The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-06-03

all our trade to Europe, however distant or
|iaconvenent may be the port of destination,
must pass through British ports-in those
! ports the roioRiaI hrni,,ce eSs,se.ted f.s....
hence. is TO be duly entered and to paw suc!,
duty to the British government rs accor-
ding TO Mr.. trskine Z" shah prevent the @
nenly from obtaining the produce of his own
colony at cheaper tate than that of the CO.
lonics OF Great-Britain - more, mulch more,
IT 1t suits her cupidity or her interest-a!l
our Cotton is topay a duty on the trans
It, perhaps Sd. per. pound amounting near
" to prohibition--and the rest of our ma
tive productions are to touch at British ports,
and to pay such duties aud, submit TO such
Ilmpositions as any new enactmen ts of {, bri-
tlsh Council, may please to determine.
OF this new and daring plan, it is impos-
sioie a. one glance TO measure the limits or
define the andacity. He must indeed be a
shallow politician, who sees objects as thew
tioae only upon the surface. These orders
IN coun"H are susceptible Of latitude and
extension, which almost defy the limits OF
imagination itself.
Who can know, whether G. Britain may not
next pretend to exclude all vessels from the
high seas; and to declare, that no cargocs
shall enter her ports. but in he1. ogvn bot
toms The regulations as they even now stand
upon paper, are among the most audacious
entertainments upon the general law of ma
tons and the interests Of neutrals, thar any
civilized state has ever attempted They
contain the very seed and root of the pre-
tension which kindled the American war.
Tar america?
These orders do not mcreiv courtervail the
French decree OF Bcrlin.-They no, ONLY cut
of the direct trade between the u. States
and Europe. But they aspire to the ardaci-
ty OF making the universe tributary to her.
self, by pouring the trade of the whole world
into her lap. In the language of Mr.. Bar
rlnS, nc Americans arc to bring to this
country ali the produce of their owr. and all
orr enemies colonies which they export to
Europe. We are here to form {, grand en-
Porium OF the costly produce Of Asia aud a.
meiica, which is to be dispensed to the differ
ent countries of Europe under such reguIa-
tons as we may think proper. and accord
ing, l suppose, to their good behaviour
axes are to be raised from the consumers on
the oontinent'--and the carriers in the Unit
ied otates-" And they are to &c confined
with that iGdicious skin, which is to secure
our own West-India Planters preference
overthoSe OF aoa and Martinique !; a disGnc-
tion, which theirzeal in promoting this grand
discovery Certainly deserved''-
! The time fnrthi wild and fanciful scheme
: is. gone forever. There was ain Era in the
History of Holland, in which this dream of
: an universal emporium seemed more capable
] OF accomplishment. When that saving and
ienteTprising people bad almost every arti-
Gle 10 sell, whilst their land scarce produced
I one when to convert their profits into new
capital, they were Contcnted with the COM
monest fare, though all the Inquiries of The
world We're at their Command when thei,
capl al was so abundant, that the rate OF in
,terest was much lower than it was in Eng
land when their sailors ransacked ever
sea and defied every hardship and their nj
htary marine was so powerful as 20 ASPIRE
to WELD the trident Of the ocean at that
time on these barren dykes wore erected the
grand emporia of commerce, and the ware
/ houses OF almost the whole world But these
/ polltical miracles were accomplished by the
industry OF individuals, the wisdom of the in
SusHtlonS otcommerce, 6 not by compulsion
1-tsiSSez nous fare is the genuine maxim q,
trade 1t thrives best, when most left to it
sell;
", Britain is Mt this moment attempting
20 compel our commerce TO paas iutnone
emporium, when the state Of the world is
pouring 1t into thousand channels. There
are too many flags on the high seas, and too
maHy points of con- nercial destination. to
admit OF this exclusive emporium. Com
merce is not nov in the same situation as it
was III 1879, when she enacted chat celcbra-
tea NaVigatlon-Law, which was SO success
fuiiy AIMED at the trade Of the Dutch. Much
less IS commerce in that situation, that will
permit her not merely adopting regulations
Tor her own ports, but debating terms to the
commerce Of the world that will permit
her not merely to distinguish what vessels &
carS.es meg enter her ports, hut 20 com
maaa every vessel and cargo 10 pass thro'
them, Gre@t-Britain surely forgets that
TINS ingenious plan '' wants the concurrence
OF one man. but that manis the Emperor of
4 rance, whose dissent has been totally lost
sight OF, but without whose consent the
people OF the continent are scarcely able to
BUY single article passing through her ports.
She seems to forget too, what it is our pride
ana our duty to recall to her recollection,
that eherc are neutrals whose trade is essen
uai to the execution of her plans, but who
are too independent to suffer the whole of
that trade 10 be sucked into this devourinr
Vortex OF commercial speculation.
| With these audacious British cncroach-
inentS upon our commerce, let the reader
now combine the dangers produced By the
French and Spanish DEGREES.
! IL is not my intention to enter into anv Ella
/ oorate argument for deciding between the
( i5fitish 0rGefs and Frcrch DEGREES, which
OF them was the .fTsf and which is the 7v5rst
IN Their encroachTents.-17h Eaaf, it would
DC c';iicii,t {" dcCiuc, as each special en-
croachTcnt IN the one has almost a CORES
pCndng enc in the other.