The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-01-05


own from discharging their eargocs in the U.
States. AS TO. foreign vessels hereafter, they
may go away with their original cargoes, or
may discharge them and go away in ballast
Congress did not wish to give any preteXt
however slight, to any nation in Europe to
stop our shipping in their ports; if we had
detained their vessels it is probable they
would have stopped ours. We have not, pro-
baby, twenty British ships in our ports at
this time, when from the best information we
can get at, it is supposed that our ships are
numerous in England, and her colonies-We
have few other foreign ships in the ports Of
the United States-there are no private
French ships-there may be some vessels be-
longing to Denmark, Sweden and Hamburger ::
at present America enj Joys the whole or great
er part of her own commerce in her own bot
toms. Had the proposition of Mr.. Blackledge
succeeded, England could have been suppl
ed with pitch, tar, and indeed with all naval
and military stores for her fleets, and sup
plies for her West-India islands in her own
bottoms, while ours must have rotted at the
wharfs. If we had agreed to such measure,
England would wish us to continue the en-
barge for ever--it would have been just such
an introduction to our commerce as she would
prefer.
"Sincc the embargo act has passed, Mr..
Erskine, playing off diplomatic tricks
or not, time will shew, says there Will be no
4car betqveen the tgvo nations. The British
feet have departed from our waters within
these few days; they were advised to this
step by this minister, not without some broad
hints from the proper quarter, that their stay
hereswas considered an obstacle in the way
of the negotiations of Mr.. Rose, and had they
remained, there could be no doubt it would
have been an insurmountable obstacle to his
reception j think the senate bill authorizing
the president to use force to eXpel them had
the effect of accelerating their departure !;
but because the feet are gone, it is no rea-
son that the bill should not be passed; and it
is very certain that insolently as they came
into our waters in contempt of our laws, and
pitiful as they have skulked off, John Bulls
bull dogs appear as abject in their departure,
as they were injudiCious in their coming and
their STAY.
Mr. Munroe arrived in this city last even
ing, and was in the house of representatives
to day. He thinks the mission of Mr. Rose
ought not to be relied on as calculated to pro-
duce peace. [Some here consider it as de-
Cisive evidence of hostiiity.l Measures of
defence will not be relaxed in the least, and
no branch of our government wants war, if
it can be avoided with all nations if possible !;
but the American nation, curtailed of its
rights as an independent people, it must not
be dishonored, and PREPARATION must be OBJ
tanned for The Chesapeake outrage. The j.
dea thrown out in the English prints that
Mr.. Rose means to offer certain privileges to
the y. States in the w. Indies, know not
how to believe. 1t is contrary to all the Bri-
fish doctrines at all times: it is in the teeth
of her principles that relate to her colonial
trade, and its tendency would be to lead us
into war with other nations, since she has
repeatedly declared that any advantages
granted to neutral power by bellgeaent,
altering the dispositions in time of peace, is
cause Of war, to the other beiiigerent.
q An embargo has many Inconvenience,
it will unquestonably injure us considerably,
but it is calculated to save our ships and "a
bove all, our seamen, from British capture
and impressment, and as It will shcw, at once
the faliacy of those political dogmatists who
haze preached that the West-!ndes can do
without the U. S. we expect it will touch
England ON one OF her most sensible points,
and by denying to the manufacturers of G. B.
the raw materials of this country, they also
will perceive the blind policy of their govern
ment towards the Z. S.
We expect England will pass new reta-
liating DEGREES against neutral trade, in conse
Quence of France being about to enforce her
own; if she does land she threatened it to us
in December of last year,) our commerce
will suffer, and our ship owners had best look
to it in due time.
"The fishing vessels of the o. States will
be allowed to carry on their business as here
tofore. They are not meant to be included
in the embargo, as they do not SO upon for
eign voyages"
1t is supposed that the question of who
shall be president and vice president of the
United States will not produce any division
among the democratic party in the U 5. This
will be fortunate for the country at this mo-
rent: the same unanimity is probable in
Pennsy lvania for the governmental uhair
unless fools or knaves, again stir up discord.
(.durora.)
A COMMENTARY
ON THE LATE PROCLAMATION or THE
KING OF GREAT BRITAIN.