The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-05-03

|
into enemy's property.
! Such was the basis upon which arose the
| .ar-tamed rule OF war of 1756--Such was
| the foundation upon which Britain claimed
! and maintained this supposed right of adj
! ding that new instrument of desolation to the
horrors Of war--it was distressing to her en-
| emy-yesi Had She adopted the practice of
dealing with them i'll poson-Had Mr.. Fox
accepted the services of the man who Offer
ed to rid him of tho French Emperor by as
! sassination, and had the attempt succeeded,
it would have been less distressing to France
than this rule of the war of 1856; and not
more unjustihablc. Mr.. Fox had too fair a
| mind for either, but his comprehensive and
liberal spirit was discarded, with the cabi-
net which he had formed.
1t has been the struggle of reason and hu-
manity, and above all, of christianity fer 9
thousand years to mitigate the riSours of that
scourge of human kline, War. II is now the
struggle Of Britain to aggravatc them. Her
| rule Of the war of 1856, i'll itself x in its eff
iects, was one ofthe dcadliest poisons in Which
it was possible FOR her to tinge the weapons
of her hostility.
In itself and In its effects, ! sav---For the
French DEGREES OF Berlin and of Milan, the
Spanish and Dutch DEGREES of the same or
thcsiike tenor, and her own orders Of Janua-
ry and November-these alterations OF Ii
cenccd pillagc, this eager competition be-
tween her and her enemies for the honor of
giving the last stroke to the vitais of mari
time neutrality. all are Justly attributed to
her assumption and exercise of this single
principle. The rule of the wax of 1856 was
the root, from which all the rest are but
suckers, still at every shoot, growing rankcri in
luxuriance.
In the last DEGREES OF France and Spain,
her own ingenious fiction is adopted & I'M
der them, every neutral vessel that submits
| to English search, has been carried into an
English port, OF paid 4 tax to the English go
vernment is declared deHationaHzed, that is
to have lost her national character, & to have
become English property. This is cruel in
execution absurd in argument To refute
1T were folly, for to the understanding of a
ing OF British jurists. 1t is the simple APP
plication 20 the circumstances and powers
or France, OF the rule of the War of 1856
am not the apologist of France & Spain
have no national partialities no national
| attachments but to my own country. / shall
never undertake to justify or palliate the in-
suits or injuries of any foreign power to that
country which is dearer to me than life. Ii
the voice OF reason and of justice could be
heard by France and Spain, they would say
You have done wrong to make the injus-
|
measure of your own. If she chastiscs with
whips, do not you chastise with scorpions
Whether France would listen to this Ian
guage, ! know not. The most enormous in
| fractions of our rights hitherto committed by
her, have been more IN menace thanin accom-
plishment. The alarm has been Justly great
| the anticipation threatcning-but the a
mount of actual injury small. Butte Britain,
what can we say? If we attempt to raise
our voices, her Minister has declared to Mr.
Pinkney, that she will not hear The only
reason she assigns for her recent Orders OF
| Council, Is, that France proceeds on the same
principles. 1t is only by the light of blazing
temples, and amid the groans of women and
children perishing IN the ruins of the sane
tuaries of domestic habitation at Copenha-
gen, that we can expect our remonstrances
against this course of proceeding will be
heard
Let us come 70 the third and last of the
causes OF complaint, which are represented
as So frivolous and so unfounded-" the un-
I! fortunate affair of the Chesapeake" The
orders of Admiral Berkeley, under which
this outrage was committed, have been dis
avowed by his Government. General pro-
/ LESSONS of a willingness to make reparation
i for it, have been lavished in profusion and
1--we are now instructed to take these profes-
sions for e7ideaUors to believe them sim
cere, because his Britannia Majesty sent us
a special envoy & to cast the odium of de-
| feating these endeavors upon our own gov
lernment.
have already told you, that am not one
of those who deem suspicion and distrust, in
| the highest order of political virtues. Base
less suspicion is, in my estimation, a vice,
as pernicious in the management of public
affairs, as it is fatal to the happiness of do
nestle life. when, therefore, the British
Ministers have declared their disposition to
make ample repatriation for an injury of a
most atrocious character, committed by an
Ioficer of high rank, and, as they say, utter
ly without authority, should most readily
believe them, were their professions not po-
sitlvely contradicted by facts OF more pow
erful cloquence than words
Have such facts occurred3 I will no. a.
gain allude to the circumstances OF Mr.
Roses departure upon his mission, at such
a precise point of time, that his commission
and the orders of council of 18th November
might have been signed with the same PEN
ful OF ink. The subjects were not immedi-
stely connected with each other, and his
Majesty did not chuSe to associate distinct
topics of negotiation. The attack upon the
Chesapeake was disavowed and ample re-
paration was withheld only, because with
the demand for satisfaction upon that injury
the American Government had coupled q
demand for the cessation Of others alike IL
kind, but of minor aggravation. But had E.
n