The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-08-01

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= What are we to think Of the propositions
winch he was instructed 10 make t--lf these
be- the nftimatuD, of the ministry, does the
slightest hope Of any accommodation with
them exist! What more prepos,erous and
insulting propositions were ever offered Il
the Independent government of the u. S.
mat American citizen must be wrapt in
worse than polar darkness and cold, whose
heart does not feel the strongest resentment
ut such overtures. and whose mind does not
despair ot making any accommodation with
such q ministry sEI
| What were the concessions which were to
be demanded of the u. S.. 1st. we were
pledge ourselves to resist the DEGREES of
| France. ed. during the present war. We were
to abandon all =" .t,retenSions' to carry on
the, Colonial trade, prohibited in. times of
peace. Sd, as a means Of enforcing. on, o1yn
Iinterdictions,. we were to permit the British
crui.ers to capture our own vessels bound to
France and those Countries which might act
under her DEGREES. A moments peace. sweet
Patience, whilst,we review these concessions!
| Ee.cyer'e. TO Hleaoc >ur3eiveS 10 G., Bril-
| fdfn, to assert OR. OTrn rights against the
encroachments of foreign power--and to
| redress our own wrongs How insulting
| to the homer of these United States--How de-
| rogatory to the sovereignty of an indepen-
| dedt power The u States must engage
to defend their own rights, not from any re-
gard which we may feel for them, but be-
cause a foreign nation is pleased to make
such All nsolent demand. and to thisnation,
we are required to give. securisyJor our
| good behaviour :,.. .-,.
| HE next conce sSion amounts to the aGSu-
lutte extinction Of the colonial trade not. open
| to MS in time of peace--a trade, which is
unnecessary substitute for the trade which is
shut against US in times of WARWICK exr
ports those productions to the colonies of her
| enemy, in ouT ofcn vessels, which in times
| of peace are transported in French vessels
| a trade, which is projected by the laws of
nations---w hiCh constitutes QUE of the sym
| bols of our sovereignty--a trade, of which
G Britain herself does not hesitate to reap
| the frefts by granting licences to her own
! vessels, And Ills trade, we are to give up
| to her.
| And what makes this. concession. Of our
| rights moi c Illuminating to tine United States
| is, that this branch of trade has no con.
| nection whatever with the orders of Janu-
\ AIRY and November--that it is to be thrown
as a mere make eyeight into the scale along
| with the restoration of our trade with Great
Britain-and that it breaks through the spi-
| rit OF that contract which we were to have
| made with her, which was to have conss
| ted of a mere computation of n repeal OF our
interdiCtions for The repeal of her Orders.
| But it is. the third demand which caps
] the proud Pyramid of her prc sumption
| After we should have pledged ourselves to
continue our nterdicrions against France,
we were not even to be cOmplimented with
the poor privilege of enforcing our ow:: re-
gulations. The independent government of
the United States was to be informed, that
it, was too weak to execute its own laws
| md To ltrif IS d..
fish navy to enforce them for us.
| Where is the noble he rIed Amercanswho
does not spurn at such an ihsinuation "A
| second time must Mr.. Canning, who has
been once already caught in. the .fdct itself,
have attempted to calumniate the name OF
Mr.. Pinkney! Such asuggestien could never
have fallen from the lips of the minister, who
has hitherto baff!ed every article of the Brit
h'secretary to entungte him in dislionorable
negotiations
So much for these propositions, taken by
! themsclUes.-l.ct any man combine them 10
gether.-There is a contradiction OH the very
face of them-Thc concessions, which we
were to have made, would have defeated
these very concessions which we were tC
! have obtained-The British orders were
to be revoked those branches of com
merce, which they ipterdicted, were to be re.
newed IL yet In the same breath, we pledge
our solemn consent, that the cruiEcrs OF
q. b. should capture those very vessels of the
| u. States, which carried on a trade with
France or any of those countries which she
might pronounce to be subservieht to the de.
| crees of France.
| So much for these instructions We shall
take view, in our next paper, of the stua
| ton in which we now stand. 1t is such as t.
require all our skill, all our energies and al
our virtue, to guide us through the storm,
which assails us. Should we fail in this mo
mcntous effort. what prophet will pretend t
estimate our losses, or set limits To the en-
croachments of the powers Of Europe.