The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-03-06
LONDON, January I.

Our differences with America are, II is faid,
on the point of being adjufed. We are glad
of it (; but we truf that no one principle which
we commended for has been facrificed. We are
not defrous of war with America; but we
fhould prefer war to the prefervation of peace
by concefions. WAR RATHER THAN CON
cEssIoNs! This fflould be our motto.--This
is not the time to make concefIions. We muft
rife with the increaipg necefiity for vigour and
exertion. Bonaparte is trying the experiment
whether he can frighten Us by DEGREES againft
our commerce. Let us prove to him, that tho
we love our commerce much, we love our
national character more.
| Yet we lament to fay that there are runours
of our having made great conCe f1ions 10 Amer-
ca-that we have abfoIuteiy given up the rule of
the war in 1856.
/ The colonz'ng powers Of Europe, il is we'll
known, have always monopolized the trade of
their REFLECTIVE colonies allowing no fuppiies
I to be carried to them under any foreign n,g. or
On account of any foreign importers and pro.
hibitiDg the expectation of any produce in TO-
rtig fhips, or TO any foreiga country, till it has
been pteviou0y brought into the ports Of the
parent fate. Such, with few trivial and tenn
porary exceptions, has been the universal fyf
TEN in time of peace; and on clofe adherence
to this fyitem, the value of colonies in the new
world, has been fnppofed wholly to depead.
In the war which commenced in the year
1856, and was ended by the peace of 1868,
France, being hard prefIed by our maritime iu-
periority, and unable with fafety, either to fend
necefary fupplies to her Wea.India Hands, or
to bring their produce to the European mark e
expedient of relaxing her colonial monopoly,
and admitted neutral veffeIs nnder certain re-
ftrictions, to carry the produce of thofe iflaud.
TO French or foreign ports in Europe. OF
csurfe it was carried either really or oftenGbly,
on neutral account; the Object being to avoid
the capture on the pafage.
But the prize courts of Great. Britain, regard.
ing this new trade As unwarranted hy the rghts
of neutrality, condemned fuch vefIrIs 40 were
Captured while engaged in it, together with
their cargoes however clearly the property of
both might appear to be in thofe neutral mer.
chants, on whole b. half they were claimed.
As thefe veffels were admitted to trade in
which, prior To the war, French bottoms only
could he employed, they were conGdered as
made French by adoption but the fubftantial
principle o. the rule of judgment was that, "tbnt
neutral ba5 no right to deliver a beiigeyenf from
tbe preDre Of biz enem,'s botqiiitiey, B, trading
auth biz colonies in time Of svar, in q quay that
apaS prohibited in tiur Of peaee."s
Tbs limitation of neutral commerce Is called
the rule of the quar- in 1864 rule founded
on palmer and jufter principles cannot well be
coDceved.-Bu, minifters, it 10 rumoured, (un-
truly we truly have given up this rule, which
they are faid to have countervsiled, as they
qvjfJ fuppofe, by liquidation that the beili.
!gerent produce fhalI he taken to America, land.
ed there, pay duty Of 70 much per cent. and
be re-ibipped for Europe. The only queftion
on this point in difcufion is reported to be whe-
ther the duty ibal be one or two per cent (!
But in the name Of common fenfe, what ad-
vantage will accrue to this country from this re-
gul'tion and duty Of or per cent. even fup-
Pohng II were frietly complied with? What
motives have we for conceiiions to America
Have minaerS forgotten the 64eiify with which
the POPULATIONS Of former treaty, particularly
in regard to the trade to India, were perform
ed ], WIS agreed by that treaty that all goods
brought by the Americans from India Mould be
ian3ed in America and re-fhipped. But have
minifers never heard Of this proviion having
been evaded by merely ia,i1g the vefIsls ON the
ground, which was called landing, and thus
the expence and trouble of that operation were
fsved, and the veGt after this laying might put
TO fca again Immediately
IL the rule of the war in 1856 has been given
up, we will venture to prediet, that in lefs than
three years the carrying trade Of this country
will be annihiIated.-Wsr, therefore, with A.
merica, we fay again, rather than coHceftion
War with America rather than an abandonment
of the rule Of 1856