The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-07-02

,"e"' vi evS" Soui,'aratNe competency. we
ieem wiling for a. moment 10 execute the ini-
guilty OF a fyitem, which whatever may be it's
remaining coaiequences, does not disligure the
appearance OF couniries, nor fhed the blood Of
| their uiohend:g Inhabitants. But for mo-
meht only, does this indulgence abide in our
boioms. When we come to Il comprehensive
| review of the intrinic nature of a war, we fee
in IT great fate contrivauce, by which thou
! lands of men are truck out AT cnce from tine
| inf OF productive labourers, and thoufands OF
Others are ufrle!Sly empioyed in furn:hing
them with the Announcements of war. Not only
Is every folder and iraman loft, while it lads, to
the wealth of his country bnt !ou,e farmer or
manufacturer mntt be uitiefsly employed al
! home, in providing him with the neanS OF i'll
dulging his inglorious Incidence or Intellectual
! ACTIVITY. IN this pom. of view even the moi
innocent war Is To be looked upoa as Toue
mighty machine which converts the labour of
the productive clafs of nation into food
Clothing and equipment for the idle or unpro-
du6ive.
| What! though the prsfcnt CONTEXT in En-
rope has been hitherto uaaccompauied by tor
rents of blood or the deio.ation OF countries or
ravies y! What though the deltruStion of a
few Spanlih armed thips pounced upon with
out even a warning by the Vultures of Great
Britain, or the lofs OF a few feamen, fcattcred
and at'at ked upon the ocean, he the only Attic
tive objects that preient themfelves daring the
war; till (ycb confeHuences mutt continue TO
rife up aga'na it. 10 long as itielf continues We
laugh at the infantry Of the Periian monarch
who employed his folders in cutting down
mountains. We wonder at the motives of the
king, who devoted his labourers to piliny ffones
upon ttones and erecting the boaffed Pyramids
Of Egypt: Ye, no. more extravagant than theft
are the projects of England and France, who
employed in conftruttiae fleets and difci-
plinlng armies have not Jingle compensation,
| 10 expect from this waite of labour
| Wien nation contends aeainh foreign or
dometic ufurpef, no iacrifice OF wealth and no
| 'piliing ofblood can be too profufe. Liberty is
the precious o5je9 to which they dedicate their
eXertions; and the value of the end more than
iuthciently repays all the labour and wealth ex-
pended upon Its acquiiitioa. But when ia
toms determined to commence and proiecute
hoitllities, without any great or indifpenGb,e
end IN view /; when 1t takes uD arms TO accom-
pnth an object which is not ctTentia to its ffetv
and convenience, or newhich wonld with qua!
proprlety have entitled almott all Europe under
ITS banners, we mu.t be immediately truck with
pity Or indignation. What then mutt we think
OF the mlisulded policy of the BrtiiiI niniitry /.
! OF France, we have no location to fpeak be-
| cauie ihe was the kaRto engage in the war, and
ihe has been the Jfrf to propofe terms of ac-
|
When Great Britain ilfucd her declaration of
war, the laid down for herieif the prelininaries
ofPeace. She was willing (fhe fad) to abide
by the treaty of Amiens. She would immedi-
ately give ny Malta, provided the preliminary
conditions of that furrender could be complied
with, and provided Bonaparte would once more
reftore the Balance of power in Enrope bv eva
cuating Italy and Holland. How far the En-
Peror of France is willing to acquieice in thefe
conditions at the prefent time, Great Britain
has not given herfclf the trouble to afcertain ::
For although the French government has lately
expreiied dehre to make peace, the Engiiih
miniftry did not think iticlf authorized to give
dehntive anfwer, until they had correfponded
with the Emperor of Rufia.
Are not thefe objects even now within the
erafp of G. Brtaa~? or at Leaf NAV not the
ftipulations of the treaty of Amiens be complied
with The Maltefe iaagues which have been
pat down might be reftored, or others fubftitu-
ted in their place; and Malta might be made
independent both of France or G.. Britain. By
the 18th art. of that treaty, France was to " e.
vacuate the kingdom of Naples and the Roman
territory but not the Northern part of Italy.
And even Holland has been lately put under
the authority of a grand penlionary, probably
tor the fake Of allowing Bouaparte fome plauG-
be protect for relinquiihing his rule over that
unhappy country, fhould there be any proipect
OF peace.