The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-10-20
Jfor tbr Gnquirrr.

AT this moment, when the war is perhaps
about to take new character-when all
the means of new continental coalition are
over--when English Expeditions in that
direction must cease-when the Bank of
England itself cannot perhaps hunt up a sim
gle dHy TO be subsidized, except Tripolitans
and Algerines-when for these reasons per
haps. the English are about to let loose all
their fury on the seas, and to make up, by
their severer attacks on neutral trade, for
their want OF means to harm their enemy !;
and when France, no longer with an enemy
on the land to fear or to encounter, NAV
turn most OF her fury against England itself
1t becomes an important as we'll as Gu
rious topic. to scan the feasibility of French
invasion on the English shores. But on this
subject, Peter Plymley has shown his usual
discernment and wit in the close Of his 9Th
Letter. He attempts to show his Brother A.
braham, that It'll not so very difficult as may
be imagined to throw body of troops into Ire
land-that from Brest Harbor to G St. Vim
cent there are above 5000 miles IF hostile sea-
coast and IL or IA harbors capable of CON
tanning a sufficient force for the powerful in
vasIon OF Ireland the nearest of these
harbors is not two days sail from the south
ern coast. with air leading wind, and the
farthest not ten--that FIVE ships of the
Inc, Tor SO very short passage, might car
ry or 5000 troops with cannon and am
munition; and Ireland presents to their at
TACK southern coast of more than 500
miles, Astounding in deep bays, admirable
harbors, and disaffected inhabitants and
that the British empire at this moment is
IN the state OF peach blossom if the wind
blows gently from one quarter, it survives
II farlonsly from the other. it perishes."-
Mr.. Plymley thus goes OH:
y" You tell me in spite of all this parade of sea
coast, Bonaparte has neither ships nor sailors -
put TINS IS mistake. He has not ships and sal.
lors TO contest the empire of the seas With Great
Britain, but there remains quite sufficient of the
naVies OF France, Spain, Holland and Denmark,
for these short excursions, and invasions Do
you think too that Bonaparte does not add to his
navy every year! Do you suppose, with all Eu.
rope at his feet, that he can find any difficulty in
obtaining timber ; And that money will not
procure tor him any quantity of naval stores he
may want The mere machine, the empty ship
nc can build as well, and as quickly as you can /;
ana though lie may not find enough Of practised
sailors to man large fighting Reets-it is not DOS
sioic to conceive that ne wsnt sailors tor such
sort OF purposes as have stated He is at pre-.
seat The despotic monarch Of above twenty thou
SAND miles OF sea coast, and yet you suppose he
cannot procure sailors for the invasion of ireland.
beheve, 1t you please, that such feet mft at
sea by any number Of our ships at all comparable
to them IN point of force, would be immediately
TAKEN let 1t be so ! count nothing upon the pow
er OF resistance, only upon their power of esca
ping unobserved. If experience has taught us
| any thing, i is the impossibilty of perpetual
biocksdes. The instances are innumerable, du.
ring the course Of this war, where whole aeets
nave SAILED in and out of harbor, in spite of eve
ry vigilance used to prevent it. snail only men
uon those cases where Ireland is concerned. In
December, 1896, seven ships Of the line, and ten
transports, reached Bsntry Bay from Brest, with
OUT having seen an English ship in their passage.
1T blew storm when they were of shore, md
therefore England still continues TO be an indie.
pendent kingdom You will observe, that AZ the
very time the French feet sailed out of Brest
| harbor, Admiral Copoys was cruising off there
with powerful squadron, aud still, from the
particular circumstances Of the weather, found
II impossible to prevent the French from coming
out. During the time that Admiral Colpoys was
cruising of Crest, Admiral Richery, with six sail
OF tl'e line, passed him, and got safe into the
nTbor. at the very moment when the French
squadron was lying in Bsntry Bay, Lord Bird
ps't With hrs aeet, was locked up by fval wind