Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-07-24
CONTINUED.


Can It be expected that a nation which de-
pends for its existence upon its naval strength,
would Weld principle threatening the de-
struction of its maritime power No war, OF
any duration, or however disastrous, will ever
extort this concession-she may as well tall
with arms in her hands, as to seal quietly the
bond Of her ruin,
Heidi not know that our government had e.
yerrequiredt the unqualified abandonment the
right to impress. Our complaints were chief
" of the abuses committed IN the exercise OF
the RIGHT. 1t was practice frequently attend
ed with violence, insult, and gross injustice
Americans were often from design or mistake
seized as British Subjects, and we have abun-
dant evidence of the fact, that many OF our ma
tive seamen have been forced into British SER
yice--He had always understood, however
that such acts were not Justified oy the Bril-
tish government. The government have ne
yer claimed the right of holding an American
sea,nen against his will.-The pretensions of
the two governments upon this subject, admit
ted of adjustment. The chief embarrassment
arose from the difficulty of distinguishing the
sailors of the two countries. But he had no
doubt that this, and all other difficulties on the
subject, might be yanquished without having
recourse to war.
The dispute, as to paper bIockades, was,
for the present, merged in the orders III. coun-
Gil. Those orders were now to be consider
ed as compromising the whole cause OF war.
MS SuVj~--i~---r~--- a. be viewed IN every
light The orders in council were not at this
time, in truth, supported upon their original
ground. The ex-minister Mr.. Canning, had
publicly aud candidly confessed the fact.
They were adopted as measures OF retaliation,
though they never deserved that character.
He had always considered the Berlin and Nj
Ian DEGREES used as mere preteXt. Those
DEGREES were vain and empty denunclations in
relation to England. The plain design of the
British government was to deprive France OF
the benefits of external commerce, unless the
profits of it were divided with herself This
was fully proved by the licence trade. Britain
carries ON the very trade she denies to neu
trails, and having engrossed the whole to her.
SELF she excludes neutrals from participation.
No man was more disposed than himself to
reprobate the wrong and injustice OF the Brl-
fish government upon this subject They re-
sort to the French DEGREES to Justify them
selves, and though he considered them as no
justification, vet our government In their con-
duct had admitted that the DEGREES placed US
upon the same footing as to France as the or
ders did as to England, and required equal
measures to both nations.
Our government have been pleased to say
what he did not think at this time any man IN
the nation believed besides themselves. They
have been pleased to say the DEGREES are re-
pealed,
This is a fact, and asserted Without any
proof. The DEGREES could only be repealed
by the same power and in the same manner In
which they were enacted-They proceeded
from the sovereign power of France and be-
came the laws of the empire. The same pow
er in the solemn form of law could alone re-
woke them We possess the DEGREES IN all
the for,ns Of law, but have we ever seen, has
the government any reason to believe that any
decree in the form of a law has been passed to
repeal them? The promise OF sovereign to
repeal law does not annul 1t, nor would re-
ference of his minister to It's being repealed
have that effect-Every sovereign power
prescribes to itself a form in which It's sove-
reign will shall be known, when II is TO con-
stitu,e law ofthe land.
The DEGREES teach us what this form is IN
France, and we have ground TO believe
that the DEGREES are repealed, till we see an
act of the sovereign in the same form in which
they are found.-Such is the course among
ourselves. A law is repealed by law passed
in the same form. 1t is the practice of every
nation in Europe, and ofeyery civilized nation
on the earth. But even the promise to repeal
was only CONDITIONAL and it has never been
announced to as that the emperor, considered
the condition complied with on our part by
prohibiting the importation of British produce
and manufactures. In fact, daily accounts are
received of seizures made on the principles of
those DEGREES: and, to affirm that the DEGREES