Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-06-25
, MIR. TAGGART's SPEECH.
CONTINUED.


rauses of the present war which is now about
to be waeed on our part, VIZ. the ORDERS III
Conacil. and the Inpressment Of Seamen;
he afsir Of the Chesapeake which has been
for several years fruitful! source OF ceihllna-
80, .ha;,,g ~ length removed out Of the way
: ,;sh Il TO be kept in view that have no
intention, neither do enteNaln Wish toNi,-
dicate the orders In council Every neutEd''
and especially every American must we" tne
priaclpies contained IN these orders as i''juFi
ons 90 his rights. Nor shall consider inc
plea of retaliation mutually set up as sufhoieht
20 iustify either the DEGREES or orders rs
for the priority Of the commencement OF Ell
ther the one or the other system OF aggression
# does nor very materially alter the state OF
the question, nor does 1t concern the Ohited
States TO decide. If A smites on one cheek
I do not see how thatcan justify Z or u In
smi,inq him on the other, especially II 1t Is
3one on the pretence that be did not repel the
;n;nrv offered by A with proper spirit. dis
cloin all concern with the yindiCatlon otelther
he orders or DEGREES IF they can be ylndl-
,ated at all, il is task incumbent on some
eve else than citizen OF the United States to
furnish the arguments. shall barely consl-
dar the orders in council on the footing In
,.hicb we have placed the subject in dispute
hv the law of the FIRST of May 1910, in which
he CONGRESS- of the United States declares,
that IN case either Great Britain or France
sball. before the FIRST day OF March naxt, SO
revoke or modify her edicts thar they shall
cease 10 violate the neutral commerce OF the
I1nited States, and the other does no. N three
,.,ontbs thereafter, revoke and modify Id IKE
-,,opner. certain enumerated sections OF the
Fo,,ner non-intercourse law Of 1909 shall be
rey;ved After the multifarious evidence OF
ere reneal Of the Berlin and Milan DEGREES
which has been laid before the public the
r,are expressions of doubt on the SUBJECT
..esf{he reality of the repeal, at least SO tr as
41ss.ffl commerce OF the United s.ssss Is
Galore has asserted tnS1'tsas ! nc % ~
and that after certain date, November ls-'
1910 they would cease to have effect, accom-
nanied however with proylso as ambiguous
As the responses ofthe delphic oracle. The
nresldent the United States has made pro-
rlamation of the TACT, and e law OF congress
of March 1911, has been passed to carry into
more complete effect the conditions OF the law
ut Nav lst, 1910, and number OF governors
oFdiferent states have reechoed the same IN
their communications to their several leglsla-
tnres and the fact Of the repeal has been as
serted both in this house and out, In such
strong terms as to say that no man oil common
sense in the nation could doubt of 1t for SIN
ole moment, and that the person who die not
believe the repeal on the evidences now be-
fore lie nation, would not believe it on any
evidence whatsoever Whether / have OF
have not in the estimation of these gentle
men, a RIGHT TO lay claims to the possession
Of common sense, is a matter OF very small
consequence IN the present enquiry. Cal
81 easily state however what kind OF evidence
tins Fact would have satisfied me OF It's realty
as well as give tie reasons why nave AWAY
doubted whether arepea! in the proper and Il
ter. sense Of the term, or whether any thla;
ike substantial or even virtual iePS&i Id
TAKEN place. =,
Sir; If there had been ever any thing Tx
formal explicit act OF the French govern
nent ofhclallv communicated, declaring thes
DEGREES repealed ifthis supposed repeal ia
been communicated TO the ordinary tribunal
OF Justice in France, and they bad receive
directions to act accordingly 1t these o4'llns
nv tribunals had dSclined take cognlzsne
OF cases of capture aud condemnation uhd'
these decree iur, the express reason that tht
no longer existed; if similar orde,s had BET
given 10 the commanders of French ciulze
OH the high seas; but more especially Il =
effects Of these DEGREES had ceased, and :
nerICan commerce was bow no longer suDJe
to vexation, or to capture and condem
under their operation, this would have atfoi
ed such evidence of their repeal as won
have been satisfactory to my mlnd, and II
such. evidence as the nature OF the case
ouue0 and was reasonably to be expected.
Ne would then have to complain OF no or
infringement OF our rights on the ocean o.
what arose from the orders IN council,
We might with propriety insist upon their
pal on the grounds which we have set up
But has any such evidence been give