia-
ton on edicts confededly impoaible
to be executed; that retaliation, 10
be iult ,fhould fall on the party tetting
the guilty example, not on an InnO-
cent party, which was not even char
eeabie with an acquielcence in il.
When deprived of this nimfy veil
for prohibition Of our trade with
her enemy, By the repeal Of his pro
hibition of our trade with Great
Britain, her cabinet, inlead of cor
repeal or practical diff
continuance Of its orders, formerly
avowed a determination 70 perGlt in
them againA the United States, until
the markets Of her enemy lhouId Be
laid open to Britiih products thus
aferting an obligation on a neutral
power to require one belligercnt TO
encourage, BY its internal regulations,
the trade Of another beIlieerent
contradlctlng her own practice to-
wards ali nations in peace as we'll as
in war and betraying the inGncerity
Of thofe projections which incuIcated
a belief that, having retorted to her
orders with regret, lhe was anxious
to find an location for putting an
end to them.
Abandoning till more all relpect
for the neutral rights of the United
States, and for its own confltency,
the Britiih government now demands
as prerequiites 70 a repeal Of its
orders, as they relate to the United