The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-01-14


stick with which to breaS his own head
\ You adnlie that when there is wish and a
prooabi.lty or cT'cr.irs gcar 6y negcciction
and when CONSIST $sems :nev;ts5ie, tho con
duct OF true statesman and Patriot should
be very different. Such has been the conduct
OF NJ. X. at the period of passing the par
tai Non-lmportation act, when we had the
best possible authority-that of the Presi-
Gent and our Minister at the English court.
for expecting happy termination of our ne,
gociation with England-and on the affair
OF the Chesapeake, which appeared in the
opinion OF the whole American nation. topre-
clude any other possible adjustment, than the
most prompt and ample atonement.- vet
SO great is your anxiety to damn him with
the people that you impute to him as a helm
GUS CRIME, that very conduct which you YOUR
self when speaking of it in the abstract, pro-
nounce not only highly correct and proper
Dut absolutely necessary. At time when
our government publicly expressed a wish,
in which the public entirely concurred of
preserving peace with G.. Britain if it could
honorably be done; at a time too when our
resident minister in London told us by his dis
Pa'ches that there was every prospect of ter
mlnating amicably the various points of con-
troversy which he had been specially sent to
discuss--This very moment of all others was
CHOSEN by acertain number of our politicians
to pass partial Non-Importation act against
Great Britain The right to pass this act
was never contested by Mr.. r.. nor believe
any body else--it was only the policy which
was condemned. 1t was contended that as
Congress had acquiesed in the course pursu-
ed by the executive of adjusting by negocia-
ton our differences with Great Britain, any
interference on the part of Congress, howe
yer good the motive, by the passage of any
such law at that time would certainly have
hostlle appearance and would consequent
~ tend to ietard the negotiation, which we
NAG good reason: then to believe, would pro-
badly terminate as favcurably as we could
wish. This being the opinion of Mr.. R. it
was not only proper but it was his indispensa-
Bile duty to represent in the strongest point
OF view which his talents enabled him, the
disadvantages ard calamitics of a war which
he thought it probable might ensue from do
ing any thing might break off the nego-
CATION more especially when every man
protested that was not his object
In representing the capacity of the two
countries to carry on offensive war, if truth
compelled him to state that Great Britain
mad ships enough at that ting to contend "a
gainst the whole world, was itany thing more
than experience has incontestib,y proved ;
When gentlemen talked, as many oftheTn did,
OF hghtlng her on the water, was it fair 10
charge Mr. II. with a disposition to dispirit
has countrymen, for declaring that every
man In his senses must know, that such a
contest would be madness? You seem 10 me.
slp, TO nave a most unfortunate knack of
making quotations to operate against YOUR
| sclf.-Iake for example this which YOU have
gwen u; from one OF MIR. RS speeches., &c I
deem 1T no sacrifice to say to the Levia-
than OF the deep, VIC are unable to contend
= with you OH your own element, but if YOU
come within our actual limits, we will shed
: the last drop of blood in its defence'' Can
any man bat yourself, sir, see in this declar-
alton, contempt and enmity towards his swn
country, and Partially for G. Britain is it
possible even for the most rancorous malig-
nlty SO lar to blind any one, as to induce kim
to believe that man who is willing to die for
ms country-can be its encmye Your own
example has proved what no man would
have credited without it. For think may
with confidence pronounce, that no human
being who viii diSpassionately view the pub
ilC conduct OF Mr.. K. can see in ii any thing
but pure and ardent love of country, and a
/ courage III its defence which no dangers can
appal.
Many men may conceive they see errors
in the policy, at different periods proposed
and supported by Mr.. r. for none of his
friends ever expected him to be thought in
fallible, but the purity OF his motives no just
or rational man can doubt Errors of opini-
on are without doubt inputable to him, as tc
every other man, and too much warmth may
sometimes be seen in his manner of main
tanning those opinions, but justice as well as
Charity would ascribe these to great ardour
OF temper combined with the most rigid in
tegrity, which you charge to depravity OF
/ heart and principle. That you, sir, 4" are
most PROFOUNDLY ignorant ofpolitical cecono-
my" l shall leave it to the public to decide
You seem to prize yourself very much OF
the discovery Of supposed inconsistency in
the opinion of Mr.. X. relative to the seizure
of the British provinces two years ago and al
the present time. But if you would have
given yourself for a moment the trouble Of
refleHion, with which by the bye we very
rarely have cause to accuse you) it would
! have been impossible to avoid perceiving the
difference OF the two situations in which
these opinions were given. The first wa.
depressed in answer to a gentleman who
| spoke Of taking Canada and Nova-Scotia a.
a Permanent conquest to be annexed to the
! United States, and he was told that "he
would catch Tartar or in other words
that the possession of these provinces woult
not pay for their conquest and retention
How does it appear that Mr. II. has changed
this opinions by declaring that these pro
vinces might nov be seized " not with view
to their incorporation into Cur system of go
vernment" Gor that was the idea secuted by
Mr. X. two years ago) "but as pledges t
be retained against a future bacifcation
until we had obtained ample redress for ouI