The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-01-05

I
ana the United States" are the words of
! Tampa my. in the letter Just mentioned -
/ what measures ought be kept with such s,
rover! While VIC are yet independent, he
undertakes to prescribe the line of conduct
| we snail observe, on pain Of consiscation of
all the property of our innocent and unsus-
pscti'g merchants within his grasp. And
.his monstrous outrage upon our honor and
| independence, the secretary of srate with
vet! exemplary meeAness. says, had the
AI', at least, OF an assumed authority ~
Where his armies did not thus penetrate
and pinnder, the French emperor sent TO the
se'erai powers on the continent, whether EN-
Perors' Kings, or petty state, requiring Cor
"hich from him was equivalent TO com
mand, nvitirs them 10 ahuf their forts a.
a Sds'taf fS,e Commerce OF Gneiand and Swe-
ocn excepted (between whom and the French
armies lay narrow sea guarded by Swe
dish and British ships)r Fall o6eyed Even the
emperor OF Austria, though at peace with
England. shut against her his two or three
| little ports at tine head ofthe Adriatic sea-
Inc prince regent of Portugal, whose
country for more than sentury had lived
in friendship with England was the last to
. OBEY But though he Shut Ms ports nation
! a. fath and gratitude towards his friends,
! IorDad his arresting EGgiSlmen and En-
gHsh merchandise. BY shutting his ports,
he hoped TO appease the Emperor, and save
the Kingdom. But his fate had been deter
mined: although Portugal had for many
. years been paying heavy tribute to France,
ana oeen, moreover, anxious to observe the
; outies OF neutral nation. To save himseli
ana .amiiy from disgrace and bondage the
prince gated his Kingdom; finding an assy :
ium In his American dominions.
nus we have seen the French emperor
Ia. l.l~.. 4
ms allies, but even those of neutral states, a
gainsr British commerce; aud sezing and
! Co'1scatlns the merchandise proccedi g
ifoni Ensland and her colonies, although be-
| longing 10 neutrals, and on neutral terrific
res ana that this uIexampied scene of de
'aS'&t0h commenced within four DAYS a ter
the berlin decree was issued.
&C was after she had witnessed all these
atrocities, an;! aSe;. tho deadly .capom AHA:
cd ar her vita!s, that England issued her
terminating orders of November IL, 1907.
now iecur 10 Mr. Champagny's etter of
Cct: {, to general Armstrong, in answer e.
ms inquiry, whether lin executing the Ber-
| itn decrcc) it was his niaosty's intention to
! intract the obligations of the treaty now sub
sistins betwecn the L, States & the French
empire" The answer to which has been al
ready recited
hho" me to repeat, that this letter of
Sha!hpagny was one the tour papers com
tnhh!cated by he President with his mes
s.Ee recommending the embargo and one
OK the two which, after being read, was not
| then suffered foreman OH tn, files of The Sc
, n" 2, but was returned to the President, to-
lScther with General Armstrong; letter to
"'"ch 1t was an answer, a;reeably to his
request. Subsequent events drew it from the
cableet. Gcnlemen will also recollect, that
flt-,rr ~
, message, III which he desired return of
| those two letters, was ordered by the Senate
to be omitted so that no evidence of the ex-
is'chce OF those letters could appear on the
oehste's j"lrnal, or in the printed copy. In
.h's reuter- OF Champagny, the Yiews of the
tFehcu einperoror we're but too clearly in
dicated 10 render his decree of block ade
more eifectual' Chat is. in DESTROYING the
commerce of England) its execution must
be complete"
But rs 1T cculd not be complete while the
Vessels OF the United States (then with those
~ f1hgiahu Carving on, almost exclusively
the commerce OF the world) continued their
extensive trade with. England; we were, in
language sufficiently Ineligible, invited to
tall into the imperial ranks, with the mari
time powers of Europe, whom the French
emperor had marshalled against England
| and Ito unite in support of the same cituse :"
mat Is, to destroy the commerce o, E; gland
but the people Of the United States would
have been shocked at an open proposition
10 shut their ports against the English CON-
IleFce, at the command, or Invitation oc the
| french emperor ; they would not have en-
dnred 1t. The measure could be accom-
pushed only by an EMBARGO, and that
wrapped up in the mystery which have:
endcavored to unfold
This letter Of Chan?arny mist have arri-
yea IN the Revenge and Gen Armstrong;
dispatches by her, reached Washin yton. as
Nr Madison informs us, on the 1A;h Dec.
ana on the 18th, the embargo was proposed
and recommended -Four DAYS gave little
enough time to digest s; mature such plan
hese, SIR, are nav views Of the oriy;n af
the embargo; the result cf Careful, and
rust. an impartial investigation The mate
val facts are on record Vi nv reasonirre
and conclusions gentlemen Will Judge. /.
these be correct, TN" course to be pursued
must be obvious. The nGtj9n's hmm. is cor.
pHhble with the repeal Of the erubarro.-
ne welfare of our country is not to be sac
r1fced to the views or feelings Of those who
have brought it into its present situation.
Let then, the resolution before us be adoo--
ed, and the embargo removed. As the Rr;-
tlsh orders in council were not The cause ot
the embargo, the honor If she United State,
is not pledged for their hrc0ious rcbcok.
MIR. Msdison's letter of nIpy ID .3J8, &c
Con Armstrong
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