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Buonaparte　is　of　the　continental；　and　I　place　in　the　same　line　of

insult　to　the　human　understanding；　the　pretension　of　conquering　the

ocean；　to　establish　continental　rights；　as　that　of　conquering　the

continent；　to　restore　maritime　rights。　　No；　my　dear　Madam；　the　object

of　England　is　the　_permanent　dominion　of　the　ocean_；　and　the

_monopoly　of　the　trade　of　the　world_。　　To　secure　this；　she　must　keep

a　larger　fleet　than　her　own　resources　will　maintain。　　The　resources

of　other　nations；　then；　must　be　impressed　to　supply　the　deficiency　of

her　own。　　This　is　sufficiently　developed　and　evidenced　by　her

successive　strides　towards　the　usurpation　of　the　sea。　　Mark　them；

from　her　first　war　after　William　Pitt　the　little；　came　into　her

administration。　　She　first　forbade　to　neutrals　all　trade　with　her

enemies　in　time　of　war；　which　they　had　not　in　time　of　peace。　　This

deprived　them　of　their　trade　from　port　to　port　of　the　same　nation。

Then　she　forbade　them　to　trade　from　the　port　of　one　nation　to　that　of

any　other　at　war　with　her；　although　a　right　fully　exercised　in　time

of　peace。　　Next；　instead　of　taking　vessels　only　_entering_　a

blockaded　port；　she　took　them　over　the　whole　ocean；　if　destined　to

that　port；　although　ignorant　of　the　blockade；　and　without　intention

to　violate　it。　　Then　she　took　them　returning　from　that　port；　as　if

infected　by　previous　infraction　of　blockade。　　Then　came　her　paper

blockades；　by　which　she　might　shut　up　the　whole　world　without　sending

a　ship　to　sea；　except　to　take　all　those　sailing　on　it；　as　they　must；

of　course；　be　bound　to　some　port。　　And　these　were　followed　by　her

orders　of　council；　forbidding　every　nation　to　go　to　the　port　of　any

other；　without　coming　first　to　some　port　of　Great　Britain；　there

paying　a　tribute　to　her；　regulated　by　the　cargo；　and　taking　from　her

a　license　to　proceed　to　the　port　of　destination；　which　operation　the

vessel　was　to　repeat　with　the　return　cargo　on　its　way　home。

According　to　these　orders；　we　could　not　send　a　vessel　from　St。　Mary's

to　St。　Augustine；　distant　six　hours'　sail；　on　our　own　coast；　without

crossing　the　Atlantic　four　times；　twice　with　the　outward　cargo；　and

twice　with　the　inward。　　She　found　this　too　daring　and　outrageous　for

a　single　step；　retracted　as　to　certain　articles　of　commerce；　but　left

it　in　force　as　to　others　which　constitute　important　branches　of　our

exports。　　And　finally；　that　her　views　may　no　longer　rest　on

inference；　in　a　recent　debate；　her　minister　declared　in　open

parliament；　that　the　object　of　the　present　war　is　a　_monopoly　of

commerce_。




　　　　　　　　In　some　of　these　atrocities；　France　kept　pace　with　her　fully　in

speculative　wrong；　which　her　impotence　only　shortened　in　practical

execution。　　This　was　called　retaliation　by　both；　each　charging　the

other　with　the　initiation　of　the　outrage。　　As　if　two　combatants　might

retaliate　on　an　innocent　bystander；　the　blows　they　received　from　each

other。　　To　make　war　on　both　would　have　been　ridiculous。　　In　order；

therefore；　to　single　out　any　enemy；　we　offered　to　both；　that　if

either　would　revoke　its　hostile　decrees；　and　the　other　should　refuse；

we　would　interdict　all　intercourse　whatever　with　that　other；　which

would　be　war　of　course；　as　being　an　avowed　departure　from　neutrality。

France　accepted　the　offer；　and　revoked　her　decrees　as　to　us。　　England

not　only　refused；　but　declared　by　a　solemn　proclamation　of　her　Prince

Regent；　that　she　would　not　revoke　her　orders　_even　as　to　us_；　until

those　of　France　should　be　annulled　_as　to　the　whole　world_。　　We

thereon　declared　war；　and　with　abundant　additional　cause。




　　　　　　　　In　the　mean　time；　an　examination　before　parliament　of　the

ruinous　effects　of　these　orders　on　her　own　manufacturers；　exposing

them　to　the　nation　and　to　the　world；　their　Prince　issued　a　palinodial

proclamation；　_suspending_　the　orders　on　certain　conditions；　but

claiming　to　renew　them　at　pleasure；　as　a　matter　of　right。　　Even　this

might　have　prevented　the　war；　if　done　and　known　here　before　its

declaration。　　But　the　sword　being　once　drawn；　the　expense　of　arming

incurred；　and　hostilities　in　full　course；　it　would　have　been　unwise

to　discontinue　them；　until　effectual　provision　should　be　agreed　to　by

England；　for　protecting　our　citizens　on　the　high　seas　from

impressment　by　her　naval　commanders；　through　error；　voluntary　or

involuntary；　the　fact　being　notorious；　that　these　officers；　entering

our　ships　at　sea　under　pretext　of　searching　for　their　seamen；　（which

