The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-10-18

coniider rs calamity for ever to be deplored
becauteit will not only retard the extnguiih-
ment OF the public debt, produce waite oil
blood and treaiure, and corrupt the tranquil
manners OF the people, but becauie it will add to
the very evils which provoke the remedy.
PTivafe quar- with our armed CRITTERS and
merchant veilels we fhould ALTO regret, as il
would he calculated to involve us in more def
tructve war, and to exafperate the very evils of
which we complain; though in one point OF
view 1t would furnifh us with fome compenfati-
on tor our loties; becaufe whilR the CRITTERS of
U. Britain were feiZing our own vefIels, the A
mer'can CRITTERS might be capturing theirs.
May sufficiently large to accomplish all
our objects, is mon probably beyond the reach
or our attainment or our intereit. But the fact
mat no tuch navy is now in exiitence, is at once
iufticient to fhow the un6tnels of this expedient.
An embargo would be an injury, in place of
Il computation becaufe in time of war, there
is always greater number of American vcifels
in Britiih ports, than Britiih vei1els in Ameri-
can ports.
There are Of courfe but three methods of de-
fence left to us, which we may find it to our
'ntereit 20 adopt: The fequeitraton of Bri-
t'ih property: the ceflation of commercial in
tercourte, or the mpoGtion of commercial ref
trlctions.
1t may be fairly objected to the fequetratien
or britih Property, that if that part of the pro-
perty Is to be fequetered which conlifts i'm Roek
on bard, it will be difficult to find out any
that may be feiZcd upon without violating the
forms OF the law; becaule the flbtlety of Bri-
TIN Agents might ealily evade the refolution of
congreis, as the Patricians of Rome did their
celebrated Agrarian law, by making over their
property to iome faithful representative. 1t is
tact here in point that when Mr.. Dayton's re-
ioiution" IN 1874 was in diEcuiiion before Con-
sreis, mott of the Britiih Agents in Richmond
employed confidential Jew, to cover the pro-
pertyunderhisownn Should eventhe fequef-
tratlon, inthe words of FIR. Dayton, be exprefs-
ly confined to the debts due to Britiih
fubjeets, it may yet be coniidered as one
objection to the prupriety of fuch law, that
it ~ould be difficult to discriminate between
what was Britilh debt and what was not.
The principle of naturalization would not an
fwer for this purpofe bccauie how many mer-
chants are there in thi. country, who have
even taken the oath of citizenihip, to pur-
chafe for Britiih property the privileges of an
American citizen?
But theie objections mult give way to the oh
vious advantages of the meafure, if the Ameri-
can nation was free to adopt it. What then
ihall we lay of that wanton furrender of our
rights, that difgraceful throwing off of our
natural armour" for defence, as Barlow has
emphatically called it, which the necociators
OF the Britiih treaty confented to make, in the
10th article! In this, which is clalied among
the permanent articles, the privilege of Gquef
trdtIon given up in all cafes Of war and &c ma
tional differences" BY this treaty, the difa-
greeable alternative is ccnfequenty created
of renquiIl,ing for everthe benefits of this priv.
lese, or of recovering them by aunullingthe trea-
~ and putting the peace between the two coun.
| tries at an imminent hazard
lnipte OF this obvious OBJECTION, however, we
havethought properto placethe fequehratior
OF debts" among the means of our defence, and
have given lin our lat page) very valuable
calculation of its benefits from the letters OF
Mr. Barlow. The arguments which it eufor
ces, may at leaf have the deiirabe effect O
inducing tome future negotiator to paufe anc
to deliberate, ere he wantonly facrifces by a
mother treaty the advantages of thatmeafure.
In our next paper we ifalI take up the fnb
ie6t of =" commercial retriGiions." The cele
brated refolutions of Mr.. Madifon in 1894 will
point out the plan, and his aftonifhingly abb,
fpeech may develops the utilities of flch ;
mealure.
Our intention is not to prefcrbe any particu
lar meafures for the redrefs of our grievances
but to excite the attention of the people to tn,
evils which afil2 our commerce and rtamen
and furnih them with fome materials for diff
covering the remedy.
The following refolution introduced by Mr. Day
ton the 9th of March, pafled the federal houi;
OF representatives in 1894:
"ReloIord, That provilion ought to be made b,
law for the fcquetration of all the debts due from thu
citizens of the United States to the fubjes of .h
king Of Great Britain.
Rg0fvsd That provifon ought, in like manner
to be made for recurring the payment of all fuch debt
into the treafury of the United States there 70 b.
held pledge for the naturalization of fuch of tn
citizens of the fad ates as all have fffered from
the fhips ofwar, privateers, from any perfon, O
defcription of perlons, acting under the commilIio
or authority of the Britih King, in contravention
the laws of nations and in violation of the rights
neutrality"
At time, when the Combined Fleet is fai,
to be before Brett, ready to cooperate witt
the inner fleet when the whole line of coal
oppoite to England 10 lined with troops ant
tranfports prepared for the invaion wher
the great conteft between England and France
has fome chance of approaching to crifis
may not be uninterening to the reader to per
ufe the following reflections from De Croifceuil'
9Th part of Revolutionary annals, on the view
of France with refpeet to England.
No continental power, then, fhall henceforth Ell