The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-02-16
mo. 80.

ed upon principles equaliy correct, as faras
regards intention. In ali your remarks ON
the non-importation act, you speak OF 1t as a.
law actually IN force, which every bod
knows was not the fact. And how a law
which was nothing more than a dead letter.
could be considered a measure of coerrion.
must be left 20 you to shew. By its operati-
on therefore it could do no good for it had
no operation; but as an evidence of a desire
without the resolution to use compulsory
means 81 obtaining redress, If appeared to-
Mr.. X not only totally notifications bot ab-
solutely injurious To ourselves alone.
FOR what purpose you have introduced q
history OF Mr.. Jays mission and the conduct
OF the administration at that period must be
known only to yourself, for am sure no man
on earth, however penetrating his sagacitv,
could discover any sort of application il could
have TO the present question
Dc you wish the public to infer that Mr. r.
approved of that mission, or of the admins
tration of that day ? Unfortunately for Won
the small obstacle of fact opposes any such
design Why too do YOU cnuinerate so co.
piousiy the corruptions of the British minis
try and the extent of her aggressions on us
is lt because you wish and expect the peo-
pie to believe that Mr.. Randolph is inclined
either. to dem, to PALATE or to Justify the.
one or the other? The whole cotiise of his
political life is a direct contradictions to any
such inSinuation Ills certainly true that he
mas thought 1t unbecoming in the Representa-
yves OF brave and generous nation, such as
he believes his own to be to act the part
OF braSgarts and DULLES, by distant abuse a.
galEst any nation with whom we we're likely
to &c involved IN war. But if this is crime
IN him, let it be attributed TO its proper cause.
i-et 1t be said that his notions of tie dignity
of national department, are not as correct
as those OF Phocion But surely il would be
TIC extreme OF injustice to say that he did
nct teei his eounrry'S wrongs because he
tailed 10 utter upon all occasions, such abuss,
against the perpetrators of them, as he. IN,
fortunately Tor him it seems, thought suited
only TO b:llingSgatc.
If | was disposed to give you credit for for
ty times ITS much talents as you appear 70
possess, nv faith would not extend to the pos
sioIlity OF Your proving that our situation vim
regard to England has been at all chaage,}
Tor the better by the non-inportat;cn act.
You ask why it had not produced war VITA
her, II 1t was a war measurc> If IL be a.,
iowaoie TO answer orc GueStion by another,
would ask YOU if any man OF plain common
sense, would not rather search for the cause.
OF our preseDtsituatioB among tie measures
and unparalleled events which nave occ. ~
red IN Europe, and which have changed the
situation OF Great Britain materially fo, the
worsc--than in such Il thing a, ne noai-iu-
fo'totion act. The poor inb:cilc poiicv
which you say) Mr.. Randolph recommend
Ell, can no where ind, unless you thus con-
sider his idea of the propriety Of waiting
the termination of q negotiation which We
had every rational ground for expecting dcj-
iy-:hat is, If you will admit the authority OF
inc Frcsidcnt and his minister to be such.
with our usual urbanity you call Mr. 4 a
great many i'll names, for being as Won de-
81 ~ota otSs ,c
tenn" Can YOU have forgotten, sir, how lono-
and how loudly our present administrator
nave been applaudcd for this very system
Or do YOU fancy yourself possessed of the
faculty OF convincing the public that they are
bound to condemn Mr.. k. and TO praise the
administration for one and the same thing,
The prejudice against Mr.. r must very far
exceed even your calculation, Is you can sue
coed III such an attempt.
You declare " that you do not hesitate M
" express your conscientious convict.on on
" that II the enlightened Fox, had continued
" TO preside over their ministry-if we had
not AFTER his death been compelled to ne
y" gociate with one of the most corrupt ms.
nistry in Europe-,if the non-in,portaficn
=" act had been permitted to operate in oU
-" rs pfrtHe5" with dont't know how mapv
other lts--.why that it would have dom, ;,
great deal OF good. With your ,9nscif.ncc
aiT, neither ], nor the public [ believe hay,.
any tling 70 debut in your prophecy as tn
what might have been the effects Of the non.
importation act i so far agreed with Won. a,
70 admit if it had not been for thousanI
Causes which prevented it from doing ao,-
sort OF gocd-why, that it might pcrhau,s
have been beneficial. What do YOU mean by
- It's rot being permitted to operate in ali
ITS virtues" WHO prevented Was it not
the majority who passed the law and the
president, who had the entire management
OF 1t, anlhave YOU the hartlihood to ccnsnrc
them How Mr.. RS opposition which vu,
have taken great pains to make US believe
was altogether tr;i'ing aud coutembtibIe.
can upon this occasion have been swollen in
to such consequence BY you, as TO be said To
cnuntcract this wonderful law, seems to saw
the least of 1t, somewhat unintclligible.
MIR R.is charged too with producing hone,
i'll Great Britain of Division amongst orr
selves" by opposing this law And what
would this alignment of yours amount TO,
Why that no member should ever vote in
the negative upon any question either of in
tcrndl or external policy, for fear that the
enemies Of our country might think US divi-
ded. The consequence Of such doctrine
would inevitably be, that the man who voted
brst upon any question whether ave or no
must govern all the rest--for il never could
he asCeTtaincd before vote was taken IN
less indeed, Io8eS 9gsTe counted, upon every
occasion (as hear they very often arc) a.,
~I. utf1 Ia II