The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-10-31

.
ON THE MARITIME WAR AGAINST
FRANCE.
s II WE regret, that the following is the
only part of the I'd LETTER Of UIiiars
Co6bctt to the King, which we can at this
time lay Before our readers But it i. our
misfortune, not our fault.--We have faith
fully made our Extracts from the N Y,
Public Advertiser, which has taken care to
assure US, that the whole of the LIST. and this
fragment OF the Cd letter, were all that were
in the Dublin papers, then in their posses
sion.--Ths loss is the more worthy of re.
greet, as in this letter Cobbett had promised
to point out to his majesty hoav the .. coast.
ing trade of France-that great source of
her prosperity and of her naval means, as
he has described it" maybe DESTROYED,
and Of course, that vast means of creating
naval force may be cut OFF, He has, in
truth. drawn sufficiently distressing pic,
ture of the euH-and we Should have liked
tohave heard something of his i" remedy"
Enquirer.
That the time IS no7v fact aiiiiroachins,
zohen this Kingdom zviH haze singie-handed
to contend, for its INDEPENDENCE. and thaf
100, against ALL 7'Hs REST of Eurohe, am
der tie sqoay Of The Enaherot, Naholeon )
this, think, a position, which no one Of
the public, will attempt to deny, unless there
be grounds for an opinion that the mild, 6
christian-like, and unambitious nature of that
conqueror should induce him TO make no at
tempts against us, merely because we have
discovered more enfnity towards him than
any other people have shewn, and because
the conquering OF would be more glorious
than the conquering of any other people
Those who think thus may see nothing new,
nothing alarming in the present state of the
war; but, those who think directly the re-
verse those who think that from prnci-
pies OF SELF frcserUation, as well as from
the passions OF envy and revenge, as from
love of glory, Napoleon will seek the subiu-
cation of this kingdom; those persons will
perceive, that the battles on the Danube
the subsequent armistice, and the treaty ~
which it will necessarily be followed, have
given to the contest. that decided character
which warrants the assertion. that Eng
land is now contendins for he,. e.ristence.
This being the case; or, at least, it being
so in my opinion, the next thing for me tc
enquire into is, Hon. 7vc are 10 maintain
this contest 2 There are two modes of war;
tare. which. we may suppose Napoleon to
pursue; that OF waiting, and that of assault.
Suppose him to pursue the former, and us
topnrsue the same mode of warfare that we
now pursue, what, would like your maies.
sequence of his sitting down quietly, giving
rest, and in fact peace, to all his doninioas,
while he caused US to expend seuenty MILL
ons year? How many years would it be
possible for us to carry on a war of this SORT
which, as far as | can see, need not cost the
subjects OF Napoleon sum, which when
distributed, would amount to farthing a
head. have before explained to your ma
Jesty, that all the most useful commercial
m nj aTJO
between the several countries under Napo-
Icons sway and that, in fact as faras re-
iates to the prosperity Of those Countries,
our power, as now used has no effect.--
What then, would be glad to know from
your majesty's ministers should we do. were
he to resolve upon a mere menacing, a mere
paragraph warfare if he were to do no.
thing al al, but merely to say. Is you shall
not have peace 7" In this case the question
comes to this " ho7o lone can zoe continue
TO crfirnd serenity millions year ga But.
ii is not toIbe believed, that the ever active
spirit Of Napoleon will suffer him to pursue
this mode OF warfare. On the contrary, if
he shonld, In the course of year, have f.
nished his work on the continent of Europe,
will he not, as surely as he has life, set him
self seriously about his last labnur, the full
filment of his pledge to Lord Whitworth ;
Upon this supposition, which is indeed, the
only rational one, we have next to'take
view of his means of attack. He will have
in his hands, or completely at his command.
all the roads and harbors and ARENAS that
he could wish for, and many more than he
could possibly want.
His means of building and fitting out and
manaing ships would be inexhaustible. ---
Even during the present war he has, be-
lieye. built f7Do ne7u shifts TO oar one! Hs
wing once settled the continent to his liking.
how long would he be in creating a navv far
superior to your majesty's navy in nun,6e,-2
Not equal in skin, and / hope not IN brave
ry, but FAR superior in numbers aud unless
we suppose the French totally incapable. of
attaining naval skill, we must allow hat
experience would soon make them formida.
Bile. Painful as II may be to contem plate
| such truths, il would he folly 10 the extreme
for us to shut our eyes against them IF we
look, then, az the naval efforts that Napole-
on has been able to make even during his
great military wars, we cannot refrain from
| being alarmed at those which he will be
enabled to make when he shall have COM
pletely gotten rid Of those wars and snail,
at the same time, have addes TO tbt pnrts
already in his possession, those Of Spain SC
Portugal.
For my part can see no reason. Of we
pursue our present system Of warfare) why
Napoleon should not, in a year after he has
settled the affairs OF the ooDtioeut, haze A.
| float hundred shihs Of The line, complete
ly manned and fit for sea Leaving the Bal