The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-09-22

A very ihallow objection is here made. Thefe
commodities, FAY they. are articles of ueceiiity
the buyers mutt have them, and will therefore
pay the price, be what it may.
In the htft place, other commodities will en-
ter into competition with them, and though
not 70 good, the difference being more than
compensated by the inferior price, will aHured-
ly find preference.
In the fecond place, in the circumftance of
any advanced price, even the neceiiary buyers
takes leis quantity than ufuai But this di-
minihed coniumption is 70 much dead lots to
the merchant and manufacturer. Ii will not,
we hope, be conteuded, that there is new
thing in the advance OF P,ice which can indem-
Nifty him for his dininitllsd iilc. The advanc-
ed price is but the defraymcnt Of his advanced
sxpencc. If he add any thing beyond il, is
forced augmentation of his profits eyond their
natural level, and of courfe fuhi7&ls him to he
underfod by thofe who will fell at fair profit.
He .sins nothing, therefore, as we have above
faid, by his advanced price and therefore mutt
nccsiTarily lofe by his diminiihcd fsle.
Such, then, would be the nccefiafy effects of
forcing trade into an unnatural channel-of
compelling our merchants, in event, and under
every Circumstance, TO employ only Britilh
fhipping; and difmifs the neutral medium.
Our Commerce would fuiFcr, and ultimately
our Shipping. We lhould ihor.ly have more
ers would then have jnf csufe of compliant,
that had employed their capitals in building
vcffels, which have only TO rot in the docks.
The refut is, that nothing is to be gained by
a war with America. In her carrying trade, fhe
carries for us, and ihc carries for our enemy
1t would be maniieft Injury to our general
commerce to deprive her of the former, and
with refpe6 10 the latter, We fhould not gain
that of which we ihould deprive America. We
could not fuPply her plate by becoming carri-
ers to cur enemies neither ihoud We much
difrfs the enemy by cutting off this means of
conveyance--we fiould only throw his carrying
trade into another channel whilR the Danes
are neutral. It would be TO no purpofe to cut
Off the reural medium of Amt RIGA.
We Tishtadd, that we perhaps gain rs much
on one hand VIC lofe on the other by this neu-
trial communication--Aurri carries Engligl
manufactures a; often at leaf as lie carries
French-We might a!moa fay, that in her cha
ratter as neutral trader lhe carries fcarcely any
thing eie but Engliih goods.
We have entered into fome detail upon this
fatjed, as there feems to be Orange mifcon-
ception Upon the very firf principles of po!;i-
cal economy--lt is cor.ended, for the firft time,
that the merchant will lofe nothing by being
compelled to fell dear and that is matter of
Peetett indifference in commerce, whether the
commodity reaches its market by direct road
and therefore ut a natural price, or through all
the obtaces of pofble interruption, and there
fore alta very difproportionable and very M
natural price.
"The only difference would - fay they
quoting the words of MIR. Randolph, an Anne
rican Senator, Z" that the Americans vii! have
to give Joe for commodity, where they for
mtrly gave dollar"
This might be the difference 70 fuch man as
Mr.. Randolph, who couId equally afford TO have
the commodity whether it colt Joe or dol.
lar. But it would be very different with ref
pea to the Americans in general. Every one
could not purchafe at a Joe who purchaied at
dollar. Some would endeavour, therefore TO do
without it, Others would begin to think of fiIb
Enthusiastically is the mother of invention.
Let us not drive the Americans to refources
from which it may be afterwards very difficult
to recall them.