The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-12-30
7 HE. TIM ES.


THE. TIMES
"2hcye ere the times thai Try mems soai3."
pAINE's CRISIS.
+" ii is time to assume station that will Did lie
farce 10 as.y power, --,i pat eni to that par.
~ sl,.rt, which las taught those iiatons II be.
lieye, that we had gone from tilat Just standard
of honest measures, and could nc easily made :.
vctinI,ts intrigue o. torce--We have taiksd long
enough 0f our rigb's md our naficaai honor let
us now prepare 20 aJ.a! t.em." Governor IT,
lsr's communication 70. ::ir Legisla.a,e
We havc scanned NEST of the courses,
, in which't has been proposed to steer the
vessel OF STATE, III these temPestuous times.
We protest against SAbhiisSioa--the Non.
haterceHrss laiv, liz its present form. is weak
and interchangeable resolutions of Mr.. Troup
arc open to Objections ne report of the
Committee Of Foreign Relations, If compri.
sing eoeIy MimY thai is l., bo do.e by the Re.
representatives. of the people, is foor and
miserabie snie!d for the rights of the coun
try.--Ne sI:rak Of il, as a measure of Co
erciOh and deieuCe--:ind rot as Il feature OF q
permanent system of regulations for the en-
couragement of Uur commerce.: and mann
features.
What then are we to do?-We presume,
that the embargo viii not now bt used as
a s. stein of -cion-The spirit of many of
the people, in The East. has besn most insi
oiousIy reused against it-Ihc members of
tEc iOth Congress, who should have chung
10 IA 'reasure, titat was 1T once cur shield
az ;inst dishonor aud war, were actually
driven FROM ii by ais glamour of opposit;
or---srhugglers are now 81. deeply steep
cd III the school of evasion, and SO ac-
complishcd iii the ARTS OF vilany, that it
would require the strongest terrofs to ro
press their violat ion--bcslSles, this is all al
tsratiUe.. and not a drastic renedy-one,
whose effects arc noi hastily produced--time
~ requisite fur it's oTeration--and tile sls
. be.sioi. VI the former law has removed its
pressure nDon Cur axgre,eors--so that if We
were ~ re LuaCt it a.Te'y, we should again
have 10 pass through the same Course OF
preparation and pressure, before We should
be able to make it bear with success upon
: tue eneiny;
1',e question then recurs-what are the
United states to Cu!--- his point Cannot
be daily weighed, without considering the
peculiar circumstances under which THUS
conhtry iabors. We are sssailed, at the
same time, by two nations, whose aggreGsl
ons are calculated 20 rouse our resen,mcnts.
Should we Fly to hostii;ies for redress, shall
we war against boHh or which shall we
choose as our at'versaryf 1t we adopt tnc
, latter Course, by what standard shall we
make the selection?
II we hy to this last expetlient, the cioic 6
ct oar chciny will iot be a very a,struSe or
dit.icuit Qncstioa-vewing the thing on its
own merits only. We would certainly
Choose the .ssaitant, OH whom we could in.
flict the greatest injury. who vas the first
to attack us, and who has inf ctcd Oh our.
selves the greatest injury. These are the
circumstances which should regulate our
choice-and by such tests, eur veugeauce
would peculiarly fall upon G.. Britain. We re-
probate the Conduct oil France III The sevcrest
terms--her arretes are in the very teeth %.
! these ncntrai rights, which she processes to
. chcris'i---'her Capture and conflagration
or oar vessels are the objects OF the bit
tereot rcproach against her cruizers.-
fu; Y no will think OF mparing even thes
att css, with tile Wounds, inflicted by e.,
b Oh our national honor aud prosperity
ffef imp cssm5n OF our seamen-hcr nomi
nal bioCKddes ports, which she had no rio Int
! to close--her sacrifices of our trade to her
own commercial jealousy rnd ayarce-ler
interruption Of he colonial branches, H. the
i very teeth OF her own pubic aclanow letlg
! meuts-her thrustinE Ms out of a trade with
! her enemy and licensing it TO her own YES
! sells her orders of blockade and insoIen,
ex tction of trjbute--tke atrocirus breach
es Cf our iurisdctioual rights by her pubic
ships, at WITCH her cabinet has CONN.,
, eed--tl!e inspl;s Of her minister-thcse fea
lures wo'Ad fcrEl terrible Manifesto
! gSIa;e The British government The cir.
cums,auces OF the affair of the Chesapeake
alone, NEST stto, .ly distinguish the conduct
OF tho two governments Great Britain has
been not merely the greatest, but generally
the foremost assaiaDt, ID ali affairs relative
to our commercial rights, as may be easily
trAcedb by the dates OF their respective acts.
And, besides, she has not Only done the most
| harm to as, but we can do the most harm 70
| her. Our entcrprizing spirit could more
vitality reach her colonies and her com
@erce. In case, therefore, of the select.
ON at an enemv, the fatal lot would soalcI
| fall On her, than ON France.
But 1t seems no. to- have come within this
views ofCcrgress to make this discrininso
| tion-ln all TIE measures which they have
| pursued, since the execution Of the late op.
| lers and dgcrees of France and e.. Britain,
Ehe TWO nailcns gaye been blended together