STATE PAPERS. 



33 1 



it proper publicly to declare the 

 causes and origin of the war, in 

 which the government of the 

 United States lias compelled hinn to 

 engage. 



No desire of conquest, or other 

 ordinary motive of aggression, has 

 been, or can be with any colour of 

 reason, in this case, imputed to 

 Great Britain : that her commercial 

 interests were on the side of peace, 

 if war could have been avoided, 

 without the sacrifice of her mari- 

 time rights, or without an inju- 

 rious submission to France, is a 

 truth which the American govern- 

 ment will not deny. 



His royal highness does not, 

 however, mean to rest on the fa- 

 vourable presumption to which he 

 is entitled. He is prepared by an ex- 

 position of the circumstances which 

 have led to tlie present war, to 

 show thatGreatBritain has through- 

 out acted towards the United 

 States of America with a spirit of 

 amity, forbearance, and concilia- 

 lion ; and to demonstrate the in- 

 admissible nature of those preten- 

 sions which have at length unhap- 

 pily involved the two countries in 

 war. 



It is well known to the world, 

 that it has been theinvariable ob- 

 ject of the ruler of France, to de- 

 stroy the power and independence 

 of the British empire, as the chief 

 obstacle to the accomplishment of 

 bis ambitious designs. 



He first contemplated the pos- 

 sibility of assembling such a naval 

 force in the channel as, combined 

 with a numerous flotilla, should 

 enable him to disembark in Eng- 

 land an army sufficient, in his con- 

 ception, to subjugate this country ; 

 and through the conquest of Great 



Britain he hoped to realize his pro- 

 ject of universal empire. 



By the adoption of an enlarged 

 and provident system of internal 

 defence, and by the valour of his 

 majesty's fleets and armies, this de- 

 sign was entirely frustrated ; and 

 the naval force of France, after the 

 most signal defeats, was compelled 

 to retire from the ocean. 



An attempt was then made to 

 effectuate the same purpose by 

 other means; a system was brought 

 forward, by which the ruler of 

 France hoped to annihilate the 

 commerce of Great Britain, to 

 shake her public credit, and to 

 destroy her revenue; to render use- 

 less her maritime superiority, and 

 so to avail himself of his continental 

 ascendency, as to constitute him- 

 self, in a great measure, the arbiter 

 of the ocean, notwithstanding the 

 destruction of his fleets. 



With this view, by the decree 

 of Berlin, followed by that of Mi- 

 lan, he declared the British terri- 

 tories to be in a state of blockade ; 

 and that all commerce, or even cor- 

 respondence, with Great Britain 

 was prohibited. He decreed that 

 every vessel and cargo, which had 

 entered, or was found proceeding 

 to a British port, or which, under 

 any circumstances, had been visit- 

 ed by a British ship of war, should 

 be lawful prize: he declared all Bri- 

 tish goods and produce, wherever 

 found, and however acquired, whe- 

 ther coming from the mother 

 country or from her colonies, sub- 

 ject to confiscation ; he further de- 

 clared to be denationalized, the 

 flag of all neutral ships that should 

 be found offending against these 

 his decrees : and he gave to this 

 project of universal tyranny, the 



