The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-09-30
No. r..

THE leading ideas in the folIo,v;nr ,,,,s,,, ,,,.
produced by a iincere and thoroupb eonv;.-
t",, that no branch of commerce. nor .v-n
trade IN general, thon'd he e. purified. nor
r"Ned' encouraged, or defended by the u
). AS to hazard the public liberty ~ bor,s ,he.
principles of freedom abroad, or t,xes ~, ,h<-
whofe nation, nearly as great and eauaj. ny
hyperion 10 the executive profits of the nfsr-
eantie body. We have rcic9ed the esar,-
pie OF EnroDc as to BANDING armies ,,oiiticas
churches, the penal code, and other ,iaope,
Gus errors and alterations from right bur
the ipiendors and temptations of naval POW
er and external commerce, as eRahiin,ed ana
extended IN Europe, have their full bare of
Influence over many pertNns Of great worth
and Judgment in the o. S.
q review eff the nature and practice ofst6e
European governments will fully convince lie.
that E6e pitllfc afofifr is heir nript;ip.i means
to procure feamen for their navieS.-The.r,onl
energetic navy Chat of Engand) IS manned Inv
'rm5re9J7lsnt." This operation rs conGd1re,s
the u. 5. 10 be Coadufted on the s,ige;oIss of
mere arbitrary goz'rr7gy7~gt. The hapbineS; Of
the teamen's families. their comforts, Ind their
neceiiiies, do not feem to be ohiet7s Of snv
confederation. The mariners perional rights. =
and even his Svrittes and Gcned engarrmei;ts'
tervr private perions, Britifl, or foreign ,o,3sr
|5ipping papers or oorldcge bills, are violated
without any allowance of damages either 10 the
feaman nr the merchant, without punilbneps
and without couture, and, indeed, often wish
publication or ann!aufe- In manning her nqyt,
q. Is. is manifettiy and completely drjbofic over
her own merchants, fca captains, and mariners.
and acts, at prefent, in like manner even with
Teipect to foreign merchants, captains and fra
men. She undertakes TO dictate TO her nautica,
iuheets alone, that they fllaIl neglect or violate
all their engagements and ferve her, and uDon
terms aiio dictated by her far izprelcd Briiih
rama" 9vages are Fixed u thai goz,e,ument.---
10 coniult together, merely for procuring,
higher wages, would be treated as a nnutinv
If her feamen were to be at liberty TO ak and
obtain their own wages and were to DE paid at
thoie rates, their navy could not be confirmed
on its preient fcae. Wiiithe feamen of tbr II.
Submit 70 civil regimen in this cafe, Ike
that of @. Britain /, Will the ref ofthe 5rople
OF this country content to fuch an example of
coercion and limitation of wages? Will our
legislatures and courts permit or anction fuch
a regimen to one clafs of citizens? VIII our
courts of Impeachment and courts martial al
low the orders and condu6f of civil and military
officers, in conformity with fi1ch a regimen, tc,
pals uHnoticed and unpunihede Do not theft.
considerations deeply affect the br4Gica6iiky of
a great naval power, on the principles OF the
contribution of the u S. ? Tt NAV be fairly and
prudently aiked, qobefi5sr a RauGing uavaI eRa5-
iBn:ent is not liable 20 a large trob0rtion oftbe
objections to a fandige army and zuhct6er It'll
nor enfff'ed TO k3af name Gld cbara7ey IN a UeTy
comfortable dcpree9 The ufe which was made
OF the Brltih navy, in the war of I775 apajoft
the American colonies, eusH zv5ile IL qv45 con-
ff3sdly a cizH qva~, will prove that a naval
farce can he openly and actively ufed to ieftroy
the pablo liberty of nation at home; and the
uie, which was made of the Brtifh navy in the
peaceahle year 1892, and in the war of 1893.
agaInit France, will prove that II can be ufedto
deftroy the principles of public liberty abroad.+
The dreadful condition of Ireland upon va
rious locations, and for many years, is, in
comfortable degree, to be afcribed to the aste
OF control in which it has been held by means
OF the Britih navy, in which tens of thourlnds
of iriih feamen were entitled or impreHed.---,
Had that country been joined to this continent
in l776, or to that of Europe in 1893, Ireland
would have had complete Britif conititutionat
liberty or feparation. 1t is evident, therefore.
that a great HaT,y may 6ei7rl0y liberty at boa1-
end abroad, BY force, while the patronage of its
appointments and fupplies, and the willing de-
tendency of its qUb0le 0bbrobrjafe jndieiary bozy-
er, with the fruits of its rapacious and lawefs
fPoliations, carry fertility and corruption into
every cafs of the nation. Similar reflections
arife concerning the ufe ofthe navy Aave frade.
gfan6S and eoionieJ. Thefe obfervnions are NOT
made from any unfavorable opinions of the in
dividnals who compofe or navy, or that of any
other nation, but are merely intended to prove,
that although navy has not been thought TO
endanger public or general liberty in the precife
form and manner of an army, it is 70 juftiy ex-
ceptionable on that fcore, as to require a con-
JRifatiozai prudence in relation to it, as a Rand-
ing armament in the hands of the governor.
Every Handing public force requires caution,
whether ii be on the water or on the land.
But itmay be oblerved, that commerce exits,
that it is absolutely necefIary, and that it is pro-
ftabe. The carriage of our produce by Bibs
into the confumer's markets, is as ufsful TO the
growers of that produce az the carriage By
7vaggoHJ The rights ard intereIts Of com
merce, as we'll as the intereh of agriculture,
therefore require that our fhips he kept as free
as poflibe from impediments TO their voyages,
their cargoes from fpoliation, and their crews,
whether natives or aliens, from foreiqn impren-
inert. For this purpofe, fome perlOns have de-
fired that the United States 1loud be immedi-
ately made and permanently maint8ined a ran
FderaIs raUGi po1Ver.-We have fuggeltcd for
due confederation, fome difficulties and f0me
apparent impediments. II will be determined
how far t5ey are inherent ~ the nature of things
in the u. States, Row FAR they are real, and how
far they can be acquefeed ~ or obviated.
III be fuppoied for moment, that thefe OBJ
iediona are not real, and that they may be OBJ
waited, then let us conlider the 1e2 cxbeHee OF
A naval taablilhment.