The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-09-09
From a late LouIon PAPER.
ADMIRAL ViLLREEUVp.

he following letter from he late admiral
Villeneuve, fad to be very generally circua.ti
on the Continent, deveopes the real characfer
of Benaparte with confederate. truth. Ii ynuft
be ebferved, however, that although the admiral
bad determined to avoid the torture by telf.'
murder, the facts itated in The French journals
relative TO the manner of his death, leave not
the leaf doubt that he mutt have been anticiA
pated in that act by fome agen. of Bonaparte.
He was found, it ia faid, with trvo wounds in
his hea,f and the knife Kicking in the tbi,,a r
This circumstance, uniuckiiy for his calumniT
ating ailai!ins, satisfactorily proves that be was
murdered. as no man could himfe!f infliGt tsos
wounds in his heart, and retain power efficient
to make third. The In0rumcnt alto, is am
additional proof, as the knic now performs the
office in France that the PRetto does in Italy.
Poiterity will unquefionabIy place the name of
the veteran Nilleneuve among the victims of the
af1ailin Bonapartc.
KENNEs, April So.
SIR ! (Monlieur! y
" You mutt remember that when Iatouchc,
t.,c.. ,:;.'>;f', commanded at Kochefort.
and declined to fucceed him. wa. then well
convinced whoever headed or directed the adj
venturous and badly planned expeditions of the
combined French and SPaufh feet, would be
dlfgraced as well as defeated if misfortune feared
his life. in an engagement amof unavoidable.
with foe accufomed to victory, and GOVERNS,
the feas of the world with his cruizers.-Thefe
were my very words TO the mnner of marine.
When afterwards, 70 much againit nv inclina-
ton had failed for Barcelona aud Cadiz, and
witnefied the manning and mannuvres of the
Spaniih fleet, my firf diipaich contained nv
rehgnation, again fcnt in from Martinique, Fer
rol, and from CadiZ. To the order of the 9th
of Iaft September, {" of returning to TouIou
with the combined fleet, qvere que c7,en TO Eq5t
orr qvay through tire Engiib -Rsct"-I replied
"that it fnould be oheyed but | reminded
alto the minifer of my former refguation, Of
my former approximations, of the uncertainty Of
naval combat, and of my determination, VIII,
Their fuccefsful or repulfed, TO renounce for evr
pcrilous pot, which my priacipies, AMI above
all your violent and cruel character, made me
unfit tn occupy.
&c Neither fault nor want Of valor brought on
the misfortune of Trafalgar. This ,4H has been
fully proved in my official account If this bat
tie. Why refufe K pll'e ia the Muniteur,
while the Calumnics and aiperhous of my rivals
and foes have always been admitted in is ou.-
:sScoiis columns wi,eu, in me ml,Iit Of yollr
prosperous and ambitious career in German.
my report reached you, did you not, With yonr
uinal petuence and cruelty, flv, "TEe that
TIE eNamrj!l of n French Byng is GkIoAnielr mr.
eefU, 10 MIKE 7'i70ry tkf order oJfLs got IN NJ
Macy ," thou(and voices have repeated thia
your INF cling rXprcHnn--ths i:ntrncc OF
death pronounced againit patriotic French
admiral by ferocious foreign uilrper, while
my difpatch was left unnoticed, unheard of and
perhaps unread. 1t confirmed, nevertheless,
fome fevcre truths, which wonId not have adj
dcd any luitre to your naval talents, but proved
that NE, qvbohf inrGbacity end ambition l4iou-
eaaird THE ioG oftbe Frencb feet nea, AbonGir,
aL(o oeeaFont4 tbe dsRrR7ion IF another. near
Trafalgar.
" In my Ian couveriatjon with you, yon o4vr-
ed TO me yowJcD "that, even were France thu.
uniuPpofed mitrefs of the continent, as long as
ihe cannot compel Great Britain to fubmt to
her dictates, her external power muh be preca-
rious, her external fate unfettled, her commerce
hagnated, her manufactures deprened and her
inhabitants iufering and poor" But what have
you done to remedy thefe certain evils, and to
Preicrve thete seceilary advantages? Under
your tyranny, of fome years only, my country
and her allies have already lof a greater number
of men of war than competed the whole roval
navy during the long reigns of Louis XIV. and
of Louis XIV. and, mould fhe fometime longer
he curted with the fway OF your iron fceptre,
her military navy will be on level with her
commercial navy, and in her lesports nothing
ieen but fhameIeis pirates and beggard trader.
But has even hitherto my country derived
any gain or honour from all your fortunate
campaigns +; or is ne more free under Your ut-
limited authority? Overburihened with taxes.
and cruelty opprefed by an active ielrntlr,s
military deipoilm, my ilavib Conntrymra
mourn without daring to utter fgh, the ers-
dual approach of inevitable ruin whila yov.
your relatives, and your creatures alone rrnfr
from conqueRs effected by the puref blaoL AMI
mot valuable treafures of France. But ~ ,nn-
hder even in point of view, your ufIrpatiors,
your devafations, your indemnities, your chan
ges, and your pacihcatons, what glory, what
advantage can Frenchmen, and what fifety can
other people, derive from them, or from behold
ing iangunary adventurer an emperor; his
vicious harriet Nil empreis his obfcure and
wicked brothers aud broihers-in-aw kings and
princes; his proHigate neces queens and prin-
cefes; and his criminal accomplices, dukes,
held-marlhals and knights2 Though you have
enchanted the perions, you have been unable to-
bswider or to leize the feUies Of FrenchmeH.
Can Therefore, the prefence in France Of 10000
Auitran aud RuiIian prifoners, remind them Of
any thing ellie but Of the captivity (caufed BIZ
your provocation and ambition) or more than
that number OF their countrymen in England,
While they fee the former returning to their
homes, mutt not Frenchmen lament the abfence
Of thOfc 70 july dear To- them, bat whom they
mua never expect 10 embrace again, before de-
nSered from your tyranny? They are well
aware that Great Britain is too wife and to<M
powerful TO ign another peace with A man n