The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-05-08


WITH The probability Of all the supposed adya3lagez
OF inc treaty being Intentionally neatlalized by Sa
poleoh, and the advantage OF the occasion for ex-
aelns cur just demands in their whole extent and
| rcsuniing orr true positiou-we are unable Ia see
that Mr.. Jefferson made any great mistake. The
acceptance Of the treaty might have DELAYED hut we
have no iaith mat II would have prevented the war
to which the course OF events 80 inialiiDy tend
| ing.
On the 7th of January, 1907, the British order IN
council, retaliatory OF tie Berlin decree was issued
Ii prohibited neutrals from carrying the coastina
trade ofFrance her allies, nom trade with any
] other country from which England was herself de-
barred free intercourse. That Is, you shall trade only
where trade-if am shut out, SO shall you be-;
On The 22d June, occurred the affair OF the Ches-
1 apeake fig te, the unauthorized extension by a
British officer Of the right of search and impress
ment 70 national vessel The ame,ide honorable,
ny apology and compensation, was promptly offered;
and seeing the anxiety TO have il settled Jefferson
linked 1t with the other affairs about which there
was less eagerness on their part, and refused to
listen to any terms but those which conceded all
our claims at once. The scheme failed, however,
anu Madison afterwards accepted the separate COM
| pensat.on for the Chesapeake outrage.
In October, proclamation of the British king
! was issued, ordering general search for British
SUBJECTS IN foreign vessels, and their impressmsnt
| wherever found.
! Jealous Of the exception made Of the United
| States by Napoleon, from the operation of the
| Berlin decree, the British government issued an
order on November III, 1907, declaring the ports Of
France and her allies and OF their colonies and of
all places from which Great Britain was excluded,
in state OF blockade, and that neither should any
trade be allowed to ca from them, nor any com
merce in their productions, except such as might be
carried on by England and her con ederates
On the 10Th November appeared an order expla-
natory Of the order OF November IL, permitting
neutral trade to the places interdcted, condition
OF their vessels first entering British port, paying
q transit duty there, and obtaining license. This
duty was made to exceed what would DC often the
value Of the cargo though the retaiatory actions Of
Fro, and A cd re nfinp
In the summer Of 1907 Napoleon was busted in
bringing the Continent into the support of his un-
English system enumerated in the Berlin decree.
The nations Immediately under his control having
been obliged TO put it in force, and professed
neutrals joining, it was decided in September that
the system should be extended toall neutral powers,
as its object was TO enforce the rights Of neutrals.
Portugal, under the influence Of her old ally, Eng
land, refused accession and in October war was de-
clared against her therefor and her territory SEIZED
the reignng Prince flying to Brazil and setting up
the kingdom airesh on that broader theatre 10
anticipate him in Denmark, England seized the
Danish feet, and thus kept open the Baltic and
north of Europe to her trade. On that account, al
though the United States had as yet failed to answer
the expectation Of protecting its neutral rights, and
the French interests therein involved, the decree
was still left unenforced against them as its opera
ton, so long rs England had the freedom of the
Baltic region, would be but to give its whole trade
to that power. So the United States was allowed to
share it with her. BY the treaty Of Tilst, in July,
Prussia and Russia had become Napoeon's allies,
and by secret article it is said, were bound to the
support of the continental system
In December, Napoleon issued from Milan, in
Italy his celebrated decree retalatory of the British
orders in council Of November 1t repeated and ex-
tended the grounds Of the Berlin decree, prohibiting
all trade by any country, with Great Britain, her
allies or colonies. All vessels submitting to search
by British force, entering British port, or paying
any duty to the British government (referring es-
peciay to the order Of November 2l) were declared
to be denatonalised and to be liable to capture a.
EDgli h property Sweden now the only neu-
trail power remaining in Europe, Except TurkeyJ
and the effect Of this act had not the United States
at the same time withdrawn their vessels from tina
ocean, would have been in connection with the lato
British orders to annihlate their entire foreign trade.
Sweden was the only country to which they could
now co. and IT vessel were on the way to Sweden,
and were met and searched as she surely would b0
If met by British armed vessel, wherever found
aiterward by the French, she would be seized for
having been searched. From the countries at war,
the cross edicts made the election total and
thorough
1t seems almost impossible to believe that the
world should have submitted to the Of such dia-
boical agencies in the contest Of two single Powers,
for the but that all through. II reminds us
OF Mtons conception of the fighting angels, tearing
up the mountains, with all their load OF woods and
waters to cast at each other. 1t was Internally
nihcent. Lucifer himself was not more reckless
than these leading combatants. England spurned
all the complaints Of the neutral Powers, and Napo
leon replied to the prayers OF the suffering mercan
tile cities Of France and Holland that Britain must
cation back for centuries and returning to the ogi
nal mode Of trading by barter" Whether the uiti
mate aims Of Napoleon were or were not exclusively
SELFISH to England belongs the responsibility Of in
! Producing the system Of the unwarrantable exten
sion Of the claims and practices Of war; and agains
that system II is question, if any other efficient
resistance could have been made by the parties a.
sailed, neutral and beligerent, but turning the game
weapon upon its author.
As soon a. the orders in council Of November
were received in the United States, it that
some ultra measures were unavoidable. The ad-
ministration was as little rec0nced to ever.
Restrictions upon British trade in ports, or re-
taiation upon their ships were measures naturally
suggested. But Jefferson considered it best II our
ships would be captured abroad, as they certainly
would have been now, by the wholesale, they were
better kept at home. That would save the ships
and avoid any more collision, and would besides,
afford effective aid to the system Of Napoleon IS the
British must feel the effect in the want Of naval
stores and some other articles usually obtained from
this country. So, an embargo was recommended,
for an indefinite period, upon our trade, and wa
forthwith adopted, (Dec. 22o Only two Senators
(John Quincy Adams and Mr.. Bradley, Of vermonsl
from the Eastern States supported it. The CONNER.
cial party most violent in vituperation Of thu
act and It's author It was, indeed, most absolute
invasion OF the rights OF trade and ast0nished Brit
ish statesmen used they to bold exercises Of
power. But we do not see that anything better was
To lie done under the circumstances The desire Of
the merchants TO be allowed to send their shipo
where they pleased was preposterous. They should
have best known their own interests true, but they
were blinded by political fury, and willing to visit
the suHerings they endured from the belligerents
upon the head Of their own government. Under the
comb nation of the orders Of November and the
Milan decree, with the parties supporting them
worked up to state of almost maniacal rage, Is
would have been like launching own ships In .
ma slstrom to have sent them upon the ocean.
The embargo distressed our own people; but there
would have been distress OF more dangerous sort
without it. II period for commercial distress,
and escape the misfortune we could not But 1t wa
not without effect upon England, as its opponents
you'd have 1t. There never was time since the
colonies independent that suspension Of trade
between them and England could be otherwise than
most seriously felt by England. No man was bet
ter Judge than Napoleon of the character Of any such
measure, and he commended it In the highest terms,
did 1aleyrand and all the statesmen OF the French
court, most effective agency in the support Of
the common object Of Europe and the United States
The English party here attributed it to the In
\ siigatlon Of Napoleon. But We have the palpable
nee that il was the occasion Of grea. alarm and