The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-06-16
mR. FOSTER TO MR.. MONROE.
Uash;npfou. Man 20. 1872

"GSiinSton, way 50, 1917.
SiR--Notw the discouraging
nature or the conversation which had the
honor to have with you few days since at
fyour Office, and the circumstance of your
continued silence in regard to two letters
from me furnishing additional proof of the
existence of the French DEGREES, neverthe-
less there does now appear such clear and
convincing evidence in the report of the
Duke OF Bassano, dated the 10th of March
OF the present year, of those DEGREES having
not only never been rescinded, but of their
being recently extended and aggravated in
the republication of them contained in that
instrument, that cannot but imagine it will
seem most important to the President that
it. should be communicated to Congress
without delay, in the present interesting
crisis OF their deliberations, and therefore
hasten to fulfil the instructions of my 60
vernment in laying before the government
OF the United States the enclosed Moniteur
OF the 10th of last March, in which is con-
tanned that report as it was made to the ru-
Ter OF France and communicated To the
Conservative Senate.
This report confirms, if any thing were
wanting TO Confirm, in the most unequivocal
manner, the repeated assertions of Great
Britain that the Berlin and Milan DEGREES
have never been revoked, however some
partial and insidious relaxation of them may
have been made in few instances as an
encouragement to America to adopt sys-
tenn beneficial to France and injurious to
Great Britain, while the conditions on which
alone it has been declared that those de-
crees will ever be revoked are here ex-
planned and amplifed in manner to leave
US no hope OF Bonaparte having any dispo-
sition to renounce the system of injustice
which he has pursued so as to make it
possible fo, Great Britain to give up the de-
fensive measures she has been obliged to
resort to.
need not remind you, sir, how often it has
in vain been urged by G.. Britain that copy
Of the instrument should be produced by
which the DEGREES OF Bonaparte were said
to be repealed, and how much it has been
desired that America should explicitly state
that she did not adopt the conditions OH
which the repeal was offered.
1t is now manifest that there was never
more than conditional offer of repeal made
by France which we had a right to COM
plain that America should have asked us to
recognize as absolute, and which if accep-
ted in its extent by America would only
have formed fresh matter of complaint
and new ground for declining her de-
mands.
America must feel that it is impossible
ici DIltdlli 10 TeSClIlu ncr OruerS
Council whilst the French DEGREES are Off
cially declared to remain in force against
all nations not subscribing to the new mari
time code promulgated in those DEGREES, &
also without something mose explicit on the
part OF America with regard to her under
standing as to the conditions annexed by
France to the repeal of those decrees.-
For, alter what has passed, unless full 6
satisfactory explanation be made; on both
these points, O.. Britain cannot relinquish her
retaliatory system against France, without
implying her consent to the admissibility of
the conditions in question.
These observations will, am sure, APP
pear sufficiently obvious TO you, sir, on pc
rusng the enclosed paper.
1t Will be at once acknowledged that this
paper is republication of the Berlin and
Milan DEGREES, IN more aggravated form,
accompanied as it is with an extension of
all the obnoxious doctrines which attend
those DEGREES, ndamed by declaration
that Bonaparte has annexed to France es'e'y
independent tate IN the noigIIUUrnood which
hau eIuded them5 and that he was pro-
ceeding against all other maritime parts
OF Europe on the pretence that his system
could not be permanent and complete, so
long as they retained their liberty with re-
gard TO IT.. r. f.'
The outrageous principle here a7owed
connects itself obviously with the PROPOSE
ton too much countensnced by America,
that the continental system of Bonaparte, as
far as 1t operates to the Conhscation of neu-
trail property OH shore, on the ground of
such property being British produce OF ma
nufacture, is mere municipal regulation
which neutral or belligerent nations have
no right to resent, because it does not vio-
late any principle of the law of nations.---
1t is unne cessary to recur to the various ar
guments by which it has been shewn that
this system does not partake of the charac-
ter of municipal regulation, which neutral
OF belligerent nations have no right to re-
sent, because it does not violate any princi-
pie of the law of nations but that 1t is a
mere war measure directed with the most
hostile spirit against G.. Britain ; and in or
der to extend this system on the principle
of municipal regulation all the rights of in
dependent neutral nations are to be viola
ted, their territories to be seized without
any other cause of war whatever, but that
they may be Incorporated with the French
nation, & thence becoming subject to her
rights of dominion, receive the continental
system as a municipal regulation Of France,
and thus the mere possibility of non-com-
pliancc with the whole of the system is
made the ground for the occupation or in =
vasion, the incorporation or extension of
every state where the French arms can
reach.
Great Britain Cannot believe that Ameri-
ca ;siil not feel a just Indignation at the full
develcpement Of sach a system-a system
which indeed nouaparte has rartially opeu-