Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1835-11-10

without however diminishing the authority Of this
= o !!cIa answer.
lms explicit solution Of the questions was afterwards
euaceo III part The application of TIE Berlin Decree
american vessels ana the seizure a, sea of neutral
ssI s go'ns TO or returning from England not yet
cec'aeo legal out the right considered unccruin-
lLfiter from ne MtStr Of J"SG to the Iuper1i 3tor-
nry General gt tie Council Of Pr:es of SeytenJer lS
le"I Inc Emperor on being consulted decided in De-
Gender, lc0I. that the Berlin Decree admitted of no ex
cepton in favor of any class OF neu,ras he deferred his
answer 10 the second question: Tic letter Of Tie 4orncu
"ensT0l Of the Council Of Prj,s The Minister of TO-
Tefn .?gdFs, Of September 26, le07] His decision was
however soon gwen and the provocaon afforded by the
new orders of the British Council rendered severe
HE supatons Of Eng land upon the rights of eutras
were in fact unboundcd Al! the ports OF France aud its
aics: anu all those trcm which the British flag was
Guided: might be declared blockadcd neutral vessels
were required to stop in Eng land and pay duty their
cargo in they should intend to transport else.
where; they were forbidden under pain Of confscaou
TO take the certificates of exacted by the French
| Government English cruisers visited them at sea- 10
inform them Of the orders in Council and oblge them 10
conform with them under pain of confscaton Orders
IN Gotnc,I Of January I, and .Eorem6er H. 1901
ne EMPEROR in return for these measures declared
By !;m to bc :'such might have been expected from
Aigrrs made rcprsa!s by whc ncutrals alone suffered
The DEGREES OF Milan OF November 13 and December /
1907 completed and made still oppressive the sys.
TEN Of which the Berlin Decree had established the first
| principles
| By the first Milan Decree. every vessel entering
French port 1Her having touched 10 Enga for any
reason whatever liable well cargo 10
hscation. The second Decree went still further; BY It's
Isl article every vessel Of any nation whatsoever which
had submitted to be visited by English vessel, which
had paid any thug to the BRUSH Government wasby such
act declared to have forfeited national character de
ntona:e it los, the protection Of its flag, and became
English property.
BY It's third article the blockade of the British Islands
by sea and land, sanctioned anew. Every vessel
sailing 10 or from the British islands, their colonies,
lie countries occupied by their troops Whatever might
be Is D1ti Itc ,tar ,ri,,
these severe measures vigorously enforced. In
the beginning ct lSU1, American vessels had
tered the port Of Antwerp declaring that they had touch
ed in Eng land. BY the terms OF the Berlin Decree they
should have been excluded, aud they excluded;
bat their cargocs, suspicion Of their being English pro-
P"rty seized, notwithstanding tho proteStaoGs of
the American owners. which proved by subsequent
Investigations 10 have been sincere Towards the end
Of leu1 the executions OF the Milan DEGREES increased
tie losses If the Americans. The French cruisers, scat
tered every tok AcIcan vessels for contra
ventons committed but few days after, and SOMETIMES
even before the publication q! these DEGREES, AS the
Of each reached the American Minister III
Paris he complained with increasing energy. Letters
Of M .IrmsironE TO " DC Champdny the .Hinistsr of
Foreign .1GairS ii january ri and 2Kh FcJrHry Ar,
eth and :SuL Harct lSt ind 1JM .2pyH 6t, and nay
III, I-U9 He invoked the prime Piles of national law,
and the convention by w!l the rights Of neutrals
guarantesd he invoked the principles OF civil law which
forbade the application of until they could haze been
known; he spoke in the name Of his outraged Govern
nrn and declared that such proceedings, and the
tnua.on OF such acts, could not a.! TO Interrupt the
u,! understanding which ai SO long subssted between
the powers, which had been mutually advantageous
and which ii would b. ytry uawise to destroy, Tor the
sake Of pIIa9ug 4 few merchant vessels"
Ear from conc>tng the rights Of neurals, the F.onch
