The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-06-24

nadmissiblc in every point OF view. All the va
rious interests within the United States are equal
ly entitled to the protection Of the government
1t was for the common defence and general wei.
rare that our government was instituted ; one of
Its special purposes was the protection OF COM
Merce. The navigation of the United States is
OF immense value and importance, when it is con-
sidered with view 90 its intrinsic utility, the
number pit our citizens employed, or the capital
invested in it in point of value, it is second to
no interest but the agricultural without ii, agri
culture would not be source of wealth. At
this enlightened period, it woul1 be a waste Of
time to attempt to prove the value Of commerce
there can be but one opinion upon this subject
What but commerce enables the British Isles to
resist the whole force of the continent of Eu-
rope' What but commerce has given to a por-
ton OF our own country, not equal in extent of
territory, to several of these states. and certainly
inferior in climate and soil, nearly one third ofthc
population and wealth of the United States The
prosperity OF commerce and agriculture are i'll
timately connected; they must stand or fall toge-
Their This eXpedient lis worse than that which
CreatBritain offers us she will allow us to con-
tnue our commercial Intercourse with her, and
to be the carriers of our own produce but this
expedient would not only give her markets the
monopoly OF our supplies, but contine its trans
portatlon to British bottoms, as she has driven
from the ocean the vessels of other country
Late in the session, it was proposed in Con
gress to repeal tho law laying the embargo, and
calculations were made to shew that the bulk of
our produce might be exported free from danger
Inns was In effect proposing tame subnlissi on
TO all the ourages committed by Great. Britain,
and that instead OF rcsentng the various insults
and injuries she had done us, we should reward
her with the monopoly of our commerceS-'seoh-
er than would accept commerce to winch any
nation should attempt to limit us, l would aban-
don the ocean Are we such miserable slaves to
our ease and to false ideas of eur interest. Are
we 50 debased that for the advantage of carrying
on our commerce with G. Britain, we will aban-
don the commerce of all the world Are we to
be bribed by England with the offer of allowing
us to trade with her. to give her the monopoly of
our commerce. We will not sell our rights and
our sovereignty, for all the wealth she is mistress
of. What she could not deprive us of in our in
fancy by arms, it is madness and folly to expe ct
we will now, in the strength and vigor of man.
hood, lay at her feet III consequence of the inju-
res she has done us.
But it is not true, we could continue the com
merce with Great-Britain, that we have hither-
90 carried on with her. Upon that commerce
there was balance against US of seventeen milf
ons OF dollars we were enabled to pay this by
the profit of our trade with other countries, and
by the profit arising from our navigation (our la
bour in that way is supposed to produce from ff-
teen to twenty millions of dollars annually We
import from the British, eight ten millions of
COLLARS value, which we export and derive pro-
mt on all these sources of wealth would be lost
10 us. IL is known that Great Britain affords us
market but tor a small proportion of our staple
article-f1our, pork, beef, rice and tobacco (Our
fish we are not allowed to sell in Graf Britain ::
they are our rivals in that trade y and however
large the export of any or all these articles may
be TO that country, but small proportion of them
are there consumed but they have been re ship
ped. There is now, however, an end to that, as
She has not access to the countries in which they
are consumed, and they must perish there or at
shcme. under the operations &c their orders III
council, and the French DEGREES. illustrate this
by the situation the tobacco trade would be plac-
Si' III uader this commerce, which it is said we
ought to give our independence to enjoy. When
we have good crop of tobacco, we make &C, 900
hogsheads Crest Britain consumes annually 49,
F. 600; the remainderi is consumed on the continent
Il VIC arc deprived OF ali intercourse witt; the
continent, direct and indirect, where five -sixths
OF our tobacco il consumed, what are we to ex-
pect TO get for it beg pardon for having en-
tered into this consideration of the subject. am
convincedit was unnecessary. No temptation of
gain, no prospect OF wealth, can induce the Anne
rican people to part with their sovereignty and in
dependence, which they will do, whenever they
permit any nation to deprive them of ali CONNER
cIal intercourse with the rest Of the world. Al
ter having taken station amongthe nations of the
world, with the most certain presages, that if we
are true TO ourselves, we shIll at no very distant
day rank among the most powerful; Will we, fer
the mere prospect of wealth, which can never be
realized, bear the degradation and disadvantages
OF being again in a colonial state Sooner than
submit to this, if spark of the spirit tf seven
tY-six remains, will sacrifice our lives and our
fortunes.
(To be continued. J
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