The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-08-15
MASKS OFF. !!
From Co66eif's Weekiy Political Register.


When the Ministers found, that the A.
merican government was determined not to
settle the affair of the Chesapeake, unless
the settlement included remuneration. on
our part of the right of searching their mer-
chant vessels for our dcserteis, they resolv~
ed upon sending special envoy to offer a.
tenement for the attack OH the Chesapeake.
but not to permit him to negotiate upon "a
ny other point whatever; aud ut the same
time, they issued Il proclamation, in which
the king declared, that he never would give
up the right i'll question. Ii is therefore
| probable. that the negotiation between Mr..
| Rose and Mr. Madison would, if it had been
| commenced, have soon been broken of buc
lit was, as the reader will perceive, prevcn-
ted from beginning by the refusal Of the ~
| merican government to rescind their hostile
proclamation, which cur Ministers Justly con-
sidered as an act of retaliation and the res
ending of which they demanded as a step
previous to their rendering any repatriation at
ali
The demand was refused, and of course,
Nlr Rose came back as he went. The reader
viii perceive, that the Amer now ciDos.
to represent the hostile proclamation. not as
an act of retaliation, but an act of precausion.
| AS IL they were afraid that we should send
| IN our ships 10 burn their towns . Believe
| them who will for my part, the contrary
! is evident to me and so il, at first, was to
them rthey, in all their newspapers CAL
led 1t AN act OF retaliation. See the procla-
NATION itself in page 249 of Vol XII, and say
ahetnerit be an act OF mere precaution It
was the mildest measure thev could adopt.
AIR. Madison says; and say it was The
harshest' because they had 1t not in their
power to ATuurc or annoy us in any other way.
| 1t was the worst they could do. 1t was not
blow, for IL blow they were unable TO deaf
| us; but 1t was splitting in our faces. it was,
| too, measure still III existence at the time.
when MIR. Rose arrived in America; and,
| therefore, to have offered PREPARATION, until
1t was rescinded. would have been disgrace
I'll to MS i'll the highest degree. 1t would
nave been begging pardon with Cane sus-
pended over our shoulder. 1t would have
been going one step further than the late:
miaisiers, who entered upon a negotiation
| touching the right of search, while the A
merica' S had non-importation act passed for
the avowed purpose OF compelling us to give
| up that right, and kept suspended over our
heads ready To be put in execution, in case
we refused to accede to the terms proposed
Inc result OF this negotiation, or rather, the
total failure of it, proves the truth Of what
| l told the ministers from the first, that is,
that every step in the way OF concession,
would but Cause the difficulties TO thicken.
Ii they had stood firm upon the ground OF
|
been loud cry Tor a few weeks; but
what would the Americans have done . more
| than they have done now" They have now
done their worst, and they could have done
no more. There would have been an end.
tor ever, of all claims and disputes about
searching ships And to this il must come
atlast. In REALITY it is now. ne do &c
erct8e an u58Oiufe mari me dominion We
must exercise it. or we cannot remain indie
pendent of France. IL zvoRld, therefore, 6s
better TO do II, at once, aUosyedty, and noe
cucumber the thing with g Orders in Cou,r
ca" and other traffiinSs. 7uhich only serve
10 rob the trincihte It's simhHcify and
dignity. The alarm of Mr.. Alexander Ba-
ring and his brother wiseacre, Mr.. Roscoe
that the open avowal of such principle. will
rouse and unite the world against us, is Gu
rlous enough, at moment when all the
world Is actually so reused and united A
merica is as much our enemy as she CAN be-
Nothing can possibly make her more so -
She zcouid deciare 7var, buk she dare nat.
There is no fear of throwing her into the
arms OF France" She is there already, as
much as She Can be. Our ships of war keep
the two dear friends asunler. What the re-
volution of Spain may do, BY placing the
cuontses, joining the United States, under
tAe immediate controul OF France, | know
not.
! 1t the Americans were not such nisera-
bic slaves to their envy and hatred of Eng
| iand, THIS event would, at once, produce an
| alliance offensive and defensive between us
and them but, am of opinion, that it will
produce no such effect, until severe SUFFERING
(Which is in short for them) shall have taught
| them justice and modesty-Ihe Fiorid.s
are Inhabited by Spaniards Louisiana by
Spaniards and Frenchmen /; the KEY of the
| Mississippi III their hands Without the.
aid OF England, it is impossible for the South
ern and Western States of the American
union to maintain themselves against France,
II attacked by her; and to avoid being at
tackled, there is but one way, that is by do
ing what Napoleon shall Command in other
words, yield to him without resistance.--
What fine field would. by this revolution
10 Spain, be opened for grand co operation
OF England and America, were it not fer
| the rancour OF the leaders in The latter coun-
try The way for them to proceed is so very
PLAIN, that 1t needs not to be pointed out
| How natural, now oIious, uld such
co operation be But it is not for US TO endea-
vor TO HASTEN it. rbe first motions toward
| 1t must come from the other side and thew
will not come, 'tiil the people, tie REAL
| people OF America shall rouse themselves
trample under foot the slaves Il France. and
resolve to act for their own interests This
event can be at no great distance. They
Know what French armies are. They PER-
| SoNALIY hate the French and when once
they hate them III their aeighbOrhood, they
| viii begin to think seriously of their means
OF defence. Drive them from the Continent