The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-06-26

/ beg you to recollect, SIR, that h no re-
vocation has been made of the orders in
council. upon any repeal OF the French dc
crces, as hitherto shewn by America to
have taken place, it has not been the fault
OF his Majesty's government. 1t was
France, and afterwards America, that con-
nected the question relative to the right of
blockade, with that arising out of the or
ders i'll council. You well know that il
these two questions had not been united to-
gether, Their the Orders in Council would
have been, in 1910, revoked. How could il be
expected that G.. Britain, in Common jas
tice to ether neutral nations, TO her allies,
and to herself, should not contend fer a
full and absolute repeal o. the French de-
crees, OF should engage to make any par
ticular concession i'll favor of America,
when she saw that America would not re-
| nounce her demand sor a surrender with
| the orders in counci. o. some % our most i'm
| portant maritime rights.
/. Even to this day, sly, you have not eX-
p'icitly stated in any IF the letters to which
| you refer me, that the American govern
| ment would expressly renounce asking for
revocation of the blockade of 1906, and
the other block aides alluded to in Mr.
! Pinkney's letter /; much less have been "a
| BILE TO obtain from YOU any disclaimer of
the right asserted by France to impose
upon the world the new maritime code pro-
mulgated by France in the late rcpuI1lica-
ion OF her DEGREES, although have, by or
der OF my government, expressly stated
| their expectation of such disclaimer and
repeatedly called for an explanation upon
| this point.
| i will now say thatI feel entirely al
thorised to assure YOU that tit you can, at any
time, produce a full and unconditional re-
| peal OF the French DEGREES, as YOU have a
right to demand it in your character of a
neutral nation, and that it be discouraged
| from any connection with the question con-
Corning our maritime rights, we Shall be rea
dy to meet you with revocation of the Or
ders IN council. Previously to Your produ
cling such an instrument, which am sorry
to seeyou appear To regard as unnc cessary
you Cannot expect OF us to give up our Or
ders in Council,
In reference TO the concluding para
graph OF your letter in answer to that
III mine 'of the 10th instant, | will only
say that / am extremely sorry to find you
think it impossible to devise or conceive any
arrangement, Consistent with the honor
rights and interests Of the United States
which might tend to alleviate the pressure
of the Orders in Council upon the commerce
OF America. 1t would have given me grea,
satisfaction If we could have fallen upon
some agreement that, might have had such
effect. My government, while under the i'm
perious necessity of resisting France with
her own weapons, most earnestly desires
| that the interests of America may suffer
| as little as possible from the incidental
| effect of the conflict. They are aware tina,
! their retaliatory measures have forces! the
Ruler of France to yield in some degree
| from his hostile DEGREES, & whetheri it were
more advisable to push those measures ri
gorously on until they complete the break
ing of it up altogether, (the main object OF
our retaliatory system) or to take advan-
tage of the partial & progressive retracta-
tons oft, produced by the necessities of the
enemy, has been a question with his Males
| tvs government. 1t is one on which they
WOULD have been most DESTROYS to Consult the
interests of America. Under existing cir.
cumstances, however, and from our late
| Communications, have not felt encouraged
to make you any written proposal, arising
out OF this state of things /; l shall therefore
merely again express to you, that as the 90
Ject OF Great Britain has been throughout
to endeavor, while forced, in behalf of he,
most important rights and interests to reta
late upon the French DEGREES, to combine
that retaliation with the greatest possible de
gree of attention to thc.interests Of America
it would give his Majesty's government the
most sincere satisfaction if some arrange.
ment could be found which would have sc
desirable an effect.
have, &c,
(Signed) AUGS. J. FOSTER.