The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-04-25
vrEws IN CONGRESS.

The following letter is perhaps the beit esnli view
which has been pubifhed of thefe different oSie,-
lions: particularly Of thoie which were advarccd in
the Secret Debate on Spanih affairs. We, know
the author to be rnanof comfortable ingenuity
Republican Of unihaken principles He is belides
warm iupporter of that fynem Of meafures of which
Mr. John Randolph has Rood forth the moi diRin-
4niihed advocase--It is icarcely too much to- fay,
that his letter embraces the arongef objections,
which have been or could be offered in orpoGton to
thefe meainres. ,s., ..3,, 49,.
But the arguments which It contains are much more
Ingenious than fold. Its principal errors are,
III. hat It conhders sthi, relrieave bill as mar
a'eafnys: when the very definition of fuch n,ea
ture rs, that il either attach the perons and proper
~ OF the agg-ieved nation, violates the neutra-
snat Is due to one iiaton for the purpys of ia
vouring another
I'd. That this ieafure is deGgned 10 protea onr
naaee alone; when it is well known that the innprea.
mene OF our feamen is no Uncomfortable item in
the catalogue of our grievances
I'd. That even f6if is commerce advantageous TO
our merchants alone when it is faa that a con-
fderabl. part of the colonial produce re-sxportsd
nom this evuusry,i is received in exchange for our
own agricultural productions:
4 ihat this nieaiure could have very little impref-
!;. si,e. the politics OF the itfh cabinet: as If
the britlih cabinet would fee with indifference hun
dred, OF its minnfa aurers of from bread & ma.
ny OF the ric,iel branches oi its commerce driving
sP' though aided and inppied by the ingenuity Of
fmugglers.
With rsfpeet to the appropriation Of money for
the purehaie OF the Poridas tn. objections urged
are equally fallacious.
IT, Becaufeit is impofiible for us TO know. and !,
would De ridiculous to enquire whether Spain
would retain the purchafe money for her own BENG.
TT, or whether fhe would make il over TO Franc.
1t was our duty 20 sise the n,oaey TO Spain and
not to France, but il the right of Spain 10
make whatever nfe CT il fhe plcafed 8
2diy Becauie, though exiting circunnances made il
probable tina, this money would pats into the Golfers
OF france,yes fpch deGination could reflect no
d'igraee on US who ave. Blu, on Spain who transfer
red It. Were we 10 dub eurfelves the
OF Spain; & to become the guardians OF that trea
lure, which The waited ipirit TO defend aeainft
frenehrapacity Or mua we wait, with all our
differences un;.ttled, with war e6ntinually HANG
ing over our tranquility, until the king of Spain
hall rife from his nan,bers and fiake of the ihac.
k,.s OF kfapcc s.Stl France, having re-eRa-
hiUhed the tranquility OF Europe, f,all have all
her navy and her troops to aiff in the negotiation
With arguments 70 iirong in favor of purchafpc
the Fordas, how car. The world or even FRANCE her
ffit attribute that meaiaTe saiasisuep5 policY
Mr.. Gsrnett sipgenuiiv has drawn eAys,ag between
the policy which We are parfning towards c. b. &
towards Spain bns This difference of our pol;, y
fands completely isnifed ty the difference Of the
two cafes.
H. we give fvoa.y to Span and nor to Great Bri-
tain, becauie thnegh we would pnrehale terrific
~ from the one,we willhot .aniom our l,ips & fla
men from the other.
End We would lag ,ef,aiat, upon the commerce of
Sreas-Britalr and nor of Spain; becasfe the niu-
red in;ereits OF the frft would then compel her
10 grant es rerreis, and becaufe Spain has fearcs
~ any commerce with THIS country, which we
could controa. q .4, *. .
Toward each nation, we have adopted ,ha, xor,f .,
tasy, which ieen,s bsf calculated to do us ;vfiee
y" ith "s'tss' nation do we with to engage in zva,
a,.s,ss ,,@.. -
TO TIE FREknoLprRs or CAao,,ny. F.,r~
KING AND QuEEN, xNB KING WIILiAM.
rrLloY cI1IshN,,
AS the felton, OF Congress has yearly terminated,
believe it to be my duty, it certainly i. my in
SlInaton, TO give you fome accoun, of our proceed
inss This account iha be as full IS the limits of a
letter will admit And it becomes the more peceGs
ry on this location beeauie upon feveral yery i'm.
portant queRions have been one Of very fmslI mi
norirr whole motives, have been grofsly rnifrepre
tented in feveral newspapers of extenliye circulation
whilit in Others executes unaied, aud fueh as think
;nyielf bound to diAvow, have been given for our
votes pom one OF theie ocealioDs, when bill was
paiied, reftricsing intercourfe with Great Br
tan, was in minority of eight republicans. A
proposition TO prohibit the Importation of every fpe-
cies Of bTitiih manufacture, offered before the nea
lure above mentioned, was debated for week or
ten dAys-then Po9pored, and faally, after the pat
faye ofthe reitriaing bill, withdrawn Aganl both
theie meaiures voted in all their hage. The eau
les, which it was laid, fulfilled and required them.
were the capture and Condemnation of many of our
vsHels, and the impeachment of our feamen The
opponents OF thefe meafures contended, that no conn
mercial reftritfiops fhould be attempted, bu, fueh
as we could Perfevere in maintaining, and that none
could lafely be adopted until we had preyiouy pro-
Vided BY an embargo, for the fecuriy of a multitude
CT vefeis which we had abroad: That fuch meafure
as either of thofe offered to the Houie, would be to-
tally Notifications and could never anfwer the end
propofed Beeaufe. it would either be ufed by the
(ste) minifer, Mr. Pitt, Whole nlplacable holiIitv
TO thiseouiry could doubt as a pretext for
feizrg every veGel of ours which he could ca,cbor
If failed 10 produce war with England, wculd
have the eer1ain eifeet Of enhancing enormously ia
our markets tina price Of all her manufactures, with
out excluding them, at the fame time that il would
greatly diminh, as the mere expectation of its A.
dopton had already done, the value Of thofe COM
nodities with which alone could purchaie them.
The known fuperrioty both in quality & cheapnefs
OF Brisiih manuA 2ures, and the habit which we had
long been in OF preferrins and uGng them, would
force them into our markets under Gone otlsr na,
and by fone more eircuous ronte--but one not LEFT.
certain Andit would be nothing more than FIGHT
fax he ,r, r r..