Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-08-07
DECLARE th.t the Freneh decree. we're

declare tnat uC rETCuSu SSSiSSs WI
no, then repealed; and it is true, that OF
the Esd Of June following, his govern
ment did admit that the DEGREES were
re pealed but it certainly isequally true
that in the interim, between the FIRST
mentioned day and the last, namely, on
the 10th Of May, the repeal was first
made known to Mr.. Barlow, and on the
goth Of the same month. ten days aficr-
wards, II was FIRST made known by Mr.
Russell to the English government, and
by it, on the Esd of June relieving, ofh-
cialiy acknowledged: not hewever, ac-
knowledged, as having. been adopted IN,
April 1911, but simply acknowledged /;
ADD as it could Only like al othsniaws.
considered as taking effect from its pro-
mulgation, without Which It vas No,
compleat) that is from the soth OF May,
1912, it j. wholly understandable to sep
pose tina, the English government have
intended to allow II an anterior operation
of twelve months. Yet the American
Secretary of State has the assurance TO
charge that government with inconsis-
tency in having maintained that the de
crees were repe aled. AID were IN fuh
force during the same fertod Of time
namely, during the year 1911. But as
the English government never nave
maintained that the Jecrees were repeal.
cd in this year, Mr.. Monroe, in asserting
the contrary. is, / am bold to say, not
merely accountable for false inference
in logic, but he is guilty OF downright
violation of truth. He SAYS too, In the
same paragraph, that the British govern
went /" admits that by no act OF the
French government or Hs crufse's, mao
any violation Of tue repeal announced by
the declaration of the 5th of August
1910, been committed Then she adj
4ni,s what ali the world knows to be a
fragrant ialseh nd; but it is utterly IN.
lruc that she admits. ID any shape, direct
~ or indirectly, The fac; here stated. II
the people can read this, among the rest
of the re port, and not feel it to be gross
contempt of their Understandings, they
have far less intelligence and spirit than
am disposed to allow them.
He proceeds thus:
"Il the repeal Of the orders in conn.
Gill admits also, that by 70 act Ut the
French government or lis cruisers, had
any violation of he repea! announced by
the declaration OF the French govern.
mente of the 5th August, 1910. been com
mit,ed, or at least, that such violation
had no, sufficient welg ht to prevent The
repeal Of the orders il council"
This is yvhufly uDfoundcd; no such
admission is implied; the proposition 10
neither law nor common sense. 30: -
he has insisted On the same thing ~ e.
Tier paris of his report, we VIII a!io"
him all the benefit he can derive from
his argument BY presenting il ali tose
Their.
"Other important consequences r
suit from this repeal Of tbs bTill,i. $
vernment. b. fair and obYions tof,
struction the acocpian &C OF dc decree
of the 2Sth April, lSil. a ths SrGnaJ
of 4he repcal oftae o,ders IN con"ll,
oupiE to be cunstrpet, u extend bag. To-
the Ist Nov 1910, the day Oh "nIrn tho
preceding repeal took effect Tie S.
cretarv Of State has full conf9eace, tina,
il the question could be suh"'ittcd tc the
ipdgmen. OF an impartial judicial tribu-
nal, such would be Its decisr4n. lie has
equal confidence that SUCH Will be the
judgment pronounced on it by the en-
lishlened ana impartial void, II, how
ever, these two acts could be separated
from each other, so as that the latter
might be made the basis OF the REPEAL
of the orders in council, distinct from
the former, it follows that, bearing date
on the 18th Aprli, 1911 tbs repeal ought
to have relation to that date. In legal
constrl ion, between nations as vel as
individuals, acts are TO be respected from
tie time they begin 10 operate, < where
they impose moral OF political obl'ga
lion on another party, that, obilga'io1
commences with the commencement OF
the act. Blu. it has been urged that the
Fnench' decree was not p, emulssted, or
made known to the B,ijis. government,
until year after Its date. TGis ebjec-
ticn has no force BY accepting an act
bearing date year before it was pro.
muigated, it is admitted that in the In.
teryal nothing was done repugnantto it I"
Any thing more false was never pre-
scnted to the world, under the saDctisn
of AZ official act. Mr Monroe, in his
youth. studied law, as aminformed, &
the first book, probably. put into his
hands, was Blackstone Commentaries
and one of the first topics there treated
of, is the definition Of law itst IT, IL this
definition, Mr.. Monrse ought to have
remembered, the learned author lays it
down as an essential part OF law, that
it he promulgated until it is prsmulgat-
ed, it is ne law, and alter it is promulgat-
ed, it takes effect from the date only Of
such PRONUNCIATION. Burit is hardly ne
cexsarv m anpeal To authority in supDort