The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-06-09

again free--there is nothing now TO prohibit
her ships, whether for commerce or war,
from coming into our waters, whilst our
trade with France is completely cut OF, and
her ships excluded from our waters. lean
not too often call the attention Of the House
TO this fact, OH which ! am Compelled to
dwell and TO dilate, to get rid of this merci.
les motion, which kills while It processes to
cure. When Mr.. Rose came into this coun.
try, French ships of war were freely admit
ted. English ships were excluded.
AS {" the physician. in spite of himself"
says in one Of Moliere's best comedies, on a
change tont ceta-the thing is wholly rever-
sed. We are likely to be on good terms
with England, maugrc the best exertions Of
some of our politicians. Trade with Great
Britain is unshackled-her ships are admit
ted-trade with France is forbidden; and
French ships excluded, as far as it can be
done by paper. Now, in the name of COM
mon sense, s>shat more could Mr.. Canning
himself want, than to produce this very strik-
ing and sudden change in the relations be-
tween the two countries! For long time
previous, 1t was the ships of England that
were excluded, while those of her adverse
ries were admitted. And we know that we
could not have touched her in a more lea
lous point than in her navy. Things are
now reversed-we have dextrously shuffied
the non-importation act out of the pack, re-
newed trade with her, admitted her ships,
and excluded those of France. And what,
ask this House, has the British minister
given us in requital for this change of our
position in relation to him and his rival bel
ligerents The revocation of the orders in
council-this is the mighty boon. For, with
respect to his offer in relation to satisfaction
Tor the attack OH the Chesapeake, he made
that offer to Mr. Monroe spontaneously, on
the spur of the occasion. and there is not
doubt in my mind but that we had nothing
TO do but receive it at that time. provided
the instructions of our minister had permit
ted him to receive it-but perchance, sir,
IT ne had received it, we might have been
at this day discussing his message, & not the
message, of another President. All that Mr.
Canning has given this country is reiteration
OF his offer to make PREPARATION for the affair of
the Chesapeake, and his withdrawal of the or
ders in council-Sl to what did they amount :
so soon as you, by your own law, cut of your
trade with France, he agrees to revoke the
orders interfering with it. Mr.. Canning
might as well have Withdrawn blank paper.
they mad nothing left to operate upon. The
body upon which they were to operate
was destroyed by our own act, to wit, the
trade OF France. And. sir, while compli
ment the present state of things. and the
conduct on the part of our government which
mas led to it. cannot say, that we have
greatly over-reached Mr.. Canning i'm this
bargain, in making an exchange of the old
non-lmportation act with the admission of
English. and exclusion of French ships and
trade. for the orders in council. Mr. Can
ming obtained as good bargain out of us as
he could have expected to obtain-and those
gentlemen who speak of his having hereto
fore had it in his power to have done the
same, did not take into calculation the ma
. terial difference between the situation i'm
which we now stand, and the situation i'm
which we before stood-to say nothing at
all of Great Britain's having taken stand
against the embargo, having declared that
she had nothing to offer in exchange for it
that we might keepit as long as we pleased.
1T she had accepted our offer, as l before
stated, the old non-importation law would
nave been IN operation, her ships of war
would have been excluded, whilst those of
France were admitted. No7v, the non-im.
Portation act is not in force, her ships are
permitted to enter our waters, and those of
france excluded And what has this sar-
castle Minister of Great Britain given us in
exchange? The orders in council, which
mad completely ceased to operate bv the
cutting off of the trade between us and
France. Let me state this argument in a
shape most favorable to ourselves, and least
so to the British government. / speak as
to argument; for, as to fiIendahih between
nations, there is no friendship in trade
we ought to get the best bargain out of
them that we could, and it was the duty of
their minister to get the best out of us. Let
us throw out of view the exclusion of French
SHIPS and French commerce. Is the reno
val OF the non importation act, and the adj
mission OF British vessels, nothing? What
mas Mr.. Canning given you in return, The
orders in couDcil--and what were they
worth to him, Not a straw
IF, sir, we are not to have a full discussio,
OF the conduct of the present .administrati
on, and 1T is to be blended and identified
with the conduct of the last--which 1 very
muHh deprecate. because / see nothing but
a most striking difference between the two
I've must take into view the situation of
the two countries. Great Britain and Anne
Tica, at the time the first session vt the 9th
Congress commenced, in the beginning Of
the winter of 1905, that unhappy wear of
schism. Were those orders then in force
which Mr.. Canning has withdrawn M
sur. what was then the language of gentle
men IN this Housel That soD,ekhiptr must
De done--aud that unhappy opinion that
something must be done, that some mcdi
cine must be taken, has DESTROYED many a
patient, political as well as Individual
that something turned out to be the old non.
importation act. After that, the disease
Instead OF yielding to the remedy, only be-
came exasperated by 1t. Something more
must he done What was that, sir! The
embargo When that was laid, was the
49, Il