part15-第13章

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of　the　world；　and　of　which　yourself　and　your　venerable　father　were

such　distinguished　members。　　But　of　what　scenes　has　it　since　been　the

theatre；　and　with　what　havoc　has　it　overspread　the　earth！　　Robespiere

met　the　fate；　and　his　memory　the　execration；　he　so　justly　merited。

The　rich　were　his　victims；　and　perished　by　thousands。　　It　is　by

millions　that　Buonaparte　destroys　the　poor；　and　he　is　eulogised　and

deified　by　the　sycophants　even　of　science。　　These　merit　more　than　the

mere　oblivion　to　which　they　will　be　consigned；　and　the　day　will　come

when　a　just　posterity　will　give　to　their　hero　the　only　pre…eminence

he　has　earned；　that　of　having　been　the　greatest　of　the　destroyers　of

the　human　race。　　What　year　of　his　military　life　has　not　consigned　a

million　of　human　beings　to　death；　to　poverty　and　wretchedness！　　What

field　in　Europe　may　not　raise　a　monument　of　the　murders；　the

burnings；　the　desolations；　the　famines　and　miseries　it　has　witnessed

from　him！　　And　all　this　to　acquire　a　reputation；　which　Cartouche

attained　with　less　injury　to　mankind；　of　being　fearless　of　God　or

man。




　　　　　　　　To　complete　and　universalise　the　desolation　of　the　globe；　it

has　been　the　will　of　Providence　to　raise　up；　at　the　same　time；　a

tyrant　as　unprincipled　and　as　overwhelming；　for　the　ocean。　　Not　in

the　poor　maniac　George；　but　in　his　government　and　nation。　　Buonaparte

will　die；　and　his　tyrannies　with　him。　　But　a　nation　never　dies。　　The

English　government　and　its　piratical　principles　and　practices；　have

no　fixed　term　of　duration。　　Europe　feels；　and　is　writhing　under　the

scorpion　whips　of　Buonaparte。　　We　are　assailed　by　those　of　England。

The　one　continent　thus　placed　under　the　gripe　of　England；　and　the

other　of　Buonaparte；　each　has　to　grapple　with　the　enemy　immediately

pressing　on　itself。　　We　must　extinguish　the　fire　kindled　in　our　own

house；　and　leave　to　our　friends　beyond　the　water　that　which　is

consuming　theirs。　　It　was　not　till　England　had　taken　one　thousand　of

our　ships；　and　impressed　into　her　service　more　than　six　thousand　of

our　citizens；　till　she　had　declared；　by　the　proclamation　of　her

Prince　Regent；　that　she　would　not　repeal　her　aggressive　orders　_as　to

us_；　until　Buonaparte　should　have　repealed　his　_as　to　all　nations_；

till　her　minister；　in　formal　conference　with　ours；　declared；　that　no

proposition　for　protecting　our　seamen　from　being　impressed；　under

color　of　taking　their　own；　was　practicable　or　admissible；　that；　the

door　to　justice　and　to　all　amicable　arrangement　being　closed；　and

negotiation　become　both　desperate　and　dishonorable；　we　concluded　that

the　war　she　had　been　for　years　waging　against　us；　might　as　well

become　a　war　on　both　sides。　　She　takes　fewer　vessels　from　us　since

the　declaration　of　war　than　before；　because　they　venture　more

cautiously；　and　we　now　make　full　reprisals　where　before　we　made　none。

England　is；　in　principle；　the　enemy　of　all　maritime　nations；　as

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；　returnin