Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-06-15

Il
pluudered and con6scated american
property wherever it could be iouno'-
While one of these rival powers has, ac-
cording to her agreement, compensated
in damages with interest for injuries o.
which we complained, the other has a.
voided her compacts by the shameless
ayowal that she finds real InconVeni'
ence in their performances. Wt''e one
of .hen has conveyed, the ether has
burnt our ships in every sea.
The principal alledged cause OF the
war, was the orders in councii-and al
though they have ceased, it is still ne
cessary to consider the circumstances
under which they were ISSUED, rightiy
| TO understand the ground. and origin OF
that disastrous measure.
/ Our ministers in London had coDclud-
| ed a treaty upon all the points IN dispute
between the two countries, just at the
| time when the Berlin decree was pub
lished, prohibiting to neutrals all inter-
course with Great Britain. Aware OF
the injuries which she aust sustain from
that Aagrant violation Of TIE law OF ma
tons. she frankly informed our govern
ment, that if CONTRARY 10 all expectation
the United States submitted TO that ont
rage, she should be obliged To retallate
upon France BY prohibiting 70 neu'fa's
all trade with her. Tie Berlin decree
was Immediately enforced upon all A:
uerican property within the reach OF
| French rapacily, as welt in neutral terri.
tories as on the high seas THIS was
known to our governnent-lorl APP
pears that as early as May 1907, they IN
formed our minister in France, that
"there were proofs that the West India
privateers had under color Of that edlct,
committed Expectations, which would
constitute Just claims for redress.
The treaty was rejected by the Presl-
deaf as unworthy Of The consideration OF
the Senate Notwithstanding the duty to
preserve an exact impart!aiity, no eff.
cient measures were taken against
France, Coz her violation of her treaty as
we'll as of the law Of nations and alter
waiting nearly year, Efeat Britain IS
sued her orders in Coui.C.', oil the 18th
November, 1907, retali;.t;hg the agrees
slons Of Fante ia Pursuance to the no
ticc before sl N.
These, as your sxcclleney observes,
were declared to he "retaliatory mea-
sures, adopted in consequence OF tie
aggressons of her enemy, and to be re-
voked when these aggressiens ceased"
Oar government contend that France
has been the first to do justice to the Z.
States; that she repealed her DEGREES,
and ceased to violate our neutral rights
in November islo,-and therefore that
Grea, Britain ought 10 have revoked her
orders; That, in conscq ence Of her
refusal the act OF congress Of March
1911, WAS rightfally passed, prohibiting
all intercourse with Great Britain--a
measure which the emperor has graci.
ously condescendcd TO consider as +" an
act of resistance to the British orders"
The question is thus brought to sin
gle point. Did France repeal her de-
crees, and cease to violate our neutral
rights in November 1910?
If she did, Great Britain was bound
upon her own principles to repeal her
orders. If she did not, it necessarily
follows that France has added insult to
her original aggression.
The pretended repeal of the DEGREES
was upon condition in effect, that Great
Britain should abandon the ancient rights
and usaees of war, sanctioned by the
public law touching bleckades: {" Con-
dition, which, as your exceliency OBJ
serves, many persons supposed would
never happen"
Nevertheless our government con-
Quoted itself in relation to Great Bril-
tain, as if the repeal had been absolute.
The ground taken by the American
cabinet was, that France had ceased to
violate the neutral rights Of the United
States, and they insisted that Great Bril-
tain ought to believe it.
But the continued burning of Ameri-
can vessels by order OF the commanders
Of the emperor's shiPs-,he indiscrimi-
nate plumber and con6sca,ion Of Amsri.
can property on shore--en the seas--in
France-in Denmark-in Naples, and
other sublugated states. These out
RACES connected with the repeated decla-
ration of the emperor, that the DEGREES
were the fundamental law of his empire,
still operated upon the incredibly of G:
Britain.
At length, when it suited the purposes
Of the emperor, but not till April 1911
--he made bis repeating decree, and as
We are informed communicated it to our
cabinet, although it was not made pub
lie for more than year after its date
aud this puts the question now under
consideration forever at rest. The EN-.
peror declares that be repealed his de-
crees in consequence OF our act of re-
sistanee to the British orders-but our
government declares that this act was in