The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-08-28
Do,lleette
,soa rHx ssptnc ADVERTISER.
ON TIE QUESTION
WILL THERE BE WAR ?

Every one AXIS, will there be War The an
fwer to this is eafy, which is, that 70 hong as the
Britifh government be permitted, at her own
difSretion, to fcarch, capture and condemn o,r
vefiels, controul our commerce, impress our
feamen, and fire upon and pIunder our nation
arfhips, as fi1e has done, fhe will Not Declare
War, becaufe ihe will not give the acknowledge
ed right OF making reprifals. Her plan is mo-
nopoly of war, and fhe thinks to fucceed by
the rnan6uvre of not declaring war.
The cafe then is altogether quefton among
eurieves. Shall we make war on the Englifh
government, as the Englih government has
made on US; or fhall we fubmt, as we have
done, and that with long forbearance, to the
evil of having war made upon US without repri-
falls! This is a right fatement of the cafe be-
tween the u. States and England.
For feveral years pat it has been the fchene
Of that government to terrfy us, by acts of vi
oierfcc, into fubmiifion to her meafures, and
in the infane fupidity of attempting this, fhe
has ncenfed as into war. We neither fear nor
care about England, otherwife than plying the
people who live uader fuch wretched fyffem
Of government. AS to navics, they have LOFT
terrifying powers. They can do nothing againtt
US at land, and if they come within our waters,
they will be taken the FRI CAIN that comes.
They can rob rs on the ocean as robbers can
do, and we can find way to indemnify our
telves by reprifals, in more ways than one.
The Britifh government is not entitled, even
rs an eaemy, TO be treated as CIVILIZED enemies
are treated. She isa pirate, and fhoud be treat
ed as pirate. Nations do not declare war a.
gainf pirates, but attack them asa natural
right. All civilities fhewn to the .Dritifh GO.
vernmcnt, is like pearl thrown before fwine.
she is infenfible of principle and deftitute of
honor. Her monarch is mad and her miniiters
have caught the contagisn. .
. The Britifh government and alfo the nation,
deceive themfelves with refpcet to the powers
of navies. They fuppofe that fiips Of war can
make conqusfs at land that they can take or
deitroy towns or cities near the fhore, and OBJ
tain by terror what terms they pleafe. They
isnt admiral Duckworth to Conkantinople up
on this fupid idea, and the event has alewn TO
;he world the imbccility of naves againa cam
non on hore. Conhaatuoplc was not fortih-
ed any more than our American TOWING arc.now I;
but the Turks on the appearance of the Britiih
hect, got five hundred cannon and hundred
mortsrs down from the atfenals to the fhore,
and the bluftering heroes Of the navy feeling this,
fed ffc "a hound with rattle to his tall. The
gallant people of Norfolk and its neighborhood
have fent Douglas off in hmilar manner. An
Indian who itudies nature ia better Judge of
naval power than Rngfh miniitcr..
In March, l777, foon after the taking the
Hefhans at Trenton, was at treaty held with
the FIVE northern nations of Indians at Eat
Town in Pennsylvania, and was often pleafed
with the fagacious remarks of thofe original
people. The chief of one of the tribes, who
went by the name of King LaRnig5t, becaufc
his tribes bad fold their lands, had feeu fome
Englfh men of war in foine of the waters of
Carada, and wasimpreifed with an idea of the
power of thofe great canoes; but ne faw that
the Eugliih made no progrefs agains US by land.
This was enough for an Indian to form an OPT
MON by. He could fpeak fome Englih, and
Eat Al.
canoes, ne gave me his idea OF the power OF 4
king of England by the following metaphor.
''The king of England" faid he, Z" is like
a sih. When he is in the water he can wag his
tail.-When he comes on land he lays down
on his fide. Now, if the Enslifh government
had but half the fenfe this Indian had, they
would not have fent Duckworth to Conftanti-
nop,e and Douglas to Norfolk to lay down on
their hdes.
, Accounts from Halifax hate, that admiral
Berkeley has alledged in writing, that +" orders
TO Douglas) were not ifiued until every appli-
cation to- rctore the mutineers and defe.teTs Gas
he calls them) had been made by his Britannia
majefy's rninifter, coniul, and officer, and had
been refufed by the government OF the United
States"
Ifthis account be true, it fhews that Berke-
ley is An idiot in governmental affairs: for if the
matter was in the hands of the Britilh miniter,
vernment, Berkeley could hare no interference
in it. That minifter would report to his 60
ysrnment the demand he made, if he made any,
and the anfwcr he received, if be received any,
and Berkeley could act only in couiequence of
orders received afterwards. 1t does not belong
to fubordinate officers of any government to
commence irotilites at their own difcretion.
now come to fpeak of the politics OF the
day as they arife out of the circumstances that
have taken place.
The injuitce of the Briti1h government, and
the infolence of It's naval officers, is no longer
TO he borne. That injueice, and thai infolence
grows out of 4 prsiumpton the B.itifh govern
ment has fet up, which il calls " tie rigbt Of
Eareb" There is not, nor ever was, fuch a
right sppertaiuing 10 Nationin confequence of
its being at war with another nation. Where
yer fuch right exfed it has been by treaty,
and where no fuch treaty exit, no 1ich right
c n exiR, and to afiume the exercife of il is an
act of holliity which if not abandoned NUT be
reoelled until it be abandoned. The u. States
cGnnot even cede fuch right TO England, with
out ceding the fame right to Fance, Holland,
Naples, Italy, and Turkey, or they will take
Il, and the u. States NUT take the confequence.
Ii is a very difficult matter, aud requires great
political wifdom for neutral nation to make
treaty during time of war with one belize
rent nation, that fhall not commit her with the
other.-The bef way then, hnce matters are
come to the extremity they are, is to resi- this
,3retepded yigbf of Ra1eb in the fri intdnce.