Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-08-18
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rps VERY AGE & Bony OF The TINE
a,s roaM AND PRESSURE"
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THE NEW ORDER IN COUNCIL.

bv JefFersonian policy to total ruin, has
received another and the last blow. No
sooner have France and England revoked
their injurious edicts to eur commerce,
than the President. has conceived it ex-
pedient to issue his edict for preventing
all export. from our seaports. The A
merican edict was designed and is cal
culated to supply the place of the most
rigorous embargo, and is a measure OF
the President and counsel taken BY him.
self, as the best substitute for the en-
barge law which he advised con6den-
italy TO congress, and which having osen
debated in secret session. was finally re-
iectea in the senate Having failed to cut
ID what was remaining of commerce
with foreign friendly powers, by the as
Ont of congress regularly expressed BY
law, he has most arbitrarily issued his
order fur The same purpose from the
nayy department. which is stiled naval
general order, under the name OF WIN.
Tones, the secretary Of that department.
The general order is directed to the
commanding officers, Of stations or ves'
sci. of the navy of the United States,
ADD although very correctly, all COM
mandcrs of priyateers are excluded IN
terms sufficiently express from the ex..
ecution of this order, yet it is probable
that some of these forward men will not
hesitate TO interfere in this business, as
ifthey we're officers ofthe navy. 1fthey
do, it win be at their peril, and they will
be liable for all damages in civil actions.
The President is not censurable tor any
thing such men shall commit, nor is he
accountable for any abuses the officers
Of the navy, in the execution OF the or
der, shall c.mmit, any more than the
king Of England is responsible for any
abuses his navy officers commit in the
impressment Of seamen, If contrary to
his orders they impress American sea-
men, when their authority is strictly Ii
mited to British scamen. Such abuses
Of inferior officers, are to be answered
by themselves only to their sovereign,
provided the order is legal and consti-
tutional but if the order is illegal and
unconstitutional, all are liable to the law.
Is this general order legal or not q
With preamble declaring the most
proper objects--objects which every CT.
tizen is bound to aid and effectuate-
namely, the prevention of succours and
intelligence reaching our enemy block
aiding our hsrbors and coasts; with these
important and praisewsrthy objects in
view, the President "commands, all naval
commanding officers to exercise the
strictest vigilance, and to stop and de-
tain all vessels or craft whatsoever faro.
seeding, or apparently intending to pro.
coed toward, the enemy's vessels within
the waters, or lowering about the har-
bers of the United States, or towards
any station occupied by the enemy with.
in the jurisdiction of the United States,
from svhieh pesseis or craft The enemy
might derive succours or intelligence"
So universal is this order, that it in
eludcs every vessel or craft from which
the enemy might possibly derive succors
or intelligence. Under present circum-
stance, every vessel is to be stopped
which may be proceeding coastwise so
that none can ply from Portsmouth to
Boston, or other American seaport; there
being none where the enemy's ships do
not occasionally appear orbover. MORGAN
any proceed to Spain or Portugal, with
out proceeding towards en- enemy who
occasionally appear OF every harbor.
Even neutral ships are included in the
order.
A vessel cannot go down the Potomac
from Aiexandria, after supplies of grain
or other neces.aries, nor a vessel 60
down the river from Richmond with coal
without proceeding towards the enemy,
while any enemy is in Lynhaven bay
All-such are to be stopped by the naval
commander, lest intelligence be carried
to the enemy.
Th;s arbitrary edict is founded on the