ation which dictated this act
of our government; and Grotius, a great writer on the law of nations,
has remarked:--"I may, without considering whether it is merited or
not, take possession of that which belongs to another man, if I have
any reason to apprehend any evil to myself from his holding it. I cannot
make myself master or proprietor of it, the property having nothing to
do with the end which I propose; but I can keep possession of the thing
seized till my safety be sufficiently provided for." The instinct of duty
and self-preservation suggests this course. And thus it was that our
government was induced to seize the navy of Denmark. And it was seized
without any declaration of war on our part, for the simple reason that
dispatch was necessary. If we had delayed, the Danish fleet would soon
have been in the hands of the enemy; hence his maledictions against
what he termed our "aggressions:" we had anticipated him, and he was
mortified with the bitter disappointment he thereby sustained.

DEBATES ON THE ORDERS IN COUNCIL.

On the 5th of February Mr. Perceval, the chancellor of the exchequer,
moved that the orders in council should be referred to the committee of
ways and means. The opposition took this opportunity of declaring that
we ought not to retaliate by such measures; that these orders were
unjust, and would do as much mischief as the Berlin and Milan decrees;
that they were as contrary to justice as to policy; and that they went
to violate both the law of nations and the municipal law of England. On
the other hand it was argued, that we had a right to retaliate upon the
enemy his own measures; that if he declared we should have no trade,
we had equal right to declare he should have none; and that if he
proclaimed British manufactures and colonial produce good prize, we were
justified in doing the same with respect to France. This was inculcating
the old worldy maxim of "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth;" and
ministers were supported in their line of policy by a large majority.
Subsequently, a bill, brought in by the chancellor of the exchequer, for
regulating the orders in council, as they affected neutrals, was carried
through both houses. This had reference to the differences between
England and America; and it was followed by a bill for regulating
commercial intercourse with the United States, which was intended to
give time for making some amicable arrangements with the Americans;
conti