which it stood previously to the promulgation of those decrees. This
pledge, although it does not necessarily import, does not exclude the
intention of relinquishing, along with the orders in council, the
practice of those novel blockades which have a like effect of
interrupting our neutral commerce, and this further justice to the
United States is the rather to be looked for, inasmuch as the blockades
in question, being not more contrary to the established law of nations
than inconsistent with the rules of blockade formally recognized by
Great Britain herself, could have no alleged basis other than the plea
of retaliation alleged as the basis of the orders in council. Under the
modification of the original orders of November, 1807, into the orders
of April, 1809, there is, indeed, scarcely a nominal distinction between
the orders and the blockades. One of those illegitimate blockades,
bearing date in May, 1806, having been expressly avowed to be still
unrescinded, and to be in effect comprehended in the orders in council,
was too distinctly brought within the purview of the act of Congress not
to be comprehended in the explanation of the requisites to a compliance
with it. The British Government was accordingly apprised by our minister
near it that such was the light in which the subject was to be regarded.

On the other important subjects depending between the United States and
that Government no progress has been made from which an early and
satisfactory result can be relied on.

In this new posture of our relations with those powers the consideration
of Congress will be properly turned to a removal of doubts which may
occur in the exposition and of difficulties in the execution of the act
above cited.

The commerce of the United States with the north of Europe, heretofore