The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-03-11


tits impoilible to f,rvey the actual rate of
the war in Europe, without extending our views
10 the important consequences of which il NAV
DC productive. What onybs genuine philan-
throp'iS TO svi@, fhould be the rcfult of the
war What refu,, fhould cue confiderrd mere
~ as inhabitants ofthe u. States, mott anxiouf.
~ to dehre: Thefe are quetions which almot
every politician is anxious to Rudy, but on
which rev will BE- competent to form fatisfac-
tory opinion.
In coniidering this fubieSt, let us be aware of
the peculiar preiudices which would incline our
w'ihes tn the iide Of Bonaparte They are f,ch
Pre)uo'ces as arlte out of orr prefent maritime
relations to Great Britain they are fuch as to
erect all the maritime nations of the world.
They would neither effeet Chnefe nor a Swifs,
man who was altogether removed from the
convulilons of Europe, or a man who was i'm.
afetted by the maritime encroachments of
Great Britain. Ofcourfe Chneie or a Swits
wouio pronounce very different opinion an
TINS iu6!eet, from an inhabitant of the u. States
'ihe former would diretl his attention to the
condition OF the continent to the ,fstes aIrea-
dy eniiaved by the ambition of the French EN-
Psror, and the people plundered by his rapa-
city; and with this melancholy picture before
MN, he would naturally anl what would be the
eHet OF increaiing his already exorbitant DOW
er! An Inhabitant of the United States CATS
his eyes in another direction it is TO th-
Ocean, where his own intereits are 70 material.
aneeted he there perceives our fl,ips CAP
tured. and our lawful commerce INTERRUPTED
oy brtifh crulfers, and it is impofible for him
not to abomlnate caufe which 60 deeply VIC.
iates his own interets, & not to with fuccefs TO
Bonaparte, when lie thus conlider, him the de-.
fender of the liberty Of the feas.
.Perhapsi 1t is not too ridicuioue RI E,, A..
inc very channel through which eve have re-
ceived the accounts of the prefcnt war, have alto
had anlmportant effect in attaching us To the
cauie of Bonaparte. We have received theft
accounts from regular ferries of French BvL-
hfin5; every incident which they relate is re.
preiented in colours, the mott favourable to
tue french. French valour, French generoii-
W. the iuccels OF the French arms, are the
themes of their incefant eulogium: whiIh the
cowardicc or the perfidy of their enemies are
the tubjeets of their mott bitter and violent in.
veetive. The Auftrians and the RufIians NAV
have performed feats of the mot aftoniihinr
vaiorr hut they are loft to us from the want
OF an hitorian to record them. When al
mon every account which we have received of
the war is thus reprefented in fuch partial CO.
lours, IS 1t matter Of furpriCe that our minds
ihould have been infen(ibIy warped ON thu
Tide of the French
There are particular circumstances too about
the character OF BonaParte himfelf, which are
calculated to produce aconiderable bias in his
favor. MS man has always borne the reputa.
'ion Of hero. His extraordinary military Al.
tainments have commanded the reflect of the
world and the almof uninterrupted fuccefs
winch mas accompanied him through life. ba G
surrounded him with a blaze of glory, which
aimot contounds the understanding. We have
erected him into kind of Idol, that we do NOT
with to fee disfgured by the uflal frailties and
mis'ortunes OF humanity. He is one of thofe men
wnoie crimes are apt to be forgotten in the re-
COLLECTION OF their genius, and whole projects
are calculated to call forth orr wifhes for their
iuccets, from the repeated fuccels which ha.
already &C comPanied their projects.
There is another idea too, arifing from the
nrSiTnt tate of Europe, which produce, con.
hderable prejudice in favor of Bonaparte. The
mighty extent OF the Ruflian empire has alrea-
ay excited the fears of Europe. Men recol.
Iect the fall of Rome, and they compare the
Preient tate of the RufIians with the ancient
CONDITION OF the Goths and Tartars. They
predict that the time is not far tlitant, when
the Humans are to become the invaders and
conquerors the South. Some have even gone
10 far as to imagine, that project is now attu.
any on foot for extending the conquefts of Ruff.
iia, & producing the difnemkermea. Of Flu.
'oPe q america. They compare the prefent CO
a'ition with that which tore Poland in pieces. &,
with that which under the treaties of pilnitz
and PavIa, was about to attempt the difmem-
ocrment OF France. There are even fome who
have already laid Gown the plan of the prefent
coalition, the parties who are to compofe IL.
and the particular fpoil, which each is to &C.
CURE. Ruiiia, they fay, is to have Turkey
and the whole of Poland. PruiTia is to po1efs
Germany; and Great Britain, afIiftea by the
<ufi'ans and the PrufIians is once more to fend
her armies acrofs the Atlantic and re-
conquer her former colonies But fhor.
who imagine fuch an exteuiiye fcheme a. This.
forget the mutable temper of coalitions.
when even fmall objects are to be accom-.
phihed. Thofe who confider Bonaparte as
the bulwark ofthe South of Europe aeainf the
future invalions Of Rul1ia, prefer Imagination
TO experience. They forget that the ufurps.
lions OF bonaparte are certain, becaufe thew
are already progrefIing and that thofe of Ruf.
LA are uncertain, becaufe they arc brreaff.r 70
nc attempted. They forget too, that however
the prefent rate Of the Rufian Empire NAV
ieem to threaten the future difturbapce of En-.
rope, circumstances may hereafter occur
70 diihpate the danger; the nations of the
ionth may grow ftronger by Capitalization, OF
the Ruflian Empire may become weaker by dif.