The Wheeling repository — Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.], 1807-10-29 00:00:00, page 1

♦ THE
WHEELING REPOSITORY.
(VOL. I.)
Thursday, 29th October, 1807.
(No. 25 1-2.)
F'jY the Wheeling Repository.
I N the two hist numbers of the
Wheeling Repository, a writer, who
styles himself a « Federalist,” has la
boured with the ostensible puvpose of
proving the Editor of the Aurora in an
error, and as acting inconsi itcntly with
himself. IS at the real design is seen
through. He intends his essavs to act
ns a lullaby upon the magnanimous spi
rit lately so generally expressed, by all
classes ol true Americans, against the
unparalleled insult received from Bri
tain. It would he ridiculous to suppose
he hoped either to prosely te or irritate
Duane ; and being well convinced our
citizens would hear no palliatives on the
subject of our murdered citizens and in
stated nation, he has left that subject
out ol the discussion, and insinuates that
it is a question of minor importance ;—
when in truth it is the very nerve and
sensitive part ; the Very’cause (if anv
does) that will produce war with Bri
tain. For what were Congress called at
an earlier day than usual ? What occa
sioned the citizens throughout the Li
nked States t o express, as with one voice,
their abhorrence of British violence ?
V/iiy did the President interdict British
armed ships their accustomt d use of our
ports ? Not on account of the. “ Fede
ralist’s” “great question,” hut mani
fest’- ” on the subject of the Chesapeake.
A . .tin of circumstances, of recent
date, corroborate tile opinion, that the
attack on the Chesapeake was premedi
tated. 1 lie Indians (according to Bri
tish custom) were stimulated to renew
their savage murders. An additional
force lias lately been thrown into Qiu
beck; and there is no doubt but the En
glish government wen in collusion with
Burr, to destroy our internal peace, and
seize our south-western frontier, while
British squadrons wiul i haw blockad
ed our ports and harbm . It is evident
these menacing and l'aithl -s.» acts were
rot caused by thv* u Federalist’s” “great
question” not being settled, hut from a
predetermination to go to war with us.
I he lengilt of time necessary tr> mature
these plans, so far as we have seen them,
corresponds with great exactness, in our
opinion, with the dates of t.he last coali
tion formed by Britain with Russia,
Prussia, See. and had they been succfcss
iul in the battle of Friedland, we should
have been attacked in every vulnerable
quarter before this time. Our unparal
leled commercial prosperity, we believe,
causes this hostile spirit in Britain to
wards us. Our East-India trade being
conducted without expensive convoys,
enables us to sell the merchandize of In
dia lower in all the ports of Europe, as
well as America, than the British East
India Company ; by which means we
have broken in upon their most lucra
tive monopoly, insomuch that the Com
pany, if not already dissolved, is upon
the point of commercial dissolution.—
To destroy these advantages and restore
their former monopolizing system, and
from the hope of immediate plunder,
they were willing to go to war with us:
and we believe war would have com
menced about the time of the attack on
the Chesapeake, but for the failure of
all their mighty plans in this country
and in Europe.
/vitnougn we conceive these to be the
real “signs of the times," we do not shrink
from a discussion of the u great ques
tion,” which, according to the “ Fede
ralist,” is, “ The British right to search
for and impress seamen from our mer
chant vessels—and to capture and con
demn neutral vessels laden with the pro
ducts of French and Spanish islands,
and bound to France, Spain, or their
dependencies.” Now it would seem the
“ Federalist” would give up these great
principles without a murmur ; for with
all his acute powers of “ seeing,” “ft cl
ing,” and “ anticipating,” lie has not told
us how we are to avoid war, but by pas
sive obedience and non-resistance, in
truth, abject submission to British ty
ranny. YVrhat would he our situation
under such submission? Britain has no
rights on the ocean, but such as are
common • > all other nations, (avcorlv
the riglu of the strongest.) If then we
give up this “ great question,’^ the En
glish will (whenever they want seamen)
have the unmolested right to search our
vessels and take our seamen ; and the
proof (as it will all be in their own pow
er) that they are British subjects,will be,
that they talk the English language : if
they speak-in the least like an Irishman,
which is common for native Americans
to do in rtnany parts of the UnitedStates,
that will be taken for certain evidence.
The Dutch and Germans will search for
and take all that have the least of their*
dialect; and they are also numerous in
our country. The French will do the
same, from the same pretext: the Spa
niards the same. The Turks and the
different Barbary powers will lay claim,
to all men of colour. So that by such a
submission (and that too where the claim,
is set up witnout the shadow of a right)
we should not in a short time have a
vessel on the ocean, or a mariner to na
vigate one. If we submit the right to
one power, we acknowledge the princi
pie to all. Then will every maritime
power in the universe (if they please)
send to their own ports any American
vessel they may meet with, for legal ad
judication. All that will he requisite
for any nation at war, is for them to af
firm that the American ship had enemy’s
property on board, and was trading to
an enemy. And even admitting that the
d« tisions would all turn out favourable
to the Americans, still the costs, deten
tion, and other embarrassments, would
he so great, that in such a state of things
a man would be mad who would think of
risking a caj^al in commercial enter
prize. And I verily believe such would
be the effect of our submission to the
British assumed right of search.
But the “ Federalist” contends we are
inconsistent, because on a former occa
sion (which he says was similar to the
present) we were not for war. The
“ Federalist” on that former occasion
was for war. He was one of those who,
thought the finger of heaven pointed ot
7ear." If the causes are similar, why Ife
he not for war now ? That we were.