The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-03-03
95.

and vet go to England and take iicenses-
pay tribute" IT "A reason of this kind is to
govern US, as we have fitted ont tie navy,
the best use that l know fori WILDE TO fight
the merchantmen, to make them fight the
French and English. Suppose you issue let
tiers of marque and reprisal, or declare war
and commission privateersv-the same thing
may be said, that they will not fight that
they will go to Lon. IN with cotton ; and pay
tribute. You must then invent some mode OF
making them fight Sir, there is nc mode
OF making men fight against their will there
mas been none yet ever devised. nor ever will
be. Do gentlemen know so little of mankind!
Are they SO ignorant of the character and
composition OF that mixed asscmblage, a ma
ton /; so little read in the history of our. rcvo-
iutior, as not to kIcw that when the crisis
(oir, this is a poor worn out word, / hope to
be pardoned for using tit ST. be the last
uine) was over, the American patriots he
gan TO trade with the British at N. York,
and else where. 1t is an established fact. that
they engaged in what was well known ais the
London trade, men. too, who fought and bled,
and gained renown in the battles of their
country. Nosooner was all prospect of sub
Jugaticl over-they did not wait for prelini-
nary articles of peace-than they traded with
the English-and they will do it now, even
II You go TO war; except it be a part OF the
system that they shall not trade at all, not e.
Z dlIeS "
lection is made to thiss system. 1t is said that
American vessels will so to ST. BarthoIo-
news or Gottenburgh, no matter where, so
allthey want is IN entrefof, no matter who
the buyers or seilers-that at this place of de-
post your produce will be ioigcd-shat the
English will buy it-that FranCc having no
navy, will come in for no part OF the trade.
and that therefore it will operate, partially,
against her. We have carried our ideas of
nmpartallty. to strange length, sir. We must
hGht tntharG0Ny, and trade ditto. But the
substance OF the objection is this-that be-
Cause orc OF your enemies, against whom YOU
are. making resistance, (suCh as it is) has
not a powerful navy to take her share of our
trade IRON neutral ports, you ought not 20
trade at all If France were our friend,
ally, benefactor, gentlemen could state this,
and 1t might have some weight. But to offer
1t as a reason for abstaining from all trade
that a p-ower-assumed to be your enemy,
and against whom you profess to make SUCH
resistance, lamenting that it is in your pow
cr 10 do So little wish very MUCK, sir, that
Florida belonged to her, or that she had
some province on our rontier-very sorry
indeed, that she presents no valnerab e point
to us-but that's not our fault'-that we
should abstain from all trade, because this
power cannot reap an advantage from it, is
a novel argument, indeed. So be it. Ii then
seems, sir, that by a strange arrangement
OF intellect, by some strange sort of logic,
when do not understand, and hope l never
shall-when you are reduced to such a stu
atian, in which you cannot injure 4 powerful
foe, you are bound to render her all the be-
netit sc can; and her not receiving her full
and impartial share of all the benefits which
may incidentally accrue from any of YOUR
measures, taken purely with a view to your
own advantage, is to be a good and valid
reason why you should forego those mea-
slreS! That you must continue to suffer, be-
cause, IT you set relief, one of your greatest
toes will derive no benefit from it. This
cannot be too much insisted on it snould, il
possible, be driven into the skull of cvery
head in the country.
But this plan, it seems, does not suit the
IDEAS Of some gentlemen, who think very
h!ghiy OF the point OF honor, who think that
we must fight that we must draw a little
blood from the sword arm TO CRAFTY this
punctiiious itching; that one of two courses
must be'taken; either that we must set too
10 drawing 1t from our own citizens, or march
forthwith to Canada. This, sir, was the ONLY
part, as l could apprehend it, of my worthy
colleagues argument, the other day, that did
not precisely suit my conception of the true
interests or the country and if he would per-
mt ME, l would observe, that supposing his
statement to be true. he did, most unuuesti-
onabtY demonstrate that the embargo would
nave zee a wise, an efhCIcnt and s~atutarv
measure by way of rider TO the reduction Of
canada; that if we had first of all ovcrrun
Canada, stormed Quebeck, reduced the pro-
vlnces of Nova Scotia tnd Brunswick, and
tbeh !aid an rnnbargo, it would have had a
very salutary operation. Having, however,
thus uniuckily put the cart before the horse.
the embargo before the conGuest of Canada
before we go to mendiDg theblokep gear.
and making preparation for a new set ont.
a little rest and some consideration would nor
be amiss-I arm wiling to take UP some of
the ideas, | could almost say all, which fell
from tic gentleman from Massachusetts. and
my colleague.
[Mr, Burwsll said that Mr.. II. had mis-
understood his ursumcrt he presumed. T
endeavored (said MIR. Is to give NV opipion
that ic would not bc prop>r TO 90 70 war to
take possession Of Canada bu, if we were
forced 30 go 10 war, there are ether consj-
d"rations connected With the means &C cocr-
ci1g the enemy 10 do us justice which womb
make it eXaedieut to take the British DC
viGces; aid my &t-lmerr IN relation to c.
n1dt was IN reply to AZ observation az .
T gentleman from Connecticut, that Canal
mad o5Tiated much Of the CT. ct Of our ON
o'FSoj IT go, 1t world be Important. were
We 70 foto var, Tat we shouiI take noSset-
EHAn NN - NaL.-l