The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1804-05-09
Foreign ht~Mgcnce.
M Q II E a U.


he Courier dc Lonares. of Tuesday, under
tire mead of arts, con-ains the f1ll,vii7.
letters, which, It saws, have excl ed a great
sensation y thc military circles
Ccl. MoRRAU to Licaferqnt Geaerqi y uRoc
Pans, September 6.
l have received tle Letter which Won have
done me the homer to write to me- in the
name OF the First Consul, Offering me
command in the expedition against E-eI-ud
thought that my opinion of thu. en- erprize
was sdiicieu J. known, 20 have saved me
from the unpleasantiess Of rejecting such =
proposition. shall, however, answer win
the franiiness of : soldier, who can eyr al
himself w3thoutrcserve, upon the present &C.
casion, as he has given some proofs of ccu-
rage, ana done hrs country some impor an.
services and besides, general, [ consider
your letter as being rather intended to sound
my intentions, than as transmit ting to me
orders. have never been the advocate of
maritime expeditions, particularly since ]
have seen The remnant Of ourmarine, and the
choice Of ON armies. swal wed up in them
with astonishing rapidly. I hink that, in
forming en- eTPrzeG, the issue of which is We
~ uncertain, and Glcresulc of which NAV rive
moral blow 70 the government which con.
ce'yes them, aud 20 The raticn VIII ch seconds
them, one oughtro be f reed TO them by cir
cUmstances sniTnperi0us, chat the safetv and
bonor cf+le s'ase would be compounded, IF
one should make retrogradesrep that should
discover weakness or irresrlu ion.
But do MOI see that the present circurn-
stances cblige IS % riss, arsins- thousand
nEiayorabis chances, the grca er part Of our
lana tsrces and NJ reSercrating marine,
which is beginning 70 re crea ed as IT we're
h m pF1t Inn. ..r =,
people. have asked myself, when saw the
Considerable arnamen-s -ha- were making
t>r he re-occupati0n or acquisition of cur CO.
lones, whe her The peace were so 6 lid .bqt
we should hope 70 be able 20 preserve VIVA.
we had rec vered or acquired, ard # tlie re-
stora ION II our rrnnerce were 81 NECESSARY
or SO cer'ain that we ought to employ in it so
much treasure and 50 many ldiers. Let the
first Consul per1nif soldier, who feels 4
lively at'acnnent T. his old COMPANIONS I'M
arms, 20 express here some REGRET for tl,e nm
for'ma'e eVenfs in the 100 bold combinations
winch have DESTROYED so great a number Of
them. This regret viii explain to him nv
pTeaent opinion Of he expedition that is pre-
pairing, and my refusalto AXE in part the di
rec ion a it. We had The best arm in Fu-
r@pe, the best means Of recruit ing our forces
weakened b. eleven years war. H. its place
of corscrp-s, among whom we no longer OBJ
serve he ve-eren soldiers; but like those ruins
which atest he grandeur and magniicence
Of hose ediices which time has overthrown
A. present, five may Judge from he i'm
nnense preparations that are making. from
the condemnation of our Forces, upon poin.s
near the coast, recollec.ing The deolara.i JOYS
rnade b. government, and the repcrs which
it5ccredire. the business ir hand is nothing.
less han a desperate en- erprise. he impr ,ba-
be success ofwhich would he he ruin Of En-
gland, Dut whose almost GER ain result, viii
wea' en- VS. as . continental power, and be our
total oes rrc 'ou as 4 fnara-ine nation. /
ma b. pernitted % asl, upon seeing int.
rests Of SUCH great magnitude hazardcd ~
compromised. whether VIC were IN n eiiuati-
On critical viii respcc' 20 England. The. .vc
wee OBLIGED 70 swear ife destruction, ard 2.
prepare our own ruin. We were powerful &
respected upon the Continent We directed
(wih roo much impc'uosity perha1s) III +"
political trsreac i7ne We were safe fr-m IN.
pTwer If +l" Gnpi sh navy, and fo- 4 r
time. d7uIt, a c IL intrgucs cf ~
minis srs Of Eugil1d a~l it in this ST u
alton, truly strong, energetic and imposing