The Wheeling repository — Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.], 1807-10-08 00:00:00, page 6

for the Wheeling Repository.
EVER since the attack on the Ches
apeake, the Aurora has denounced as
'l ories and British Emissaries, all those
who have attempted to point out the e
vils of war, or who have endeavoured
to demonstrate that the differences be
tween the two countries might be a:ni
cably adjusted. The Editor oi th.it pa
per will hear oi nothing hut war, and he
has neither patience nor charity ior
those who hold a different opinion.
Now I am one, among the many Fe
deralists, who, feeling sensibly the in
dignity offered to our country, believe
nevertheless that war may be avoided
without dishonour. I am also one o!
those, who, in adjusting any difference,
conceive it proper to take into conside
ration the evils, inconveniencies, -and
disadvantages of prolonging the contest.
I am, notwithstanding, very unwilling
to be esteemed either a British Emissa
ry or Tory. I claim to feel as much re
gard for the interest and honour of my
countrv, as anv man : but to make good
this claim to mv fellow-citizens who
read the Aurora, is, I know, it matter ol
home difficulty. 1 shall nevertheless un
dertake it.
It must he remembered, that in dis
cussing the subject of peace or war, it
has alwavs been contended on one side,
that the attack on the Chesapeake was
unauthorized, and would be disavowed.
Those who were for war, have contend
ed that it was an authorized act, and
would be justified. All partu s have a
greed, that it was an outrage •which could
cnii/ he wiped cwa>/ hi/ reparution or wen .
The British right, to search lor and im
press seamen from our merchant ves
sels,—anil to capture and condemn
neutral slops laden with the pro
due s of French or Spanish islands, and
bound to France, Spain, or their depen
dencies, is a very different matter.—
• ' .me are willing to recognise the right.
The great mass of the peopled the U
nited States deny the existence of the
right. The piopricty or policy of enga
ging in a war with Britain, to compel
her to abandon these pretensions, is the
jjreat (pu stioj, which is now agitated in
this country. I say this is the great
c;vv lion ; for on the ■•adject of the Ches
apeake, there is rnan j ,ihj u. t on;; opi
n ion.
I contend that it is unfair to denounce
Kl;>- man, cither as a British Emissary
or Tory. because he is unwilling to cn
gage iii war for the carrying trade of
France or Spain, or for the right of co
vering by our flag every renegado that
sails under it. I know that the feelings
of many good men are so strongly en
listed on this subject, as to render all
reasoning useless. Hurried on by an
impulse of honest indignation, they arc
impatient at all who oppose them with
calculations of interest or policy. I
know the intrinsic difficulties ot the sub
ject. 1 can feel how it would gratify
both national and individual pride, if
our (lag was held inviolable, and our
commerce uninterrupted. But I can see
the other side of the picture, and make
allowances for the feelings and interests
of other nations. I can anticipate also
the horror , and deprivations of war, and
make some calculations of the probabil
ity of its being successful; and I can see
the propriety of taking these matters
into consideration, when balancing on
peace or war. To those who become
angrv when they hear these calculations,
and pronounce me a British Kmissarv
or Tory, 1 will present the language and
opinions of their present political friends
on a former occasion.
In 1T9S, the rrench captured indis
criminately nil neutral vessels which hud
on hoard any description of British ma
nufactures. She reiused to enter into
any negotiations with us on the sn' ject,
and the President and Congress were
about to enter into warlike measures a
gainst her. The people held public
meetings in di lie rent parts of the Union,
for taking these mcasurt s into consider
ation. At a meeting hi Id in Richmond
on the 3d of April, a number of ri olu
tions were adopted, font arued to Mr.
Cli j ton, their Representative in Con
gre.v-, and published in the Aurora of
tiu Kith April. Tiie second and third
11 solutions were as follows:—
/ k 3. Hi soli ed.That war, except in case
‘ < 1 actual invasion, ought to be avoided
k by the people of the United States.
4 3. Resolved^ That those only c.m de
* sire war, who aie sob' itous to increase
k L;:ccutivr 'mj'unu v j and those onh , in
* particular, can desire war with i ranee,
k who aim at throwing the United .States
k into the arms of Cr< e.l-lb itain,cri ating
k a dependence on h- r will, and a..simi
\k luting our governnu nl to hers.’
\lfin 1798 war ought to be avoided
in every case but actual inva ion ; it at
that time to desire wa: v as evidence of
a wish to incrtitse.i xi'U'ivc vjfuuKc;
how is it that in 1B07, when there is no
actual invasion, to desire war is not on
ly no evidence of a wish to increase Ex
ecutive influence, but to oppose war
.proves a man to be a British Emissary
or Tory?—Is it not evident that the
charge of being solicitous to increase
Executive influence,may as well be made
now as in 1798 ; and that the framers of
these resolutions might as properly be
called French Emissaries, as those who
at present oppose war are called British
Emissaries and Tories? Nay, is there
rot the same reason to apprehend that
a war with Britain now, would throw
us into the arms of France, as that a war
with France in 1 798 would have thrown
us into the arms of Britain ? Or is a
dependence on France less to be dreaded
than a dependence on Britain ?
But further to shew, that in 17D3 the
Editor ol the Aurora and his friends did
not deem it improper, or criminal, to
declaim against war and point out the
evils which would attend it, I select the
following extracts from a memorial ad
dress, d by the citizens of Caroline
county,Virginia, to Congress, and pub
J»>hft1 tn the Aurora of the I8ch April.
■ ‘ W ar is an evil of a moral and political
1 magnitude, to an extent incomputable
‘ by human foresight. Jt depresses the
j ‘ peaceable, and exalts the turbulent.—
; 4 It discourages industry and invites to
‘ rapine. It fertilizes a spot of the earth
i ‘ by man s blood, and impoverishes a
j ‘ connin’ lor want of his culture*. It
* but dc ns labour to support idleness, and
* subjects \ 'wine to vice. It exposes na
‘ tions to tlj^j ’isk of slavery, or leads
* them !o the c u 1 mi orcONquest.* A nd
‘ it punishes a people for their ambition,
‘ b’ converting tlie foreign spoil at which
‘ they aimed, into tlie means of domes
‘ tic subjugation.
‘ It any occasion can exist,upon which
‘ the people eight »o he enabled to judge,
‘ and upon which their judgment ought
‘ to be re garth 1, it is the prospect of
‘war. \,ar begets taxes; the people
* must pay them. War incurs debt; the
‘ people must redeem it. War makes a
‘government stronger, by making the
‘ people weaker. War makes individuals
* ri !r r, hv making the people poorer._
' / '/u t any it t • f Can am is now pro•
p: v / as the fh t measure to he attempted
in ease oj sear. Has the crime of con
f,tt st shaken o(j aw/ portion of its turpi
fade since 1 7'jn ? Or has a mere change
of time and circumstances stript it oj aft
cr irdral deformity ?