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

10y VIZ" CO'"'1'y % WeMfoof HQtiOrS, an(
/ i"consssie'it Svifh The independence Of ofhe,
Ha1es. Aud though it may be firisdent fol
the subjects OF neutral states WITCH are nm
cole or unswihns- 10 contend with suc,, bek.
HSerent forvcrS to conform TO these re,r,lla
tlunS, for their oSn safety. yet it seems to
oe now settled, that they are not 6ound by
them. The feelings which win arise i'm the,
bosom ct every American on reading this
extract and comparing it witt, the practice
OF. the country to which the writer belonged
will supersede the necessity of any .commen-
tary on the part OF your committee. :. The
policy OF the British instructions, now under
Iconslderatloil, SO tar as it relates to American
commerce, seeinsto have been to cut it up by
the Roots, or to 1orce 1t into British chanrelt
and thereby to bring about that monopoly OF
our trade, which she claimed as a right while
we were her colonies; the immediate effect
| OF those instructions was to fill the British
Golfers, by the lawless plumber Of American
property, scarcely ever before, has the world
oeeh called TO witness such q scene of insoleat
fapaciiy. on the one hand, and Of patient re-
nhonstrance and forbearance ON the other.
France totally regardless both of the sub
sistlng treaty and the laws of nations. and
pretending that by submittingto British i'm
pressment and spoliation, we were strength
ehihg the hands of her enemy against her,
~ ''| "heh our government was making
every eXertion, short of war, to obtain tine
| redress of those wron;gs,l came out ,vi,b
what She pronounced to be measures of re-
.aiialion, and by her imperial edict of Bcr-
I'm arrogantly torbad us to trade with Great
oFi'all' trom the impotence OF the French
Meet that decree had very iiCtle other effect
towards US, than to display the hostility and
injustice OF the government from which If
proceeded. To G. Britain, however. it an
s~ered an important purpose it furnished
ier with pretext to crown her grand pro
lect OF re-colonizing the United States. Ac-
corai giy, ON the hackneyed and uiuuitous
Preeehce OF retaliation, She issued against US
ler orders OF council of January and Nov. 1907.
ny these, under pain of seizure and confis-
cation, she totally interdicts us from trading
with every port OF Country at war with her
OF from which the British flag is excluded !:
except, indeed, we choose to land our goods
III IT, britain, and rel export them cn the paw
'ieht OF Such GutieS. as shall be imposed bv
Tie British Parliament. This is precisely
the indulc- nee which we had while we were
colonies ; aud ifthc British parliament has
the right to impose this tax on our trade. the
principle of the revolution has vanished
from under us +; we relapse into subsection.
ana the blood OF our fathers has been spilled
III vain. we returnto the ground which we
~ONPiSS cSIV'G liC uSCidGdllDI OF indie
pendence, taxed by a British parliament in
which we are not represented, and that, with
OUT even the old correlative claim Of mater
nal support and protection
Nor IS 1t merely of commercial restric
tons and spoilatiops that We have to Complain
against those nations they seem to have
We'd with each other in adding insults TO orr
injuries u Britain comes within the line
OF our jurisdiction, to violate the SOVEREIGN
ty Of our nation bv burning French shin
stranded upon our coast France arrccates
to herself the right of debating our course
towards Great-britain, aud by way of enfoi-
eng her cictatc, she seizes and burns our
SHIPS upon the high SEAS and threatens a
coalscauon OF al American property Sc
questered by order of His Imperial Maiestv.
Britain determined not to be behind in
this noble contest of insulting and outrapiue
nation whom she calls her friend, attack
an American ship OF war within sight of cur
coast, and IN manner, at once, the most
Perhdous and dastardly, murders a part of
her crew, and carries off others of them to
bondage or death.
1T ever the wrongs and sufferngs of a ma
ton would justify a declaration of war. that
declaration had long since been made Oh the
part OF the United States. But war. if il
can be avoided with honor, is not the policy
vi WIS httiOh. IL is their true policy, as it
Is their sincere wish, to cultivate pcace with
all the world The administration of the
u >. iniiuencedby this spirit of Cancellation
and friendship. has aboured with equal zeal
and energy to obtain the redress of our wrongs
by cab!eadjustment. These efforts have
not, III the opinion of your committee, been
either too often repeated or too long continu-
ed. They will convince the world, that peace
is, indeed our wish; and if at length we
shall be forced into wa, we shall take the
held with that animated and firm determine
lion which injured honor feels, when every
effort at peace his been fairly exhausted
and no alternatives remain but war. ON fhe
one hand, and disgrace and oppression, or
the other
Our negotiations both with France and Great.
Britain, protracted to length which only the
purest spirit of peace could reconcile 10
sometimes wern the most pleasing ASPECT: when.
IN the course of the last wntcr, information of
the hostile construction of the French edict and
OF the maditsted orders Of the British councils ar
rived IN this county. At that time Dro.
| perry OF America citizens 20 Il large amount &
a great number Of American sca1nen were nm
on the ocean, embarked in commerce still
| active IN spite of all previous restrictions But
| these new measures, which g. Britain, at Least
| had tue power to entrce, and which seems 70
| have been proicctedDy her with reference 10
the rich plumber then presented to her GRASP
| made II necessary on tie part ofour governmei,
| 10 adopt 4 couhtervailSg policy 6, save our chi
| zens and their property from the ruin which
hurg over them. A declaration of war
| considering the ascendancy of the British navy