Neutrality.
A movement in
Europe, known as the “Armed neutrality,” threatened to seriously cripple the power of
Great Britain and incidentally aid the
Americans in their struggle for independence.
It was a league of the leading nations of
Europe against the pretensions of
Great Britain as “
Mistress of the seas.”
It was conceived in the summer of 1778, when British cruisers seized American vessels in the
Baltic Sea engaged in commerce with
Russia.
The latter nation was then assuming colossal proportions, and all the others courted the friendship of its empress, Catharine II., who was able and powerful.
Great Britain tried to induce her to become an ally against
France.
Catharine coquetted a long time with King George, while her sympathies were with
Sweden,
Denmark, and
Holland.
Their neutral ships were continually interfered with by British sea-rovers, whose acts were justified by the
British government.
France had gained the good — will of the
Northern powers by a proclamation (July, 1778) of protection to all neutral vessels going to or from a hostile port with contraband goods whose value did not exceed threefourths of the whole cargo.
From that time until the beginning of 1780 the insolence of British cruisers and the tone of the
British ministers offended the
Northern powers.
The tone was often insulting.
“When the
Dutch,” said Lord North, “say ‘
We maritime powers,’ it reminds me of the cobbler who lived next door to the
lord mayor, and used to say, ‘My neighbor and I.
’ ” Official language was often equally offensive.
The British minister at
The Hague said, “For the present, treaty or no treaty,
England will not suffer materials for ship-building to be taken by the
Dutch to any French port.”
A similar tone was indulged towards the other powers, excepting Russia The shrewd
Catharine, perceiving the commercial interests of her realm to be involved in the maintenance of the neutral rights of others, after long coquetting with
Great Britain, assumed the attitude of defender of those rights before all the world.
Early in March, 1780, she issued a declaration, in substance, (1) that neutral ships shall enjoy free navigation from port to port, and on the coasts of belligerent powers; (2) that free ships free all goods except contraband; (3) that contraband are arms and munitions of war, and nothing else; (4) that no port is blockaded unless the enemy's ships in adequate number are near enough to make the entry dangerous.
“In manifesting these principles before all
Europe,” that
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state paper said, “her Imperial Majesty is firmly resolved to maintain them.
She has therefore given an order to fit out a considerable portion of her naval forces to act as her honor, her interest, and necessity may require.”
The Empress invited
Sweden,
Denmark,
Portugal, and the Netherlands to join in support of her declaration.
These, with
Prussia and
Russia, entered into a league in the course of the year.
France and
Spain acquiesced in the new maritime code; and at one time a general war between
Great Britain and the
Continental nations seemed inevitable.
The
United States approved the measure, and towards the close of 1780 sent
Francis Dana as ambassador to the Court of St. Petersburg to negotiate a treaty of amity and commerce.
The alliance neither awed nor in any sensible way affected
England.
The known fickleness and faithlessness of Catharine made other powers hesitate in going to war, and the league resulted in inaction.
When the
Berlin decree (see
orders in council) was promulgated,
John Armstrong, American minister at
Paris, inquired of the
French minister of marine how it was to be interpreted concerning American vessels, and was answered that American vessels bound to and from a British port would not be molested; and such was the fact.
For nearly a year the French cruisers did not interfere with American vessels; but after the peace of Tilsit (July 7, 1807), Napoleon employed the released French army in enforcing his “Continental system.”
According to a new interpretation of the Berlin decree, given by
Regnier, French minister of justice, American vessels, laden with merchandise derived from
England and her colonies, by whomsoever owned, were liable to seizure by French cruisers.
This announced intention of forcing the
United States into at least a passive co-operation with
Bonaparte's schemes against British commerce was speedily carried into execution by the confiscation of the cargo of the American ship
Horizon, which had accidentally been stranded on the coast of
France in November, 1807.
The ground of condemnation was that the cargo consisted of merchandise of British origin.
This served as a precedent for the confiscation of a large amount of American property on the sea Already
Great Britain had exhibited her intended policy towards neutrals.
When she heard of the secret provisions of the treaty of Tilsit, in anticipation of the supposed designs of
France she sent a formidable naval force to
Copenhagen and demanded (Sept. 2) the surrender of the
Danish fleet, which being refused, it was seized by force, and the vessels taken to
England.
Her policy was further foreshadowed by an Order in Council (
Nov 11, 1807) prohibiting any neutral trade with
France or her allies—in other words, with the whole of
Europe,
Sweden excepted—unless through
Great Britain.
A colorable pretext for these orders was the Berlin decree.
See
embargo.
In 1816 it was proposed to
Spain to accept, on the part of the
United States, in satisfaction of the claims against her, a cession of
Florida; and, that all controversies between the two governments might be settled at once, to make the
Colorado of
Texas the western boundary of the
United States in Spanish territory.
The Spanish minister at
Washington demanded, as preliminary to such an arrangement, the restoration to
Spain of
West Florida, and the exclusion of the flags of insurrectionary Spanish provinces of
South America, they being used by privateersmen.
An act was accordingly passed in March, 1816, and penalties provided for a violation of it. This act secured peace between the two countries
