The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-08-22


" Heic,s,"to sigh Cor the protection ofthe Bri-
tish navy is to hang t.e load of Atlas upon the
thread ola spiders web What is the BIRTHS,
nary Woai--sul henp-and iron---and wha,
! are these without the of the British arm,
and the fire of the British heart Inert passive
obed'cnt snstfer That arm and heart belong TO
Britain, and not to as Enough have they to do
to protect and defend their own island Bun
is the American sinew more 1accid, is the Amer
lean heart less ardent than those OF Bri,ons A.
las it was the misery of MIR. Ames's malaJy-,
! so To believe it is tue folly of his pretended
friends SO TO publish In him it was lamenta-
bic error-ln them it is the most inexcusaDle
OF calanies, the calumny of their own country
men.
No. we are not that herd Of serri,e usurefs.
that den of dastardiy jackalls which we are thus
represented to be. We have no ambitious wis.
Tor war, no passion for foreign conquest; and Of
course no shallow love of needless armies and ma
vies. our very love OF liberty foc,ihes, sndper.
maps carries to excess our Jealousies of these
double-edged weapons, which might be brand
ished inwVd against ourselves as well as out
ward against our foreign fues.-Brt the uncon-
qnerablc will which carried us through all the
trails OF the revolutionary war remains uumpair-
ed, and when called into action by the uneguiYo-
! cal voice of the country, shines with uuinnisll-
cd iustre The names of I'ruXtOn, Little, aud
Prebie,are rs glorious to our republic as those
OF the naval etoas ofI,e revolution, ana the an
| nails OF Roman hstory caIJact furnish, faircr
page than that To which the heroic devotion of
W atlsworth, SoUiers, Israel and Decstur emit
tied. These are the models of American charac-
ter IN the present age and II the'exampes which
they have exhibited 10 their countrymen are
rare, it is only because by the blessing of
God the occasions tic call them forth have been
few.
Some OF the extracts in my last paper were Sc
iected from an elaborate attempt to prove that in
TINS country there is not, and cannot in the ma
ture oil things, be any such thing as patriotism
Inc whole passage is too long for selection; bur
may be found in the volume, from the middle OF
page Ai2 to the close of page 4l4 shall nc.
mere press tins subject any farther. shall for
pear 10 shew, as with the greatest case might
be done, that both point of argument and OF
tact, 1t as but the basc!ess fabric of Sision'-
put To exhibit the com oardioe state of affections
IN which Great Britain and America stand i'm the
hearts OF those who furnished the ra7p material
OF the authors iucubratons, request the
unbiased reader to reflect upon the following
passage.
Great Britain, by being an island, is secur-
ed from foreign conquest; aud by having pow
erfui enemy within sight of her 81 ore is kept il,
suincent dread 9fit to be inspired with ba.yfo-
tfs1n. That virtue, with all the feryour and ele-
walton that society which mixes SO much ofthc
commercial with the martial spirit can display
has other kindred virtues in its tain and these
nave mad an influence in forming the habits end
principles OF action, not only of the English mill
tary and mobiles, but of the mass of the nation
There is much, therefore, there is every thing
IN THAT ISLAND TO blend seit-lovc with love
OF country. 1t is impossible, that an Enyjishman
should have fears for the government without
trembling for his own safety. How different are
'hese sediments from the immoveable apathy of
those citzens, who think constitution no better
than any other piece OF paper, nor so good as a
| blank on which a more perfect one could be writ
ten" D. ,427.
Let 1t he remarked that Mr. Ames in this
place, and in the other to which have refereed
the reader appears to consider fear as exclusive
ly the primary foundation of bGtyi0tis,u and g..
very other source from which this virtue may be
supposed to derive, he seems TO consider as
merely a theme OF bypocritcal defamation.
VIII not rceuF to sny supposition of benevolence.
independent otse'hsh IQotiycs, existing in the
heart of man from which some portion of pat
rlot'c feeling migat originate. But surely fear is
not TIE onlp principle of social attraction The
sense OF common rights, of common en;oy,ueute
OF common moral and political PRINCIPLES, OF con
Scniai habits, manners, sentiments and even pre-
Judces, the instinct of attachment to our ugt;s,e
land,. the love of fame, which, though an iodi
vldnal passion, identities itself SO naturally with
tile love OF our country, aHsbition which an accr
rate ana close observer, will find BURNING in the.
American breast more hercey than tliat :yarce.
winch strikes the superficial eye the obligation
VI ooSiai uu'ys WhCh MI AnleS certainly SupDos-
eel himself to feel, which therefore in can
oor ne ought to admit as one impulse ofaction in
others, all these are sources OF patriotism, far
more copious, as well as far more noble than his
miserable dread Of being conquered.
but 1T is the contrast of feeling i'm the heart IF
the writer, Cor rather of his iustgators) between
Sreat Britain and America, manifested IN this &
many other places, which demands the unu,laIi-
feu reprobatIon OF every virtuous American. 1t
is the preference of foreign country 10 his own
SO undisguised, so glaring, and resting upon such
false foundations, upon which | call the eve of
the nation not for the paltry purpose of affect.
ing his reputation, but to put the country upon
their guard against the Vaccinations and in
trigues OF the men whose politics are governed
oy the same narrow views and the same vicious
passions. have given this extract asa speci-
men, Out there is scarcely page after the first
hundred III TINS volume, but bears the marks of
tue same sentiTent-scarcely a page but proves
that with the idea of Great Gritair every assoc.
sted idea, was esteem, love, yeneration, idolatrv
while every thought associated with that of A.
merica was bitterness & rancour, mingng with
disgust and scorn
-
am aware thai this is one Of the feelings
F0hich cold metaphysics will disclaia,l or dey;ae
and which Mr.. dimes qroukd nor aILo7, Nc n
source 81 pdHiottSn1. But npon questions of feeGaq
S7e may appeal from a6s.ractioa 70 boe,yy' JbiSs
seHfnie"t u attachment TO the land our nafioity
IS painted with some IF The mast exquisite touches
~ nature IN Wieldad'S O6eron- THE herr ofthe IN.
en- ara ms squire SherdSDtn, are ;i9g, aiogg the
6dHks 81 EnphrGfeS, IN silence, and the hougb1s of
edch o them are rercsenfed as d1yeiiug mn Tbe S
taat objects of their delight.
While in IMAGINARY inv Tho l-;o.L,