The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-03-18

land-board, and nothing To deilre beyond thetr
preient rights. But on their fea-board they are
open to injury, and they have there, too, CON-
merce that mutt be protected. This can only
be done by ponefing a respectable body ofci-
tizen feamcn. and of ar,iRs and establishments
in readiness for flip building"
| From this very brief view of the conduct OF
| the Britiih government towards US, and have
| confined it merely TO the points ftated in the
preamble to- the refoluton every candid, eve
ry nnprejudiced perfon think mutt acknow-
ledge, that we are arrived at cribs; that we
| have reached period at which the honor, the
interet, and the public fentiment of the 6oun-
| try 70 far as it has heen exprefed, call loudly
ON us to make itand. The evil we have al
ready fuffered is great, and it is progreiiing.
Like cancerous complaint it is penetrating
ftill deeper towards our vitals. While we yield
year after year, G. B. advances itep by ftep ;
yet little longer and our commerce will be an-
initiated, and our independence fnbverted.
Here the great difficulty prefents itfelf. What
are the proper feps to be taken, what mcafures
that we can adopt will be mot likely to effect
the Object we have in view, and in it's operation
produce the fmallef Inconvenience to ourfclves.
i, fir, have reflected much on this fubjeet.
have confiderd, 70 far as was capable, the
| bearing which every rieafure, which have
| heard propofed, would have on it. The refut
of my reflections is, that under all the circum-
ftances of the cafe, the rcfolution which is now
the fnbjeet of immediate difcufiion ought to be
| adopted. What is the refolution, what does
it fay! 1t addrei1es C. B. in this mild and mo-
derate, though manly and firm language, you
have infulted the dignity of our country by inn
prefiihg our feamcn, and compelling them to
fight your battles againt power with whom
we arc at peace You have plundered us of
much property by that predatory war which
you authorize to be carried on againft our COM
merce: To thefe injuries, infults, and oppref-
fion we will fabmit no longer. We do not,
however, win to deftroy that friendly inter-
courfe that ought to fubfft betwixt nations,
connected by the ties Of common intereft, to
which feveral considerations feem to give pecu-
liar ffrength. The citizens of our country and
the fubjeets of yours, from the long habit of
fupplying their mutual wants, no doubt feel a
with to preferve their intercourfe without in
terruption. To prevent fuch interruption, and
| fecure againft future aggreflions, we are now
dehrous of entering into fuch arrangements, as
ought to be deemed satisfactory by both parties.
| But if you PERTH in your hottie meafurc,, if
you absolutely refufe acceding to any propo6-
tions of corhpromife, we mutt flacken thofe
bonds of friendlhip by which we have been con-
neeted, you mutt not expect hereafter to find
us in your market, purchaiing your manufac-
tHres to 70 large Ain amount. What will the
people OF this country fay of this propofiti-
on? Will they not be ready to exclaim, that
it is too mild for the prefent fate of things !;
What will be the opinion of foreign govern
ments refpeaing it: Will they not fay that we
have extended the principle of moderation too
far? What mutt be its impref1ion on G. B. her
felf? Sir, if fhe is not lotto every fenfe of ma
| tional juitice fhe mutt acknowledge it's equity
and fairnefs. But would enquire particularly
what would he its operation on the people of
that'country? IF carried into effect, I believe
it will ftrike difmay throughout the empire. Its
operation will be felt by every defcription of
people, but more Especially by the commercial
and manufacturing parr of the community.
( The influence ofthefe two claifesis we'll known
in that country. They are the main pillars of
ITS import. They are the fources of i,s wealth.
Their approximations therefore are always at
| tendedto. And what language mutt they fpeak
on this occahon 1t mutt be evident that re-
gard to their own interet will lead them to re-
monitrate loudly againn that fyftem, which will
produce an annual defalcation in the ale of their
| manufactures, to the amount of $4,000 900 of
dollars. This is their vulnerable part. By at
| lacking them in their WAREHOUSES and work.
| hops we reach their vitals, and thus rafe fet
| OF advocates in orr favor, whole remonftrances
| may produce an abandonment of thofe uniuft
principles and practices, which have produced
| the folemn criiis.
But, Mr. Chairman, fhould C. B. contrary TO
our wifhes, and certainly contrary to her own
true intereft, perfift in her ill-ftarred policy,
what muft be the effect of fnch conduct on her
ielf, and how will we be ultimately effected by
it. Shut out from Britlh markets, our mer-
chants will obtain partial fupply from other
countries, and we will refort to dsmeftic ma.
nutaetures to make up the dc6cieRcy. Should
| this fytem be adopted, Britain may find it diff
| hcult to recover our cuftom. 1t is certainly
iubjed of ferrous regret, that owing to the large
importation and extenfive csnfumption of Bri-
| tih goods, domeitic manufactures have nearly
| vanihed. do not expect to fee the etablilli.
ment of large manufactures in this country.
The extenfive vacant territory we pofIefs furnifh-
es fuch powerful inducements for fettling on
land, that few are to be found willing to be con-
fined within the narrow limits of MANDATORY
Should, however, fuch Establishments be fet on
foot, have no doubt they would receive a
| large acceflion of workmen from the numbers
which non-importation aa would compel to
leave their prefent homes, in frarch of employ
ment in this and other countries. But my pre-
ient view does not extend to thefe eftablhmepts
on TO large fcale. / want to fee every family
little mandatory, vying with each other in
the excellency of their Workmanship, and ex-
hibiting in their drefles fpecimens Of their in-
genuty and induhry.