The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-07-22
mo. "a.

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Su'heas per cent. being the common winter
premium The same fact is f,ilh { tablshed
not only by the evidence Of Mr.. M 81, E,ut
also BY that Of Mr.. Shakcspear phijiihs. nrr.
Alexander White, Mr.. Henry fIncklev and
All the other gentlemen who have been in-er-
rosa'ea upon the subject 1t appears that
most men were alarmed at frs. and v,h;ie
the meaning and probable consequences of
the decree were unknown, somewhat hisJ,
err premium fof ;nsili..r to America wa, lie-
manucn accordingly but in less than FORT
night, nay, iii = weeks time, Mr. Ph;i,irs rsils
YOU, the premium tumbled down - is for
mer fate OF two or TWO and & half summer
and three or three and half in winter,
ana tneietcre conclude, that the ate,aeyt
IS radically erroneous, however Often reDcat-
ed, and with whatever confidence 1,. 81
upon YOU, for the purpose of bearing ont
nat most Incredible of ali propositions, that
the Tears or alarms excited bv the name of
inc French navy in the Atlantic, i'm Defiance
OF our own navy as we'll as that of the neu-
trails, made difference, at once, Of fifty rer
cent. upon the rate OF insurance against it's
deErrdatinns This is provei! to tG rs rad;
caiy falsein point of f;lcr when ,1c. 81 f4sr.
ent rates of insurance are investigated and
the figures and dates appealed to, as it is mon
strously absurd when looked at by itself, or
attempted to be enforced by argument
NOW, Sir, as TO the other branch Of the Rer.-
lin decree which precludes vessels that have
touched at British port from entering a
continental port, and condemns them when
iouho any where with British manufactures
OF Produce on board. The evidence here
IN so tar as regards assurances. aIthouph po+
equally distinct, still tends cIearIv 70 sub
stantlate my arguments, and to show thar
thls branch CT the decree was never enfo-~. ID
nave no objection whatever, TO admit that
there is very considerable difference he.
tween that branch which attempte5 = ~
tercept the direct communication betvoan
inns country and America, and that Dart
winch requires no navy to execute it. hut
may De carried INFO effect in the country sub
ijSct 10 tic encmy, by filing the ports with
bodies of soldiers, and dYs WING co,,;o..
round the coast. 1t was not sir. to be e,.
pecteo mat this threat should be as utterly
incapable OF execution as the other had the
enemy been SO disposed: but have 1ul;, to
re!er to the evidence OF Mr. Bel :; -
ME, and others to show ycu III at TN. enemy
we're not inclined to enforce it, At least i
appears mat whatever Bonaparte NAV have
o W ~ france, (aithough even there MIR.
5'ehhle denies that he ever knew one in
stance OF condemnation) ;et in the pnrTs Of
Holland, to which our manufacturers md o,,,
produce had been during many year. 80
introduced 10 great e<tert, for the SUNNY re
inc continent, NO steps we're taken tn enforce
tAis decree. The evidence tends di,tinrtIr
to prove, that its provisions were NOT cnio,-
ced. Inc proof drawn from the state ofin-
Surance has cvinced this, although, as | said
lot, '"e correspondence has not been SO
frequent, and we have not been able tn nro.
duce so many sums, dates or TRANSACTIONS m
on TINS point. The evidence from in,r,ranc,.
therefore, is not mucl multi1,iirA 49,
this oEahcn OF the decree as upon the firm
or ; but that, / conceive not to he nj ,n,,cl,
Importance, when It is considered tba+ al
the efleCts rs toremittanccs postage. acceot-
ny OF gratis, make out my proposition Be
s'des, thGt the assurances themselves. IN so
.'i ID we nave produced evidence thercupon
by witnesses who have been examined. ave
sir, and croSS-eoamin5d too by the Hor;.e
snow that the proof here also sets in stronp,
~ III the same direction. This being the
case, am entitled here TO dismiss the sub
IJect OF the Berlin ard other decrces with
TINS one remark, that there is not ofl1v M o.
Wuehcc OF those measures havir been cnr,,-
ced' but every argument and faCt against tl,e
power OF the enemy to urge them in some
respects, and in others to show that he i,al
no des-re to do so. The evidence. of f,,,c,.,,
DEGREES never having been executed ;s ~,
tirely OF the same sort, and our past e,,oe,.i-
ehce affords Us every argument to show that
they were incapable of execution. Our 60,
Perisnce, say, affords rs evidence that non.
'ra'S VIII CT themselves commute 10 evat,
'h9se DEGREES as long as you yourselves fact
mate th7t aFasion From The ) cts produced
ny the testimony Of the Witnesses who haze
been examined and cros8-erani1ed can
slst2nt statement is made ont, that those Nc y
DEGREES .she enemy have been nothing b,,r
as SO much vase paper; in other w1rds
t''L tney are a reprsIt'C3 ofthe ancient. nm
profitable and vapid glsc.n.':le ~ ,;;,,, -
government 1t shows US that these dec.
mad not and couli bot have had any egcc+
but to eyincr 70 the world, that B6nar,r..,
had some desires which h could not e~T,,;f,,
ono scheme, at least which he could nc+
Compass; and that with respect TO this co,,n-
try, they were Of no strength or anvil wbat-
ever, until we ourselves leat our aid To tLe,,,
by our own vigorous measures.
i now come, sir, to the fatal part Re he
case set i9rth in the petitions now upon rou1,
table think can prove, sir. t,.1l We o1,-
selves, blinded and alarmed Jv tl. c,nnt,,
inenaces OF the enemy which We had ogten
before experienced TO be Intellectual. te,r;.
fed by vain fears which we could no Jes.
crbe, and arguing from the very nncert,in.
y OF the darkness in which We were. that
some evil was impending, We knc,, nCt
what, conntersigned all the DEGREES cr he
enemy; Backed their futile threats win o,,,,
real and solid orders carried then, ti,:,,r[