The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-09-12

be allowed to FAY one angle word nd If we
are allowedt to have footing there, it will be
6ecaufe the French are convinced, that by
leaving Hanover in the hands Of our Sovereign,
they fhal always have !. bride in our mouths.
They have, at all times been ready to reaorc
Hanover, and this upon the maxim of Madame
de Pompadour, who, in one of her letters, OBJ
ferves, that "tbis Electorate Teens to have
{" been intended by Providence as the means of
/" checking the infoleuce of thofe naughty Hand
" ers, who being by nature fecure from all dam
" ger except that which may approach them
" from the Ky, have been, luckily for France,
" feized with the mad vanity of having an ap-
peIdage within Fix days march Of the frontier
" Of, their only formidable euemy."-." This
Hanover" fays fl,e in another place, "this dear
" little fpot in the north Of Germany, will yield
" us, at the peace, an abundance Of fugar and
" iee."-So will it be now, il Hanover be
rc-obtained. Not only fhall we give up all the
Hands we have taken Gnce the commencement
of this war; but, ihall be greatly deceived,
if the Cape of Good Hope, and Malta, or eli
Their OF them, be retained by US. MIR. Fox fiys
he will not give up particle Of our honour.
But not to obferve upon the latitude of this
phrsfs not to obferve upon the great varia-
ton which it's fenfe will admit of when applied
to different circumstances mutt be allowed
to fear, that, if peace be now made, Mr.. Fox
will not be able to keep his word. The thing
to be attended to, is however our f'tety, and
where is the man who believes, that the power
of France remaining what it is, our fafety can
be provided for without maintaining force G.
quail in expenfe to that of the force we now
maintain Without having fIch force al
waysin exiftence, does any man think that a
peace with France would lait year And, if
a force fo expen6ve is TO be maintained, what
Pf he, NJ
then, would you do, fone one win fay,
would you keep on war for ever, and that,
" too, becanfe YOU declare That we are unable
keep on war;" NS,.f am not for keeping
on war for eysr. am for peace, as foon as it
can be obtained with lafety, & I never have de-
clared That we are unable to keep on war but
have declared, and now repeat the declaration,
that it is my fixed opinion, that, without
great Reduction of expcDfc, it is impo1inle for
this country TO carry on the war for only a very
few years longer. And ifthis be the cafe, the
only queition that remains 20 he determined is,
how is this reduction to be effected? believe,
there is but one way, namely, by greatly reduc.
ing the amount of the dividends paid upon the
national debt but, before we COME to this, let
all other means of reduction be reforted TO, and
If they be refurted TO, there is poifihiiity Of
avoiding altogether the calamites which would
grrar reduction or the dividends,
and there 10 certainty of pofpoNing the date
OF thCfe calamiiies.
We have lately feeo numerous inftances, in
which the public money is waited; we have
hid, aud we now have, before M the caufes OF
the heavy taxes that are impofed the caufes of
that pcrfonal inconvenience and difrefs that
vex and weigh down the nation, that difincline
the people to exeftiOn, and that III various ways,
really incapacitate them for it. Great faving
may be made without any injury whatever to
the ftreneth either of the government, the navy,
or the army; and, if this object were efeded,
who does not perceive, that it would produce
more effect towards inclining the mind of our
enemy towards real peace than all the loud
talking that our miniltcrs can make ufc of |?
The French Emperor knows our ftuation as
well as we do. The pig iron tax has not given
way to the brewery tax, and this latter TO ano-
tber without its being known at Paris. 1t is
well known there, that our Minihers are at
their wits end FOR the means of rafting the ne
ceirary fupplies. 1t is very well known there,
that paper money, impofiible to be redeemed
by fPecie, pervadcs our country; and it is
essaly well Known, that, in fuch fate of
things, .rifing caufe of alarm may prove fatal
tous. Therefore, it is abfurd to hope, that du-
ring this fate Of things, the enemy will ever be
inclined to fucb peace as lhaii give us real
tranquility. Unleis great reduction of the
public expenoes take place, the paper money
mutt go on augmentiHg in quantity, and with it
muft go on augmentng the chances againlt fuch
peace as can alone be defred by any friend to
our fafety and TO the perrnanence of the go
vsrnment. In ihort there appears to me TO be
three things, one Of which MUST take place !;
namely, unconditional fubmiffion to the enemy (;
taxes collected at the point of the bayonet: o.,
a great and fpesdy reduction in the national
exprnces, OF the two former, many people
would fcarcely know which to prefer; for
what, will they fay, could the enemy do more
than collect taxes from us at the point of the
hayonet? The alternative would be cruel
one, indeed: hut, we have it completely in our
power to avoid both thefc, and by adopting,
and by rigidly adhering TO a plan of economy.
This fhould be the great Object of the minifters.
They fhould bend all their talents this way.
They ihouId endeavour to find out, and they
fhould never reft till they had actually found
out men to make reform 10 every branch Of
the public expenditure. Real fervces fhould
he well paid for; and of al fervices none fhould
be 70 well paid for as thofr which might enable
the mnRers to fave tie public money.
CObbett'J Resifer.
CONTINENTAL AFFHIRS.