not be executed against them--and were
intended to destroy the commerce of Great Britain. An American writer
(Lossing) remarks, "_With a partiality towards the Americans that was
practical friendship_, the French cruisers did not, for a whole year,
interfere with American vessels trading with Great Britain;" and Mr.
Alex. Baring, M.P. (afterwards Lord Ashburton), in his _Inquiry into the
Causes and Consequences of the Orders in Council_, said that _"no
condemnation of an American vessel had ever taken place under it"_.

By this collusion between the Tyrant of Europe and the President of the
United States, the necessities of France were supplied, and the shipping
interests of the United States largely promoted, at the expense of the
commerce and shipping interests of England.

But the collusion, or conspiracy, between Napoleon and Madison were
carried on to weaken the English navy by the desertion of its sailors,
as well as to injure English commerce by connivance in behalf of
American trading vessels. The seduction of deserters from the British
navy, and even army, was carried on successfully on a large scale. The
safety of England consisted chiefly in her navy, which she was
increasing and strengthening by every possible means. Therefore every
skilled sailor was of importance to England, while every practicable
scheme was resorted to by her enemies to induce and facilitate the
desertion of her seamen and soldiers--especially of her seamen, several
thousands of whom were detected and seized on board of American
vessels--constituting as they did the best sailors on board American
merchant vessels, and the vital strength of the French privateers. To
stop this depleting of her naval resources, England put in exercise her
right of boarding vessels of neutral powers in search of deserters from
her navy. The only neutral power in Europe was Sardinia; so that the
United States was the only neutral power that had vessels upon the
ocean; and the President of the United States was conniving against
England with the usurper and oppressor of Europe.

The right of a belligerent power to search the vessels of neutral powers
in search of deserters had never been denied, though the modification of
its exercise had frequently been sought; but under the teachings of
Napoleon, his American pupils now began to exclaim against it as an
infringement of national dignity and rights. The English Government had
directed the exercise of this r