The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-11-07

Acct innanerabIe, has been employed near
80 days in doing what : In taking an ipsu-
lated fort and garrison Of $500 effectives.-
What prevented them from going up the
Scheldt and destroying the town.. the fort,
the ships, and the naval arsenals, God only
knows with the smallest degree of enter.
prize, they might have Effected all this !; l
speak from personal knowledge for / was
in Antwerp, andsremained there two days
and nights, at the time when they were ex-
pected to lombard the CITY from hour to hour.
There was not then 5000 troops in the de-
partment, and not 500 in the town.
| 4" But this was not the great error, the
plan itself was foolish, and the object mad
cquatc.. Had this expedition been sent Ell
ther to the north of Germany, or the north
OF Spain. 1t might have done much. In the
former great pains and expence had been
employed and with effect, to produce disaf-
lection, and in the latter the French army
was much embarrassed and reduced by want
of provisions. In the one case the French
emperor must have detached largely. from
the main armys and in the other Joseph must
have suited Madrid and fallen back to the
Pyrennees movements IKE these would have
| made a sensible alteration in the general
| state OF things; but as the business has been
arranged, no effect favorable to their objects,
or to those OF their allies, have been produ-
ced; 1t has been to the British mere waste
OF time. and money and character.
-" But besides doing no good to themselves,
| 1t has rendered a most important service to
Bonaparte it has furnished a motive and
reason too. for calling out 100 900 men, who
will be blended with the regular troops. He
thus gets the full amount of one yearly con-
scription. without mourning the smallest obi
UNI or, reproach. This again is conse-
quencc in part of the point which the British
chose for attack No Frcmcthnan ofany f,ar-
| iy or description, will bear to see Francs in
suited or invaded there is no division of
sentiment on this point; they all feel for the
security OF the territory. and consider the
glory or the dishonor of Frasce as their own.
sad satire Oh some peopls in certain parts
of the world. This spirit accounts for the
important fact, that so many thousands.
without waiting for thecall of CONSUMPTION,
voluntarily Hooked to the standard erected
| for the defence of Flanders, who, had the
British forces been sent into Westphaiia or
Spain, would not have moved all inch to SUP
port either Joseph or Jerome.
| $50 much for the blunders of John Bull
But of all people, the American people sure
/ ~ ought least to regret the ounders of the
BEAST What All infamous game is the Bri
fish government now playing with the Uni
ted States Will that also pass away with inn
punity? Will this too be another Chesapeake
business? If it does we shall become a pro
verb for weakness and irresotution. 1 read
in the papers received here, (and with some
astonishmeut,) that frequent conferences are
held between the Secretary of State and Mr.
Erskine. Isl possible that we can listen to
a minister who has been publicly discredited
! by his own government Every American
that have conversed with, never expected
that he would have been seen more than once
after the measures he had negotiated had
been annulled and that language something
! like this, would have been suitable to the oc-
casion -"Whether you speak truth or false
hood, we can no longer believe you.-It is
your own government that has placed Won
in this situation. heartily regret it, but
I"l must do my duty, and tell you that this is
+" your audience of leave. You cannot here
after see the President" A declaration
OF this kind, would be such as was due to our
selves, to our love of truth, to our knowledge
of the usages Of polished nations; a contra
ry course, my life for it, could produce no.
thing but reitcration of insult. But we are
So bearing and neutrality-suspicious.
to-day, and making overtures Tomorrow
| that we can export only insults i'm return for
our ovcrtures and apologies for our remon.
strances, to be followed in similar aftermath.
on OF overtures & insults, remonstrances and
/, apologies. 1t is 4 serious truth, thae we ne
yer can reasonably expect any respect from
any power, while we exhibit SO little for
ourselves"
"September IL.
81 can add nothing in the way of public
information, to what my friend G.. writes
you: The conditions of the peace of Austria
is still unknown-A report is in circulate
on, that the Hungarian insurrection was rails
ed and organized 1t was expected, that at
the expiration of the truce, the war was Ia
re commence with the Hungarian force, by
an irruption into G .rintha, Styria, Sa.zburs
and Bavaria; and that the Emperor must
Oe compelled to abandon Vienna, and fall
back on the Kline but illusions like these.
which have Hourished SO many misfor,uDes
for the monarchies Of Europe, have been
dissipated in more summary mode, by q
declaration Of heaeea6fe and amicdbke
disfosihons in Hungary towards France
and determination to exempt Hungary
from any share i'll the Affections that had
befailen the rest Of Europe"
! "Sept. 22.--The affairs Of our legation
are kept with impenetrable secrecy; that
something has been in hand the more than
usual intercourse, personal and literal, with
M. Hautereive, plainly indicates. The dis.
positions in this country are from the head
to the foot, good towards the U. S. but as
no important measure can be determined
here. aud the emperor is said to have been
very I'LL near Vienna, we conclude that we
shall not have any thing de6Bitively concIu-
dad before his return to Paris and when