proach a court of justice, they have 
plundered and sunk them by the, 
way, in obscure places, whete no e- 
vidence could arise against them ; 
maltreated the crews, and abandon- 
« ed them in beats in the open sea, or 
on desert shores, without food or co- 
vering. ‘These enormities appearing 
to be unreached by any control of 
their sovereigns, I found it necessa- 
ry to equip a force, to cruize within 
our own seas, to arrest all vessels of 
these descriptions, found hovering 
on our coasts, within the limits of 
the gulph-stream, and to bring the 
offenders in for trial as pirates. 
The same system of hovering on 
*our coasts and harbours, under co- 
four of secking enemies, has been 
also carried on by public armed 
ships, to the great annoyance and 
oppression of our commerce. New 
principles, too, have been interpo- 
jated into the law of nations, found- 
ed neither in justice, nor the usage 
' er acknowledgment of nations. Ac- 
cording to these, a belligerent takes 
to itself a commerce with its own 
enemy, which it denies to a neutral, 
on the ground of aiding that enemy 
in the war. But reason revolts at 
such an inconsistency, and the neu- 
tral having equal right with the bel- 
ligerent to decidé the question, the 
interests of our constituents, and the 
duty of maintaining the authority of 
reason, the only umpire ‘between 
just nations, impose on us the obli- 
gation of providing an effectual and 
determined opposition to a doetrine 
so injurious to the rights of peace- 
able nations. Indeed, the confidence 
we ought to have in the justice of 
others, still countenances the hope, 
that a sounder view. of those rights 
will, of itself, induce from every 
belligerent a more correct observ- 
ance of them, 
ANNUAL REGISTER, 1806. 
With Spain our negociations for 
a setilement of differences, have not | 
had a satisfactory issue, Spoliations 
during the former war, for which 
she had formerly acknowledged her- 
self responsible, have been refused 
to be compensated, but on condi- 
tions affecting other claims, in no 
wise connected with them. Yet the 
same practices are renewed in the 
present war, and are already of | 
great amount. On the Mobile, our 
commerce passing through that ri- 
ver, continues to be obstructed by 
arbitrary duties and vexatious 
searches. Propositions for adjust- 
ing amicably the boundaries of Loui- 
siana, have not been acceded to.— 
While, however, the right is unset- 
tled, we have avoided changing the 
state of things, by taking new posts, 
or strengthening ourselves in the 
disputed territeries, in the hope that 
the other power would not, by a 
contrary conduct, oblige us to mect 
their example, and endanger con- 
flicts of authority, the issue of which 
may not be easily controlled. But 
in this hope we have now reason to 
lessen our confidence. 
Inroads have been recently made 
into the territories of Orleans and 
the Mississippi: our citizens have 
been seized, and their property 
plundered, in the very parts of the 
former which had been actually deli- 
vered up by Spain, and this by the 
regular officers and soldiers of that 
government. | havetherefore found 
it necessary, at length, to give orders | 
to our troops, on that frontier, to 
be in readiness to protect our citizens, 
and to repel by arms ‘any similar 
aggressions in future. Other details, 
necessary for your full information 
of the state of things between this 
country and that, shall be the sub- 
ject of another communication. In 
reviewing 
0) 2 eS 
