Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-04-28

choose to impose and if the belligercnts find
stbatsit IS not essential to their Accommodation,
Or if for the sake of annoying each other, or
from any other motive whatever, they wish 70
suspend it, it follows from the yeryedetlnltion
of neutral trade, that they have right to do
SO.
The whole body Of French DEGREES and nri-
fish orders in council, taken as system, may
be regarded as a sort Of tacit agreement be-
tween France and England, thar neutral trade
shall no longer be carried Oh.
Our government is justified in issuing the
orders in council, by the conduct OF theFrencn
government in issuing their decrees---and
until satisfactory evidence IS produced that
the DEGREES are really and bona fde rescindea,
the orders ought certainly to be continued IN
force. 1t would even seem that under the We
ry peculiar circumstances of modern times,
broader view of the right Of the Brush 60
yernmcnt to issue these orders may be taken
than what results from the principle OF retail
alton, and that though the French DEGREES ne
yer existed, the British cabinet would nave
had good right to issue the orders In coun-
ell, OH finding that the Americans carried on,
in fact, the whole trade of France, and deprlV-
ed England Of almost all the Neutrality-suspicious.
in regard 10 the annoyance Of her enemy, she
was entitled to derive from her naval supre-
macy.
In all former wars, the naval power OF the
contending parties has been pretty equally oa-
Ianced, and the rules prescribed tor the regu-
lation of neutrals have been promulgated by
the Joint authority of all the belligerents. In
tho, I'm bal los
that appears upon the ocean--the powers and
preroratiyes that used to be divided among Sc
yeral, have been absorbed by the resources and
yalor of the nation that rules the seas. By the
laws. therefore, of nature and nations, as we'll
as by the principles of common sense, this
predominant power must have right TO enact
laws for the regulation of its own eleineNt and
to confne the trade Of neutrals within such
bounds, as its own rights and interests require
to be drawn.
The diminution of neutral trade, necessarily
occasioned by this Just exercise ofthe mara
time right OF Britain, is at present made use
Of by the American rulers as convenient
handle to influence the populace against Eng
land, and they even seem TO be holding out
the extraordinary proposal OF vlndlcatlng what
they call their neutral rights, by force OF
arms.
This scheme if seriously entertained, will
be no less abortive in execution, than 1t is ao-
surd in theory, an armed neutral is co2tia-
dicticD in terms-when nation arms Tor the
purpose Of asserting neutral rights, 1t ceases
IN be neutral and Ih'el ~ rest ssinf'i'
that the cause Of neutrality will never be pro-
noted by her assuming the character OF a bel
ligerent at present she has it IN her Po"sr
to enjoy the whole of that large and valuable
branch of trade, which she has hitherto bees
accustomed to carry on with the British do
minions. If she goes to war for the purpose
of asserting neutral rights, she will lose the
trade of Britain, without recovering that OF
France. Her commerce viii be swept from
the ocean, and. at the end of the war, neutral
rights will be found in exactly the same 81
tuation in which they stood at the beginning.