The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-02-04

her into proclamation of war; against that
country where his friends--his connections
his all, were at stake, l shall certainly
leave such person to the uninterrupted Gu
Joymeut of his own opinion. With SO fair, so
liberal, so critical a commentator as your
self, there is no opinion, however Contradic-
tory, absurd or detestable which might notbe
deduced from any speech, or book that was
ever written. And it would be just easy
an your way to prove that the u. States laws
are full of treason and rebellion, and that
the Bible itself is repicte with blasphemy and
atheism, as to demonstrate by fair reasoning
that they were written for very different pur-
poses For instance collate either the laws,
or the bible, and you might pick out, in the
Perusal of very few pages, words enough to
constitute when grouped together. such SEN
fences as " kill the President, annul the Con-
stitution, and murder all the native citizens
OF the u. States" Or YOU might make the
bible say curses on all the blessings of pro-
vidence-there is no G 3D." Amongst the va
rious political crimes with which you charge
MIR. Randolph, is the attempt which you say
he has made to ridicule certain phamplet
OF Mr.. Madison's, which you tell us is s'h here
alter To form the text book of the laws of
neurais?' Far be it from me who knows We
ny little about such matters TO undertake to
vindicate MIR Randolph, ifhe has been gull
-ty of the offence with which you charge him.
I'e say the least of it such conduct was very
irreverent. For if this pamphlet which you
inform consists of upwards of 100 pages,
the accuracy OF which count am not dis
posed to question, is to supercede Grotius,
Puffendorf, Vattel and all those other authors
who have understood have written on neu-
trail law, it certainly ought to be considered
as an inc stimable treasure. There are very
few secrets more valuable, and especially
IL k1,x, tkat
Mnltum IN parvo, and if Mr.. Madison has
practised it in this pamphlet, it is species
of ECONOMY for which he can never be too
highly recommended.
And although some fastidous people might
be disposed on this occasion to censurc you
for travelling little out of the record as the
lawyers say, in pronouncing this eulogium on
Mr.. Madison's Pamphlet of upwards of 100
Pvges; II you have any possible advantage or
reward in prospect for il, shall be one of the
last persons in the world who would wish 60
deprive you OF its benefits. In your long ca
talogue of cases in which YOU undertake to
enumeratc what 7potid haze been war mea-
sures. 1T they had been adopted, sec none
In which incline to question your opinion
But 81, none such were adopted, proposed,
I confess myseifuttcrlY ~ loss 70 understand
WIZ thcv have been introduced, unless it be
Tor the kind purpose the more friendly, be-
cause altogether vo ~ntary, OF dispelling our
ignorance by your learning. For this unex-
pected attempt therefore to instruct us in the
doctrines OF neutrality, you certainly merit,
and as far as dependsupon myself, shall re-
ceive public thanks. The non-iIrportation
act, Sir, although "a much hacknied topic,
and one OF which suspect many of its form
er friends are heartily tired, is one which
you COMPEL me still to make a subject of re-
mark. Eon call it "the most energetic Hlea-
sure that was ever adopted by Congress"
How far measure which either by post
ponement in the sirst instance, or by suspen-
sion in the second remamed dead letter for
nearlF two years, is entitled to the character
Of cners esac, ] must leave to others tojudge
Suffice it to say that those who opposed it,
did it OF the very principle upon which our
administration had so long acted, upon which
thcv were at that very time acting, as far as
We could Judge from all official conlnlnnica-
tions, and for which they had been so long
and SO much applauded i mean the princi-
pie OF adjusting national differences rather by
Hegoctation than coercion. l must again re-
peat here an argument which has been re-
peated more than once, but constantly either
misrepresented or passed in silence by Mr.
Randoiph's enemies. 1t appears to me un-
answerablc. AT the time when this law was
passed. Congress had official authority .(and
ii any enc doubts it, let him read tho Presi-
dents message) for believing that our differ
epces with England would i'll all probability
be spec Oily adjusted. These differences were
relative to the impressment OF our seamer
and cur colonial commerce.
The President had sent a minister for the
special purpose Of adjusting them, who had
made the communication which justified the
belief, that final settlement would proba.
bly, succeed. NomaD pretended to doubt thai
the President had given such instructions tt
this minister as would enable him to conduct
his negotiation as it ought to be. The tcrmi
nation OF 1t in some way or other was daily ex
pected, and the opposers of the nonAimporta
tion act contended that Congress should
wait until the issue was known. How it Ell.
ded and the causes which produced the fail
urc, arr foreign to cur pr esent subject. The
minority urged also that an interference will
the negotiation, at such a time by the passage
Of such law could do no good and NIGH
possibly be consider ed as AN evidence of hos
tility on our part, VIII CHI certainly could mo-
be disrab'e, five really wished peace, as al
ztro.feS8edto do.
The right TO pass the law, neither Mr. r
nor any che else, ever denied--the impoliCy
Of it, was al that he attempted to demon
strate. and fer this, YOU and multitude
Of other such assailants, have represented
him as an apoiogist of -Britain---a
one WHO denied the eZ ent and injustice Of
her aggrcssiors--a one who felt no SYM