ARGUMENT OF MR. ROOT 285 



establishing the limit of maritime jurisdiction. And when you have 

 got that limit of maritime jurisdiction you have your infalKble 

 guide to what "bays" means in the treaty of 1818, if the same view 

 continued. The limit of maritime jurisdiction is fixed here in this 

 treaty as being 5 miles from the shore, or 3 miles in the alternative. 



The reason for this is perfectly plain; it is one which has already 

 been referred to by the President. The Prussian decree, made at 

 the instance and under the compulsion of Bonaparte, which declared 

 these coasts here of the North Sea closed against Great Britain, 

 was on the 28th March, 1806. And the first order in council by 

 Great Britain retaliating for that decree, which declared the block- 

 ade of the Ems, the Weser, the Elbe, and the Travz, was on the 8th 

 April, 1806. On the i6th May, 1806, came the order in council 

 declaring the blockade of the whole coast of the Continent from the 

 Elbe to the Port of Brest. On the 14th October, 1806, came the 

 famous Berhn decree, which put a ban upon all commerce with 

 England. On the 7th January, 1807, came the retahatory order 

 in council, which declared all neutral trading with France, or from 

 port to port in any possession of France, or of any of the alHes of 

 France anywhere in the world, to be cause for condemnation. And 

 on the 17th December, 1807, came the Milan decree, which outlawed 

 England and English ships everywhere. The two countries were 

 in the throes of that titanic conflict which bore very hard upon the 

 United States. England had the greatest navy of the world; the 

 United States had no navy, but she had a great neutral commerce 

 that had grown up. It was for the interest of England to extend 

 the radius of the operations of her naval vessels clear to the verge 

 of every coast and into every bay in the known world, to free them 

 from all shackles in action; and it was for the interests of the 

 United States to push away from her coasts these hovering war- 

 ships that frightened and drove away the commerce upon which 

 she was growing rich. 



I join most heartily in the expression of a kindlier judgment upon 

 the actions which were brought about by the exigencies of that 

 terrible struggle; but in those days they were bitter for the people 

 of the United States. The United States was urging relief, and 

 Great Britain was insisting upon full and unfettered opportunity 

 for her poUcy. 



