The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1806-04-08

only our whole navigation and commerce, but
the agriculture and contribution of the country :
Look at this trade which is to be guarded at G.
very ri& and the men who follow it. Do they
carry your products abroad, and bring back
goods for home confumption No, they plunge
their hands into your pockets for drawback
during this very feffion they threatened to plum
der the treafury of millions, by bill happily ar
refted on its psfIage. IF our fair trade is not
protected, how comes Il that it has grown with
rapidity before unheard-of in any age, UNI
known in any nation ? That growth has been
nooriihed by protecting duties, foftered by our
neutral petition. Ne are the real friends of
your navigation It has grown beneath the made
of discriminating duties--Hourif,ed In the fun.
Thine of the neutral character: With the frR
blight of maritime war it dies.
am accufed too with ftigmatizing the mer-
chants ofthe U. S; 1 deny the charge. Every
protection and calling of human Iife'is difgrac-
ed by unworthy members. The law has its
pettifogeers, the church its hypocrites, medi-
cine and politics too, fir, have their empirics--
and if there be two projections in the world,
which can he feleeted for tendency to devc-
lope the pre.exilting germ of imperfeefionp plant
ed in our nature, they are the protection of the
lawyer and the occupation of the trader. And
wherefore Becaufe they open the wide field
of temptation. The wifef prayer that ever
was or can be devifed for human inirmity, is
that which teaches us TO deprecate fuch trials !;
" We beieech thee, lead us not into template
on J" What is the fact ? Whit we boat of
our honor on this Aoor, our name has become
by-word among the nations. Europe, and
Paris Especially, fwarms with pfeudo-Ameri-
cans, with Anglo and Gallo-Amercans, and
American, French and Engliih, who have a
mailed immenfe fortunes by trading in the neu-
trail character, by letting it up to auction and
telling it to the beR bidder. Men of this def
cription-- tripplings, without connexions orcha-
raeter, have been known to buy rich veieIs and
their cargoes, in Amfterdam and Antwerp, and
trade with them, under the American name,
to the indies. Neutral character has conftitut-
ed one OF the bea remittauces for colonial pro-
duce, or the goods which pure hafe it and the
trade III this commodity of neutrality has prov
ed mott lucrative branch of traffick. This it
is that has funk and degraded the American
name abroad, and fuhieeted the fair trader to
vexatious ieiZure and detention. But am Az
ed, IT We fhali fnbmit TO a tame and daitardly
abandonment of our rights land by thofe, too,
who have made a cowardly furrcnder of our
bett intereits and our honor when we were well
able to have maintained them. beg leave to
reply to this queflion by ailling another. Are
you prepared to ailert them? to go all lengths
70 enforce them? In what conifs true tgni-
ty! In vapourng in the newspapers i? In
printed bandbills and refolutons f? Or in TAX
ing ground which you can and will mantain,-
which no change of fortune fhal compel YOU
to dctert Hut nlnquam teuteJ, aut peyIce.
Does the gentleman want tranfllton Here
is one truly American &c Stick, or go THROUGH"
'InIs is true dignity can he give better de-
IN ton! And what conf tutes falfe dignity !,
Playing the part of Notwithstanding Eng
land and trucking to Spain-I beg pardon,
there is no Spain :-buTyins England and truck
ling to France. This you have done-You
know it. When gentlemen tell us of their will
linenefs to publiih our proceedings, why do
they not clear the galleries and take off the in
junction of fecrecy? Let their private vote
cor efpond with their public PROTECTION. And
let me tell the gentleman from PennfyIvania,
Mr.. Smiley that would rather have his vote
than his fpeech at any timr. Who would fup-
pofe, If he had not averred it, that he held f.
lence and good fenle in fuch high refpctt, that
he preferred the calm deciions of uniet wifdom,
to the eHuiions of empty garruty?
The gentleman from Nrw-York has told us,
that after the call of the Executive for firm mea
iures, he did not expect this oppofition. And
does he call this firm me; fire What would
have been firm uleaiure An embargo.
That would have gone to the root of the evil.
But that, FIR, would not have fuited your Pro-
teus politicians. There could have been no
evahon of that. But your nippery mercantile
eelS can hide over or under this provifion, and
leave the whole bnrthen of fuffering to fall on
the planter, the farmer, and the real American.
The whole revenue I'VE are told) is derived from
commerce. Who pays it ultimately but the
coniumer, and with as large profit on the.
merchants advance of the duties Gotten mere
advance of credit) as he receives from any other
part of his capital? Tbefe new IDEAS Of firm
nefs are either above or below my conprehen-
lion. And becaufe we are anxious to Zee the
public debt paid off and the true interefts of the
nation MISUNDERSTANDING we will not shan
don the plough, and ftIuggle TO refrain Execu-
tive influence, we are charged with hofili,y to
all commerce, with infsnfbility to the honor
of our country. When our doors were fhut-
this Is no breach Of con6dence-one of nv col
leagues called for the reading of MeGage from
the PRECEDENT, foon after he came into Office.
II was the mott fevere and cutting fatire that
ever man litened 10. FAY it was bitter ft,ire
on your proceedings, then or now. 1t recon-
mepded the application of our retources TO a
fpeedy difchargs Of the public debt, rigid adj
berence to fpecifc appropriations-tying down
executive officers to the letter Of the law, re-
ftriding them to the literal objects and amount
Of our appropriations. What is the common.
tary In time of peace flor truft no one will
call this wind mill attack on Tripoh zyar) the