The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-10-07
Duinestie snteIIigrnre.
FROM THE NATIONAL Isy.LL,orNcIk.

PROM THE NATIONAL INTELLtoHNcIk.
THOUGHTS on tbe I4biea of Naval Poqver in
the U. S. ofdmeriea |; and on certain means Of
encouraging and protecting their Commerce ana
manufactured.
No. III.
The inconveniences, which the commerce of
the U. States fufains are con6dered here as We
ry numerous, and the injuries are deemed nei-
Their few nor fmall. We are excluded, for ex-
ample, from the Target part of the dominions
OF foreign power, whom we do not ihut out
OF any of our ports. We are fubje1, in their
colonies, to an alien tax, in effee,* for telling
our own produce, though of prime neceflity to
the foreign country; while merchants of the
fame country Can freely difpofe of all its natu-
raj productions and manufactured commodities
and all other goods, not only in our old ftatcs,
but even in our purchafed territories and colo.
NAL fettlements (; though, at the fame time,
we are excluded from the equal arriage of our
own produce, and from the regular participa-
ton in the transportation of their produce and
manufactures from their &C quired territories and
colonial fettlcments. If fhort occafional relax
atoms are produced by extreme neceiIity, they
are fubject to great Inconvenience by their un-
expected occurrence and trandtory exiftence,
while our foreign competitors are literally al
lowed coneant enjoyment of all the branches
or our foreign trade. Far more favor is extend
ed by us to the produce of their fi(heries, than
IS ihewn by them to the produce of ours. They
exclude all of our manufactures and much of
our produce, yet we allow the importation of
every thing they grow or make. They prevent
our employment of foreign feamen, beyond a
certain extent, in our voyages to all their ports,
ttyrN <~> 81. m
vigation, while we impofe no fuch unwarrant-
able retraint upon their eflels or crews. They
obtain footing on the decks of our veiiels by
the right of fearch," for enemies property
and military enemies, and pervert it to impress
the ieamen neceliary for the voyage, though
they are lawfully engaged under written con-
tracts, expressly prefcribed by our national L.
gihature. A Gmilar conduct in our officers
would render them liable to exemplary punifh.
ment and heavy damages. They fubje6t our
detained vefels, produce, and fuPpes to I'M
yutt and exorbitant charges and rninous delays,
IN their ports and in their courts of admiralty,
whch we cannot nor will reciprocate. They
nave let up, for many years, principles Of block
AIDE totally unknown to the law of nations, def.
tructive OF our commerce, deeply Injurious to
the tales OF our crops and exports, and incon-
hitent with our neutral rights and national indie
pendeRce, the reciprocaton of which would
iubJeet our officers to damages and punifhment.
hey attempt to prefcrbe laws for us upon the
free ocean, TIE bigbqva, of nations, at the ex-
prefs plealure of their own executive authority,
deftroying at qvW our whole commerce with
enemies colonies, enemies home dominions,
and neutral ports, rivers, and ftates, though
they violate thote laws in their own conduct,
Proclamations, and treaties touching the fame
or IKE places, in the time of war. For thefe
evils, and for feveraI others of like nature,
war-demoralizing, impious, frantic and ex-
peniive warts faid to be the regular cure.
But 1t is far worfe than the diieafe, and the u
States are happily aware, that, belides war,
there is another and better remedy-the cult
vatIon OF the arts of peace, under the direeti-
on OF the national Legislature. Sincerely diff
claiming all enmity to the belligerent powers
OF Europe, we are firmly bent on fair neutrali-
ty and honorable peace. 1t is our earneft de-
lire that our iituation and views flould be tho
roughly underftood and well confidered at this
mott awful q unprecedented criis. Thofe who
aPprehend from the u. States intentional intaliee
to tbenjsiveJ will, we truft, be agreeably diff
appointed and thofe who expect from us an
acquIefcence in real min4iee from any foreign
country to earJeiveJ, will certainly be miftaken.
our policy, though uncommon in Europe, is
clear and found, as we believe. IF our ftuati-
on ihoud compel the reluctant expenditure of
twelve precious extra millions, for example,
let them not be unwfely lavifhed in the proiecu-
ton OF naval war, by which we may not gain,
but let that immenfe fun be levied, by the calm
operation of ftatute law, on the produce and
manufacturer ofom Lpoiiator5, and applied un-
der the direction of our government, to the in
de'nnJleation Of our mercantile and marine ff-
ff1er5, and to the cordial /1bbort ofOm manu-
fadHr1ng hndnRty. Even in our unwilling but
neceiiary reiort TO fuch meafures, we ihall not
be at all influenced by the deire of doing to the
foreign nation any harm, but by fair and
right dlipofition to do good to ourfelves. We
refrain from hoitiities and as already menti-
oned, we refriet, prohibit, and duty their ma
yigation and trade much lcfs than they reftrict
and duty ours. We of courfe obferve the mott
amicable conduit. Immediately before Divine
Providence ordained the feparation between
Great-Brtain and America, the laws and fyf-
tenn OF the empire were the common property
or both countries, The u. States did not in
cline, at the beginning, to maintain "tbe maui
Cation ar and the commercial and manufac-
turing regulations with that ftrict adherence to
their monopollZlng fpirit, which feemed mott
advfable to the Britiih kingdoms. Yet we did
not copfder, even their peculiar and unaltered
rlgor as war by them upon us, nor can rca-
lonable and Juit men now perceive the Tendance
OF war agalnit G. Britain in orr later and calm
recurrence to the commercial regimen of our
ancient and common empire. We adopt the
iyftem as the precedented means of PROPERTY,
and as peaceful meafure of fubliftence and de-