The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-10-03

~ LONDON. Aug. 8.
a formal insimation has lately heen given ]
to the Americans at Paris, ,; at the govern |
ment of the United States must soon deter |
mine toJoin the French or the British in the
war. as it would no longer be possible to
maintain neutrality between the two belii |
Egerent powers. &
Angus, 9.
No official accounts have been received
from the ilse Of Walcheren since Sunday
but dispatches announcing the surrender of
Flushing, are hourly expected. 1t appears.
however, from some private letters, that the
commander in chief was resolved not to de
lay the execution of the other points of his
plan, until the fall of that place Part of the
force which had not debarked on the Cd.
but remained at anchor in the .Veer Cat
has proceeded up the East Scheldt. Should
our armament thus divided in the two
branches of this river, overcome all inter
mediate obstacles, it will unite before
Antwerp in an attack upon that city,
Antwerp is considered to be very strong,
and the port contains at present great mum
Der of men OF war, including several sail cf
the line. If Flushing has been able to hold
out few days, we may expect very for
midable resistance at Antwerp. for the de
tence of which we may presume the enemy
mas made every possible preparation.
NO further Official dispatches had arrived
from the Expedition at a late hour this
morn ng-The date of the last is on the eve
ning OF Saturday last.-The Commandment of
Flushing is General Money, and the ga.ri-
son Is said to be composed entirely OF French
lroops--they amount to 1000 men. The
serge OF this place, whether it be protract-
ed or not. will not delay the Interior opera
tions. The troops are all to go through the
L md ~, IS
pass Flushing without any great danger, e.
ven though it should not have surrendered.
| Lord Rosslyn's, General Grosvenor' S and the
Marquis of Huntly's divisions, are reported
to be already in the West Scheldt. The
PROJECT is stated by some to be to land the
troops near Antwerp, but we should rather
suppose that they will be marched along one
OF the banks of the Scheldt, whilst our ships
OF the line, trigates. gun boats and bomb yes
sells proceed up the river. The sail of the
line which wsre at Flushing are stated TO be
moored across the Scheldt. from fort Lilo to
tort LicksenskoeCk-in front of the ships of
the line is hotila of gun-boats But we
rather imagine. that of the ships that were
at Flushing, three sail Of the line grounded
on. the sand off South Beveland and nave not
lbeen got of. These, we should suppose
will first fall into our hands. The naval oh
stacles in the Scheldt to Antwerp, will no
doubt be overcome by the superior skill, va
Tor, and decision of our Seamen. Many of
the forts on the banks Of the Scheldt have
been long destroyed. Fort Frederick on the
lett Bank is in ruins, as well as Fort Saint
Phillip. Fort Louis and Fort Saint Mary
on the right Bank, are also in ruins The pre-
sent forts are, Forts Lilo. Lickenshoeck,
and Perle. At the entrance of the Scheldt,
leading to Antwerp, there is fort on the left,
called Fort st. Martin. None of the forts.
we should suppose are likely tomake very
long resistance against ourheavy ships, and
our large force of artillery, with an immense
tram OF heavy batterng cannon. The hor-
sesfor the batteiin ing train sailed some days
ago.
We are heartily glad to find that the town
or .Middleburg surrendered without being
bombarded. If it be like any of the other
considerable towns of the Dutch provinces,
II abounds with streets ofhouses as large and
as handsome as ours about Grosvenor square
and rather fresher with respect to external
appearances. fit be only like the villages.
1t may be spectacle in point of cleanliness
All this being the produce of hard and long
| continued industry. it would be lamentablc to
hear Gifts destruction. Middleburg must i'm :.
deed be rich town, for it was long prin-
| cipal mart for F.. and w. India produce. and
contained the Chambers that governed those
this place shall be rendered a depot for Bri-
fish manufactures and colonial produce, it
will not only be immensely valuable as
means of giving them circulation upon the
Continent, but will be able to pay, by easy
duties. for the expence of garrisoning it,
We congratulate the public on the pros
porous and successful commencement of the
military and naval operations, undertaken
on the opposite shores of Holland Nor do
we desire to damp the general satisfaction.
oy any anmadversions or reflections. cal
culated to diminish, or to detract from the
| Importance OF the service, and it. utility
However meanly we profess to think of the
talents, information or measures of the pre-
sent administration ; however culDable and
even criminal, we consider them, in not ba-
wing concentered their means of attack, and
applied them to one point, instead of disper-
sing them all over Europe; however, it is
TO be regretted. that the present expedition
was not seat before the subjec;ton of Aus
tria, instead OF subsequent to it; neverthe
less, we readily embrace any occasion of
clmmend.n g their intentions, even when we
most condemn their actions Even though
the power Of tho Austrian family and mo.
'iarchy should, as we too much apprehend
VIII happen, be crushed and overturned
though Trieste nd Fiume should be swal
lowed upiD the territories of France and
every possible means OF sending succours by
sea to Francis the Second be hel,ceforward
precluded-yet may the continent be electro
hed and recovered, If we can conquer and
can retain, the Province of ZeaIand Tn
fact, by the possession of that insular, mari.
TIME and projecting portion of the Low
countries, we become a continental state