The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-12-04

conotervs,';pg decree which f!.c is authorized to
,ndc. Let G.. Brit ain c0nnae hes poll " / /, her
municipal trgu.,tions wit, aut wandering into
pira,ical exruriipns into the laws of nations !;
ard the U. s. will know how to tnbmit without
| murmur to her difpenfations.
| But who can believe that thefc are the con-
| alterations, which aay the hand of G. Britain !!
ltis neither from any regard to the metaphyli-
ca maxim of morality, which apportons the
degree of retaliation inflicted 70 the extent of
injury tufained nor from any confcentious
icruples about the law OF nations, which abhors
the Ubiquitous fyitsm of blockadins a whole
country by Jingle daih of the pen nor is IL
from any high regard for the commercial inter-
eitS ot this oounlry that ihe has not long ago
aifzcted TO frame a countervsiing fy,teni in the
wi!dct ehrllitiou Of unbrded avarce. The
iecret of her fnrbearancc towards our commerce
lies nesrer home. H-r virtue is bat the fruit of
her own irtereRs. For, like the rapacious rob-
b-r, Whole cnpidity only Yields TO his COW ardice,
Great Britain merely ihrinks from her metlitat-
ed crime rom an apprehension of the impend-
ing pua:jbn.ent.
This 's Prcciirly the reafon, which is Aligned
ny the Engliih prints themelves. "The nten.
tion Qay 'hey)of general blockade of the enc.
my's ports is now fad to he telinouiihed from
an appreciation that it qvouI iujme tie imoert
q orr manufacturer into IRE continent. -" Pro-
uniting all neutral trade, though it might not
produce war with America, for it is clear tina,
America will not venture TO ga to war with
us, would greatly reduce f6e demand for thofe
ARTICLES, which America purchaies from us to
Tell to the continent. And here hy the way
u may not he Improper to notice one iingmlar
! inconhltency that makes the practice of this
1rrtasns nation. She prohibits neutral ve(ris
irom carrying the produce Of her enemv's COLO
mes to the moiber country, bseanit ihe Jays it
relieves her enemy from the preiure of war, by
enabling them 70 fmugglr the colonial p,oduce
INTO their own ports, which would be expoird
to her capture in their Own vs1els. And vet
G. Britain does not hefitate to relieve herielf
from the very fame preilure, by employing the
very lang velicls TO f,nuggle her own manulac-
! lures INTO the continent of Europe.
ihe!e are the true reafoDs, which have hi
therto prevented retort on her part to coun-
ter"ailing fyftem of the wideft encroachment on
our comntrc And yet 70 deep is the infatu.
a''on which guides her councils, or 60 confident
u Inc or the tamsnefs of our forhearance, or 70
romantic perhaps is the gaantry of her mini.
/ WerS' thar Inc ieems to be purifying the very con-
ddSt towards ourielves, which may probably
lead TO a much feverer cnnclniion. Shonid
war arite between us, all her anticipatons of
the consequences re!ulting from her metlitated
conntervali'ng decree, will be more than
fuih'ed She will at once lofe all the benefits of
the protection the derives from the American
nag Ii will no longer cover the introduction
/ or her manufactures int France, or Holland or
any of the ports of Europe. A qvQr will much
more materially "injure the import of herl ma
/ hufaetures into the continent :" il will much
more considerably reduce the demand for thoie
articles which America parekaIcJ from (her) to
fell to the continent
This remark is of no little Importance. We
are not only the eo1G1,ver5 but the cor,;sr, of
brttlih manufactures. We not only take them
on our own account, but we purchsfe from her
. TO fell to the continent" Add this privilege
is of Infinite importance to her at the prefent
time became there exits not in reality another
! neutral nation in the commercial world except
the U. States. Denmark is at dageer's draw
with Great Britain. Sweden is at war with
/ F'.,i>1 i>niiia 10 laid TO nave iaId IN embargo
on bftiIh vei!eis, aud may be expected to pro.
coed to greater eXtremites againf her. Tur.
key bat merely touches the commercial chain OF
Chrittendom. Aud as TO Portugal, The has pro.
badly. before this time become no more than
the paiiive victim of Bonapsr,e's will.
Therefore in the event of 4 war with this
country, Great-Britain will not only be cut off
from the market of the u. S. but in great d..
gree OF whatever remains to her of the make,
of Europe. And yet thefe injuries to her com.
rnerce and manufactures are not tufficient pr-
ventatiyes TO her driving the U. S. into war
with her.
We propofe, then, this plain queRiou--Wha,
Kind cf q peace Can we expect from nation.
whom the fear OF lohng the moi Iucrativ,
branches OF her commerce by war is not fuf
hclent to deter from pungng into the war
II is iuch PeGte, as is ftamped on the very fac,
of il with Pray.