they　have　no　right　to　do　by　the　law　or　usage　of　nations；　which　they

neither　do；　nor　ever　did；　as　to　any　other　nation　but　ours；　and　which

no　nation　ever　before　pretended　to　do　in　any　case；）　entering　our

ships；　I　say；　under　pretext　of　searching　for　and　taking　out　their

seamen；　they　took　ours；　native　as　well　as　naturalised；　knowing　them

to　be　ours；　merely　because　they　wanted　them；　insomuch；　that　no

American　could　safely　cross　the　ocean；　or　venture　to　pass　by　sea　from

one　to　another　of　our　own　ports。　　It　is　not　long　since　they　impressed

at　sea　two　nephews　of　General　Washington；　returning　from　Europe；　and

put　them；　as　common　seamen；　under　the　ordinary　discipline　of　their

ships　of　war。　　There　are　certainly　other　wrongs　to　be　settled　between

England　and　us；　but　of　a　minor　character；　and　such　as　a　proper　spirt

of　conciliation　on　both　sides　would　not　permit　to　continue　them　at

war。　　The　sword；　however；　can　never　again　be　sheathed；　until　the

personal　safety　of　an　American　on　the　ocean；　among　the　most　important

and　most　vital　of　the　rights　we　possess；　is　completely　provided　for。




　　　　　　　　As　soon　as　we　heard　of　her　partial　repeal　of　her　orders　of

council；　we　offered　instantly　to　suspend　hostilities　by　an　armistice；

if　she　would　suspend　her　impressments；　and　meet　us　in　arrangements

for　securing　our　citizens　against　them。　　She　refused　to　do　it；

because　impracticable　by　any　arrangement；　as　she　pretends；　but；　in

truth；　because　a　body　of　sixty　to　eighty　thousand　of　the　finest

seamen　in　the　world；　which　we　possess；　is　too　great　a　resource　for

manning　her　exaggerated　navy；　to　be　relinquished；　as　long　as　she　can

keep　it　open。　　Peace　is　in　her　hand；　whenever　she　will　renounce　the

practice　of　aggression　on　the　persons　of　our　citizens。　　If　she　thinks

it　worth　eternal　war；　eternal　war　we　must　have。　　She　alleges　that　the

sameness　of　language；　of　manners；　of　appearance；　renders　it

impossible　to　distinguish　us　from　her　subjects。　　But　because　we　speak

English；　and　look　like　them；　are　we　to　be　punished？　　Are　free　and

independent　men　to　be　submitted　to　their　bondage？




　　　　　　　　England　has　misrepresented　to　all　Europe　this　ground　of　the

war。　　She　has　called　it　a　new　pretension；　set　up　since　the　repeal　of

her　orders　of　council。　　She　knows　there　has　never　been　a　moment　of

suspension　of　our　reclamations　against　it；　from　General　Washington's

time　inclusive；　to　the　present　day：　and　that　it　is　distinctly　stated

in　our　declaration　of　war；　as　one　of　its　principal　causes。　　She　has

pretended　we　have　entered　into　the　war　to　establish　the　principle　of

‘free　bottoms；　free　goods；'　or　to　protect　her　seamen　against　her　own

right　over　them。　　We　contend　for　neither　of　these。　　She　pretends　we

are　partial　to　France；　that　we　have　observed　a　fraudulent　and

unfaithful　neutrality　between　her　and　her　enemy。　　She　knows　this　to

be　false；　and　that　if　there　has　been　any　inequality　in　our

proceedings　towards　the　belligerents；　it　has　been　in　her　favor。　　Her

ministers　are　in　possession　of　full　proofs　of　this。　　Our　accepting　at

once；　and　sincerely；　the　mediation　of　the　virtuous　Alexander；　their

greatest　friend；　and　the　most　aggravated　enemy　of　Buonaparte；

sufficiently　proves　whether　we　have　partialities　on　the　side　of　her

enemy。　　I　sincerely　pray　that　this　mediation　may　produce　a　just

peace。　　It　will　prove　that　the　immortal　character；　which　has　first

stopped　by　war　the　career　of　the　destroyer　of　mankind；　is　the　friend

of　peace；　of　justice；　of　human　happiness；　and　the　patron　of

unoffending　and　injured　nations。　　He　is　too　honest　and　impartial　to

countenance　propositions　of　peace　derogatory　to　the　freedom　of　the

seas。




　　　　　　　　Shall　I　apologise　to　you；　my　dear　Madam；　for　this　long

political　letter？　　But　yours　justifies　the　subject；　and　my　feelings

must　plead　for　the　unreserved　expression　of　them；　and　they　have　been

the　less　reserved；　as　being　from　a　private　citizen；　retired　from　all

connection　with　the　government　of　his　country；　and　whose　ideas；

expressed　without　communication　with　any　one；　are　neither　known；　nor

imputable　to　them。




　　　　　　　　The　dangers　of　the　sea　are　now　so　great；　and　the　possibilities

of　interception　by　sea　and　land　such；　that　I　shall　subscribe　no　name

to　this　letter。　　You　will　know　from　whom　it　comes；　by　its　reference

to　the　date　of　time　and　place　of　yours；　as　well　as　by　its　subject　in

answer　to　that。　　This　omission　must　not　lessen　in　your　view　the

assurances　of　my　great　esteem；　of　my　sincere　sympathies　for　the　share