The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-12-20


Srvnen Great Britain not only re fuses tt
release these men, but she refuses to adop,
any regulation, whereby the outrage may be
prevented IN future. On the contrary, hei
BOARD ot admiralty, i'll answer to a propositi-
on TO this effect, from a late mintite., Lord
iioliand, has declared that the existence OF
her navy depended on the continuance of i'm
Pressments as heretofore practised. Your
committee see, in this declaration. the ayow-
al OF firm and settled purpose, that so long
as the United States shall speak the same
language, with G.. Britain, they shall contri-
oute to nourish and support the British feet,
although the power of that feet is to be tur-
heo against themselves. Your committee,
Gee" 1t an idle and ridiculous moekerv to
Vauht OF the sovereignty and independence of
oui country, while the persons and liberty of
our citizens are insecure while a foreign
natlonis permitted, ut her pleasure, to come
among us, to seize on our countrymen, and
take OF, TOR the purposes of war, VII atever
number Ter occcasions may require Tribute,
Ill any form, has been thonght "A badge of de-
pehdence and serv:lity.: but never can it as.
aumea form SO hnmiliating and degrading, as
when 1t Is tribute of nea and Gree,nen. too.
furnished to fight the battles of a foreign
prince battles in which, if directed against
other foreign powers, they feel no interest
but which ntay be directed against their own
country, and thus force them To imbvue their
hanos IN the blood OF Brother or . Father.
Again, Great Britain not con.-dr with the
actual power of her navy, has, without any
addition thereto, coD.rivcd the means OF null
tiplying its operations and extending the
range OF It's action to the great ANNOYANCE
and even ruin OF neutral commerce. The
law OF nations has declared that a block
ace cannot exist without actual investment
ny the ships OF the enemy and in this state
OF things, 1t is admitted, on all hands, that
a neutral has no right to enter the port,
since, by carrying in supplies, he might de-
feat the object of the blockade. But Great
Britain was not satisfied with this legitimate
restriction on the commerce of neutrals.-
Not able with all her ships, numerous as they
are, TO invest all the ports of herrnemy, she
has invented species OF blockade unknown
10 the law OF nations, by which she avoids
'ae e&pence OF an actual siege, keeps her
shlPs free Tor other operations, harnesses
her adversary most eitectually and extern
sive!y, by blockading ali his ports at once,
and (wtat alone, is of INN. ediate impor-
lance to us) drives neutral commerce from
the ocean, or fills her Golfers by its plunder.
Your committee allIde to the new mode of
creating blockade by proclamation irs cad
ot GcfuaI nuUeStalent. TO say nothing of
the principle, the injury which American
commerce has already sustained by the
practice CT this innovation, is immense
When, a blockade has been formed accor-
ding to the law OF nations, the appearance
OF the bessging fleet is Sufficient warning
TO neutrais; who, with such notice, are in
no danger OF committing breach OF block
ade without intending it. But where ncu-
trails have no such appearance. no such
a N to
the blockade, instead of being actual is mei,e-
ly ideal, existing no where but upon PAPER:
they incur the penalties without intending
the offence and find themselves ruined by the
Impu,ation OF a crime, which they would
dlSdaln to perpetrate. Nor is this innovati-
on Objectionable only on the ground OF the sur
PRIZE which 1t praCtises upon neutrals in
its principle, it is still more obnoxious it
gives to beihgerents the power OF impliCa-
ting peaceable nations III the consequences
OF foreign wars to an extent, denied to them
by the law OF nations to All extent, which.
1t the peacea5le nation be dependent on
commerce, goes directly bier ruin, as GER
talnly q Immediately as ifshe were-a party in
the war For according to hi snew invention,
1t sJust as easy to blockade whole island
as single port, and whole continent as
single island. IL is but necessary to de-
clare the island or the continent blockadcd
and neutraIs must believe the fact, whc ther
1t be so or not, on take the conseque nces.-
Upon this principle it is OBVIOUS that where
belllgsrents. as at the present time, have
involved almost every commercial country
upon earth III their contests, il is easy for
them, by reciprocal declarations Of blockade
to say to neutrals Z" you shall not trade at
all. hln idea, eXtravagant as it would have
appeared few years back, has been actual
~ realized in relation to this country. G..
Britain has by her declaration put a whole
continent III state of blockade France
while her ministers have be en- continually
declaring this pretence of blockade " alb
surd' g monstrous" indie feasible" Z"
mockery OF right" and " an insult upon
reason, has nevertheless proceeded to do the
same thing, and, without ship aAoat upon
the seas, puts the British isles in blockade
ny her simple proclamation. Great Britain
treats that proclamation as an empty me-
mace, which France had no power to carry
into effect, and boasts that the ascendancv
ct her navy had locked up the ships of
france IN their ports she proceeds, never
theless, by way of return, to blockade on
paper, the island of Zealand, two hundred
miles IN extent; and she calls this, &c retu-
Hnion," aSif France * rot herselfhad been
the mistress of this invention. To us how
ever, 1t is immaterial by whom It was inven-
ted; since by whomsoever invented or whom
soever practised, it is q gross and intolera.
bic usurpatioh on our rights The spirit of
TINS nation will never submit 20 the idea
that because France and Great Britain are
at war, the commerce Of the United States