The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-08-11
THE ENQUIRER.
RICHMOND. AUCUsT IL ,soe.
FOR THE ENQUIRER.
Opposyryou 90 Covs,y,,r,,

OPPOSITION 90 GoVERNMEH7
1t may, think, be assumed as a FACE, that
the great body of the people, who are hap
,py and easy IN their circumstances, will ne
yer dream of offosing any goverRment--un-
til its Acts have become positively onhres.
s'Ue. They seldom or never think of inter-
fering, OR impeding the measures of govern
ment In It's foreign relations----but, at all
times ,and upder all circumstances, have been
much more soicitous to spill their blood,
and to spend their utmost treasure, in the
support OF their own, in opposition to the
views OF foreign Government. 1t is from
the merchants OF other countries from their
humble dcpendants, and those who imbibe
their foreign prejudices, that governments
are principally to look for opposition to their
best measures. in regard to their Exterior
Relations. It's these men, who ,initingwith a
discontinued band of Political partizans,
breathe the whisper of suspicion, and raise
the yell of disafection,
To the shame and DISGRACE Of ,rnn,y Of the
merchants of the United Sta,es--,hey have
been invariably opposed to every meritorious
Act OF government which bears upon our TO-
reign relations. On the contrary they have
uniformly ranked among the faithful sup
porterS OF every measure, that had the
slightest squirting towards internal oppressi-
90 !; such as Excise, Alien and Sedition Acts.
Many native born American Merchant
it rs true. has firmly rallied around the up
lifted banners OF his government, for the last
eight years, But how many even of those.
have turned their parricidal fury against the
| country, which bore them How few of the
! foreign traders, who have not polluted the
ASYLUM, which they have enjoved by the
unhailowcd tread of ingratitude and treach-
| cry
| a great crisis in the foreign affairs of this
country has now approached. Anation, that
prides itself on its naval ascendancy, and
| which has swept the fleets of France aud
/ Spain from the seas, has now dared to aspire
to the sovereignty OF The occan--that great
+! highway of nations, established by Nature
for the benefit of all. Claims are now SET no,
which cast into comparative insignificance
and contempt, those monstrous pretensions
| which were set up centuries ago. to the mar
row seas only, to the British channel. or the
| Baltic seas. The miserable controversy.
maintained by Grotius and Selden i'm their
time, and in those times considered as so
momentous, about the Mare ciaueuns and the
l4a''e H0efun'. Is now absolutely swallowed
mp IN pretension, which srasps the five
zones OF the ocean in its gigantic embrace.
/ aHSht has begotteh ambition and amhi-
ton has engendered a lust of unbounded
| dominion. At such moment as this, when
every nation that can lift an inch of sail or
equip Cookie she'll for the sea, is interes-
| ted III the cause at issue---when it seems to
De wen established, that If the claims of G
| brltain are rivetted upon the seas, the rights
o. the United State sare TO perish-it remains
TO be seen, 7pACt course me Mercha,ta OF
IRE OAsfea "fGtes SoiH hurSue IN our me.
&eHt conteStqyith e.. R1itqiu.
Their opposition to the Em6areo laws, in
conjunction with the plots of the ESscr Jun.
| to-the fraudulent elasions of that measure
oy SO many unprinciplcd merchants-have
torcHA the government to abandon the ground
! whiCn u mad taken. miserable panic
| which ser&cd upon SOME OF the members of
! the l0h uougTess, induced them to modify
that measure by hartiaL reheal. Could
! Trey nave C:ly stood firm to their country in
! the hour OF danger; could thcy have only sup
} pressed he machinationS OF T. embargo break
trS' q resiSted tho murmurs of Embargo Pro-
! testers, America would have risen triumph
! ant from the struggle A nation thus com
pact in its own strength, thus prepared TO
submit to sacrifices for the sake of resistance
to foreign encroachment, would have been
! respected Tor its patriotism, and feared for
its vigour. The soul OF Canning would have
shrnnk from theperil Of insulting so gallant
peoplc-and the powers of Europe would
! have been less willing hereafter to commit
| agsrcSSons upon a nation, whose brilliant
! eNdiipIe Oh Virtue nau tested their rcSOluti-
on toriSh every erfrcRItyin defence of their
honour. But did not take uy nv pen to
write the epitaph or eulogium Of the Embar.
| so. 1t IS gonc-and we are now reduced 70
the necessity OF resorting to measures which
NAV lead to War
| VIII the merchants of the u 8. consent
+, TO bear lis brunt--or will they basely sneak
| oil, and leave the farmers, the planters, and
mechanics TO do its Will they again put
forth the yell Of oppostion-will they coun-
| ter2ct the government inthcse very measures,
which arc adopted to secure their own rights
and interests? When they perceive the hos
tile steps, which have been taken by the mer
chants OF England, can native Americans
| be so base or so blind rs to bann with such
miserable Rivals, on the side of e. b. and a.
gainst their own government There can be
little doubt, that but for the opposition of the
merchants OF London, the commercial ;eaI-
onsteS OF the ministry, the rapacious cuhidi
~ OF the navy, the British government would
| have Carried into effect those arrangements.
which NJ. Erskinc had entered into win
this country. " Touch but single brist!e, -
SAID Walpole, "of the English mercantile
| hog, and you put the whole stye into an up
roar" The only objections that they can
| have to an adjustment of our differences
| an the repeal Of their Orders in Council.
are merely that it will curtal the profits of
a smuggling trade, which they have been for
some time past carrying on to the continent
OF Europe-and enable us to reap the har-
vest OF neutrality, and the profits Of a trade,