The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-06-03

uuenCe and the lnSuf1tCient origin Of the en-
barge; that when they had seen letters from
politicians on the spot, who had seen these
commercial Entertainments which goe had an
ticipated. recommending to us the cmbargo
which they had anticipated when they had
seen subsequent letters from firm and ste6-
fast Federalists now in England, approving
this very measure from the practical e.rtteri-
ence of its benefts-one OF them, even avow-
ing that he should feel ashamed to call
himself an American, if the Embargo should
be taken offbefore the orders in council were
completely revoked when they heard Id.
Holland himself in the House ofPeers, bold
ly pronouncing, that within one fortnight
only before these orders had been officially
issued, not less than scUentl .fUe American
vessels had been sliced and brought into the
ports OF that kingdom-tpds 1t too much to
expect of these men, that they would at
least fause for a moment in the wild career
Of defamation But no, when the whispers
Of man shall still the waves of the tempest,
let the voice of reason address the inturiat~
ed spirit Of party.-The great BODY of the OPP
ponents of the administration are certain
" honest in theiropni n and conscientious
in their views; ut their leaders hate too
cordially ever to owe
Many of them have even misrepTesented
rae nature of those preliminary events, which
compelled our government to think of resort
ing to the Embargo.
What are those EUcnts
The United States could not nave expect
ed, while Europe was convuised to its cen.
ire, that its agitatiops should not sometimes
reach their peaceful shores. It happened
that the theatre of this singular contest had
been almost entirely transicr~e: to the
shores of the continent and the waves Of the
ocean. 1t was not war of armies nor so
much objects as war of commerce. 1t
was not so much war in which the means
OF the bclligerents were5 exhausted In blood
and carnage, as war to exhaust those very
means, which in one country at least were
principally fed by commerce. But though
comparatively innocent in its plan, yet
surely never has so much fury been exerted
In irsyexecution. Never have the world be-
held so complete proseration Of all those
principles, ordinarily respected by civilized
nations Tn the rage to do each other every
possible harm. they seemed almost mdffer-
ent about the harm which they inflicted on
ncutra,s. 1t would have been therefore =
matter OF supreme astonshment, if amidst
All these violations on the nigh seas, tine peo-
pie OF the y. States with so many We sells
and SO much property on that ellen ent,
should have remained unhurt." v hen
tsthis natural struggle between the bel ige-
rents themselves, there are added the COM
one OF those powers towar0s theU S. our
escape would have indeed ape tred most
miraculous.
That statesman, therefore, who should
ascribe our present situation to any fault of
this adm nistration, must surely be at n much
greater less to find some food for his resent
Incnt against that administration, than to
ind an7eXplanation for our present difficult
ties. Yet has this course actually been pur-
anu InIa I,ct ~ k,-,,o
>of his party, has said !; that eft was not Ma
poleon Bonaparte ; it was not Geo. Guelph
but Thomas Jefferson, who had reduced us
to this embarrassment" Such mode of yea
scning is rot even Sc ingenious, as tliat.whicli
Mr.. Barring asc"ibes to the WeSt-lndia plan
ters Of England. When Bonaoarte had g sue
ceedcd in gradually banishing the English
trade first from his own domnions, & subse-
puently from the whole OF the Continent of
Europe, considerable loss and embarass-
ment to several branches of that commerce
ensued The W. India Planters, who had
extended their cult, alton much beyond the
consumption of the country, were the first
to complain" Then followed the 8hih-ozyn-
eTs, the EXPORTER ofgoods to the continent,
and the East-India company" This state
OF things, the real cause Of which was suf-
flciently obvious, was ascribed by all TO the
intercourse of neutrals with the Continent OF
I1uioi'C, ana the want OF saie tor tlcif COM
modltes was asserted TO be the effect nat Of
IRE re@to1cfioms Of The enemy. bur Of tie
comhetihon IF .AnaericQns" The COM
plants OF the w. India planters was final
II heard, and really produced those celcbra-
ted Orders in Council although the minis
try have certainly ertended their RESTRICT
ons to the native productions of the United
States, without the wishes Of the W. India
planters.
Just SO sagacious and SO selfish are those
great politicians amongst ourselves, who
would ascribc our present condition to Mr..
Jefferson. Did he produce the commissions
OF Europe? Did Ire make Bonapartc the
sovereign Of the continent lit is wonderful
tnat these charges too have not been laid to
MS necromantic maiignity.-Did re weave
round his brow the laurel of Austerlitz -
Did he empower him to illuminate the De-
cree o. Milan, the ostcnsiGie pretext for the
Orders in Council9 Did he dictate those.
Orders! Did he pen the Decree of Milan
Then why asciIbe the evil to him ?-Just as
sagacious too, would they have been about
the 'emedy. The w. India Planters pro-
Coced the Orders in Council, which strike
Z lr@ct-y ct the TTasPe sjty of Britain and
these mea would forsooth have saved us
trom the Embargo.--But perhaps not. 1t
: IN ..'ossible to l;naw hog tt;-y waild have
iolt towardsit if the administration had not
recommended 1t.