Minister solcn:ny proclaimed them on all occasions,
the Of the Emperor In his letter 10 Mr.. Ar:n
strong of February l2th. loOS, he says merchant
vessel is floating colony, ANY act o violence committed
against such vessel, attack upon the iGdcpcnd
r ; aits, ioyernmen The seas bel ong to no naon
~
But while he admitted tina. the Berlin and Milan De-
fragrant violations OF these principles, he
trew the responsibility OF THIS violation upon England,
wic!. had provoked and considering the lncepend-
sncr Of the flag wight TO all Powers, he inn
posed upon al the duty OF having 1t respected NJ 20
Chamyagny, his letter - Mr. Armstrong, OF August
q I9UJ, says: Ihc Emperor has doubt that tn:
United States, considering the position in which Eng
land has placed tie Continent particularly since It's de-
cree of November IT, viii declare against her. he
gors farther adding, War does exist dc taeo between
Eurland and the untcd States, and the Emperor
ter+ having been declared on the day IN which Eng
land issued its orders With this view, His Majesty,
willing To consider the United States engaged the
same cause with all the Powers who have to defend ihen-
s,ves against England, has adapted no definite mea-
sure with regard the vessels which may have
been bruugh into our ports he has ordered them u be
retained under ,eGursral!on until determination could
be. taken with regard to thrn which determination would
depend upon the disposition manifested by tie American
Governments
The American Minister, in reply lFebraary4h, leS,l
States insirad Of advancing the views OF The Emperor
was exactly calculated 10 dcrat them tie admitted 1t
TO be fact that the United States ready 10 60 10
,r with Great Britain for tie purpose of avengng
tain ouiraces committed their rights neutral ma
ton but reminded NJ. dc Campasny, thai France had
also invaded those ghts MOS. grlevousy; showing, at
the same time that the rcpara0n OF ose INJURIES by re-
rvinq the American property from scgucstraon, and
b. rrnuuuciug for the future the right OF SEIZURE 10
such cases you'd be the most efficient nrh's OF forming
ne " and iunae connexions between til" United
States and france.
! AIthourl the Minister Of Foreign Affairs announced
that the conscasiyn ms would cease they shortly al
ter renewed Fou. months Afterwards: IN june lcoo,
the Council Of Prizes pronounced contscatons Tie I'm
pcror had a!rcadr, the 3lst OF March precedng aoo
known his determination and tile motives which !cd 10
i, I'm his letter to the Minister Of Foreign Atairs Of
March 81 l55, he says Declare to the American oil,
mister t!a, number OF vessels laden with colonial
goods oscns!bv from America, bat really from London
Ever vessel laden with Colonial goods should be con-
scatet fer the embargo laid by the Americans IN Their
o:n ports gives assurance that these Vessels 20 not
| conc from the United States.
An embargo had in reality been laid on The I'D OF De-
cc,nber l-i7 on all the ports of the Union; although
this determination njurIousy affected the interests OF
France and lis colonics by preventing the transporta
ten Of PROVISIONS yet was al act OF passive resistance
70 ,Ic dominion of England the sea- and the Empe-
ror instead Of wing the embargo hostile measure,
up,:uutrL it Letters from the Minister ot Foreign
ifai:s 10 Mr. armstrong, Of Hngust ed, leOo, and 7H
g~t 5h leiO The iacr published in the .Mouttsur o. III
| gust SIX
This measure was, however, Intellectual The Aneri-
! can merchants the embargo was known, CO.
ye,ed the seas with their ships They preferred the risks
a:t dangers 81: adventurous navigation and COM
mcrce 10 tho idle and runous security imposed them,
in the ports Of their country; and nearly all remain
ed at sea Of the reach Of the embargo 1t was mere
fire necessar, 10 take off, the Legislature OF the nj
ted States replaced it By .ir u NON Intercourse,
dc,;ng all intercourse with France and Eng
land under various penalties This ac. vas passed on
the st Of March, lSo9 from that day the ports OF the
Unon were closed 10 the armed vessels o tue '"o pow
81 siior;nn May HEY were shul also 10 their meE.