To James Madison from George W. Erving, 14 March 1807
From George W. Erving
Madrid March 14th. 1807
Sir
I lose no time in transmitting to you a decree issued by this government in conformity with the Imperial blockade decree, of which I received the first notice from Cadiz on the 12th Inst; and I send it as published in the Madrid Gazette of last Evening, where it is preceeded by a paragraph worthy of remark:1 By the next post I shall have the honor of addressing you more particularly upon this, & other subjects connected with our affairs here. With perfect respect & Consideration Sir Your very obt St
George W Erving
RC (DNA: RG 59, DD, Spain, vol. 10). In a clerk’s hand, signed by Erving. Docketed by Graham. For enclosure, see n. 1.
1. Erving enclosed a 19 February 1807 circular from Manuel Godoy to the heads of provinces, departments, and baxeles (vessels) of Spain and the Indies that was printed in Gazeta de Madrid, 13 Mar. 1807 (translation printed in ASP, Foreign Relations, 3:6). After recounting the Spanish government’s motives for declaring war on Great Britain, the decree stated that “all English property will be confiscated whenever it is found on board a vessel, although a neutral, if the consignment belongs to Spanish individuals”; that all merchandise bound for British ports, including goods found on neutral vessels, would be confiscated; and that Spain would conform to Napoleon’s Berlin Decree. The paragraph preceding the decree in the Gazeta de Madrid that Erving found “worthy of remark” maintained that the decree had been promulgated to cooperate with Napoleon’s Berlin Decree in response to Britain’s “maritime and commercial despotism.”