same confident assertions were made that they could
not do without England. The comparison possessed much truth, for the
Tories of 1809 were as indifferent to American feelings as those of 1774,
and pushed their commercial policy just as North had done his political
system, in the same contemptuous certainty that the Americans would never
fight. Yet Canning showed sufficient deference to his assailants to
instruct Erskine, British Minister at Washington, to notify Madison that
the Orders would be withdrawn in case the United States kept its
non-intercourse with France, recognized the Rule of 1756, and authorized
British men-of-war to enforce the Non-intercourse Act.

The immediate result was surprising, for Erskine, eager to restore
harmony, did not disclose or carry out his instructions, but accepted the
continuance by the United States of non-intercourse against France as a
sufficient concession. He announced that the Orders in Council would be
withdrawn on June 10; Madison in turn promptly issued a proclamation
reopening trade, and {205} swarms of American vessels rushed across the
Atlantic. But Canning, in harsh language, repudiated the arrangement of
his over-sanguine agent, and Madison was forced to the mortifying step of
reimposing non-intercourse by a second proclamation. Still worse
remained, for when F. J. Jackson, the next British Minister, arrived, the
President had to undergo the insult of being told that he had connived
with Erskine in violating his instructions. The refusal to hold further
relations with the blunt emissary was a poor satisfaction. All this
time, moreover, reparation for the _Chesapeake_ affair was blocked, since
it had been coupled with a demand for the renunciation of impressments,
something that no British Ministry would have dared to yield.

On the part of Napoleon, the Non-intercourse Act offered another
opportunity for plunder. When he first heard of Erskine's concessions,
he was on the point of meeting them, but on learning of their failure he
changed about, commanded the sequestration of all American vessels
entering European ports, and in May, 1810, by the Rambouillet Decree, he
ordered their confiscation and sale. The ground assigned was that the
Non-intercourse Act forbade any French or English vessel to enter
American ports under penalty of confiscation. {206} None had been
confiscated, but they might be. Hence he acted. Incidentally he helped
to fill his treasury,