The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-09-20

ont tiuis ca n" ava a"ty there would al a. 81
ht'eht moeu in ihe 4-iss o. ,~rope to draw his AZ
;ei.si;n Separated though we are By az ocean 5000
ines wide. th.rc Is irrPcr,aa incident which
can happen AZ Li+ tins in tia, c.a-cr Of the g,ose
which docs extend more or e!s of its vibrations G.
ven TO cur feet.
Two ntereitipg events have recently happened on
that de oil the water; the iir intinatioas vi which
are given TO our readers in this days paper The
nlo1 itri.ng perhaps IS the -efut. q: he F,i;rror
OF Ru!iia to mediate bes.een England and frirce
The ircond is an engagement btween TIE combined
heet OF Spain and the Engliih heet. 4; We do not
immenely n,iitake the complexion of both t'.i,. C.
changes in the de;iiny OF Europa.
VIEW The Isl.
ENGAGEMENT CT THE r.GrTs
Ia. there has been an engagement, between the
hottie fleets, n,a iuppoie from different reuor,,,
all eoncurring together. On ,e 2li OF luiy the .a,
before the engagement sla have taken place, de
combined eet on lis sear for tie ". L.5ef was met
by capt. Carver 10 leagues " n. W. o! Cape Fm.f.
teerv, ttsering far the Bayof Bly The Hnghh ylpers
by the Oliver Elfworth, allure US ander the head
OF Plymouth July 2ln that letters had been rsceiv
ed from the Channel Fleet, on the 9Th which fiat
ed Lord Cornwallis's having niade a ma(ier,v dir
pohtion OF his Heet. Leaving fquadron oC obierva-
ton of Bret, he had extended his feet from Va,
ant to Cape Fafrre, and il the eaemy's aeets we're
ieeu IN lat. 81, long. lS, w. has been fad yrea,
hopes were entertained of their having been caught
IN trap" BY another artc'e under the head of
London July 9Th told that " letters had
been received by the Naiai Trigate, from Sur Robe,
Calder, whom DE left, with \ fa;l of the line off
rerroi From theie petitions 10 event feen,s TO
have been probable than that the combined ape
would have fallen in with the Ensli,h detachment
under Sir r. Calder about the e2nd of Iuly, and A.
bout the atiSude of Cape Fniiterre or Ferrol That
the. did actually come scrois and eng each other
is matter of intelligence which has been confirmed,
by more than arrival. u, has been brought by
the Eugeiia from Bordeaux who was informed
of it in the Bay of Bhcay on the syh of Auruf, by
the Eagle in % days from St. Sebaians near TO Cane
Fmitterre, at which place the account had been
publithed III French Gazette; and by Can
tam Bryant from st. PETE rlnury who fell in on
the goth Of June within about IA leagues Of ,he
lands end, with Of the Britiih Fryates, having
IN iowa "A Span;ih gun fhip. Whether the whole
force OF the combined Fleet was brought into action
and what was its preciie eiiecs upon each of the
con'ending parties, we are unable to gaeher nth
sny degree OF certainty. There is however very
precepuDie variation between the EGsin and French
accounts. The French make the enemy 10 Be., off
III consequence oi the.r hyperion nsm5er. Whit they
contes that fz0o of the Spanh ips Of the line we're
milling. The Enslhh a!Iame the victory altogether
70 theielves, after having captured t5,:e of the e.
neiny and funk one. We cories our!elves urat,. TO
reconcile ef6er of thofe accounts with the Natesut
OF Can't Elweil arrived at Bolton, who fates that
the d ~ previc' t. his eaving Lifbon (Auruft ?:
Poltve accounts were received at that place, thar
the French and Spanilh combined Fleets arrived n
Vgo (about 90 so miles 10 rhe s. of c. Finiherrel
lev days before f1; and EoneG--An Engi1i Frigate
lying at Lbon failed eight hours after to give the
information to Lord EGfon, who but few DAYS be-
fore was at Tetuan Bay" Such are the only i.npor
tart taS which have been able to CLEAN from nur
papers, relative this great Letus no proceed
comments.
We have All along entertained the idea that was no,
II rlt tie ferrous intention of France to make their
menaced invdiion upon C. Britain IL All object
which French policy had held up in fe,royem It was
intended to draw together the principal part of rhe
tngih land and fea forces the ooah, and there 70
eoncenter them Il was 70 prevent them from feat
terrg IN different directions, deachments OF their MI
merous fleets and detach,nerts of their difpoc,bl.
force to make incurons upon tie pofeiiorsof France
Span, and Batavia. This one obiet9 another
ohlecs was TO throw multitude of feanren into the
navy VINO might have been uirulIy empoyed in
carrying on the commerce OF England; and number
OF i"ldiers into the camp, who might have otherye
devoted their uiefu induHry to the farming and ma
nuiactnrng interei's of their country. But though
we believed thar the(e the principal points in
the policy of Bonaparte points too, which experi
ence prove him 70 have 70 uccefSfu!ly accomplished:
)t "Stoud Ot nut our eyes to the poi.bity of his
undertaking Invaon, after he had in this manner
accumulated the Of eHctting it. inffead of
mere ipecous fpe6tre p,ralyze the power of Eng
land, 1t leeed probable that he would convert j, ON
the trlt favourable oppnr' unity, into formidable in
frument OF offence. But this opportunity could ne
yer have been made 70 long as the BIockading f1ua
dron CT 8ref was 70 powerful as TO reduce his owl,
navy 20 inattio and prevent his utiia Of gunboats
from venturing into the charmed.
This we know has been favourie theory with 4
rnlnter nov high in the diplomatic department of the
Ensl'lh goverDm
The invaiion of this country, &" flid Mr. GRAY in
very able fpeech on the care Ct the nation, Tune
q, had been threatened by the enemy, and if .hat
menace mad not been carried into effect il was nor
30 much tn be aicribed TO the Improvement of our
means Cf defence, the uperiority Of our fleets
Which iurr ounded every point from which an ATTACK
could he direeied The threat had the enea of
keeping us III fate Of alarm and approximations and
al enormous expenditure, whit we were OBLIGED
to employ our dpuiable troops for home defence in
the Place OF active operations abroad The prepa-
fations OF TIE enemy had been continued as aatsd in
ms Majeys fpecch from the throne, without inter
ruption; and II the nvdfon had ever beea feriouDy
their ohJeet, there realon to fuppose that
1t had bsen abandoned. Whatever may he the cha
raeer oi the peron the head of the French govern
ment in other repe6ts, IN his military character he
was not lubea to PATTON. Ills projeas in that ca
pleity were we'll digened, and cooIly executed .
her. tt H..