The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-05-11

not the only instance in which to screen
: themselves from the resentment Of the pco.
pie, these politicians have intcrposed the
name Of Washington, and, thereby. lessened
the reverence justly due TO that name. On
the occasion, however. on which l am now
speaking. General Washington was soon
rescued from this dilemma by the pen of
MIR. JcG@-son. the American Secretary of
STATE. In letter to MIR. Morris. our minis
ter in France, he brought together in a mas
10y nanner, Mr.. Genct's violations of the
Visiting treaty, and his Entertainments on
tho sovereignty OF this nation. and insisted
on his recall. He Disseminated in the most
clear and satisfactory manner between that
minister and his republic and showed to
the people both of that aud this country,
that gratitude to France and the most sim
Cere and earnest solicitude for her success,
involved no appreciation of Genet, or cen
sure OF Washington. The federalists did
not thank Mr.. Jefferson for this letter for
although. on his part, simple discharge of
duty, it opened the eyes of the American
people to the stratagem which had been
played off upon them. 1t restored the har-
mony of their love for Washington and
France. 1t took from before the federalists
the shield of Washngton's name, although
IT We may judge from their future conduct
they did not seem to know that it was re-
moved, since they still seized every opportu-
nifty oflaunching their political thunderbots
at France, eebending the knee OF submission
to British arrogance.
In the debate on the tonnage duty it was
admitted. that three fourths, il not four fifths
of the commerce of the u. S. was carried
on by British shipping. With this, howe.
yer, G.. Britain was not contented. Ezra
: ged at our independence, determined to di :.
Ininish its enjoyment as much as possible,
and to take In a covert and cowardiy man
ner that revenge which she dared not to at
tempt openly, she assaied US by series of
commercial restrictions calculated to des-
troy all competition, and TO these she added
the plumber of our commerce under the
sanction of judicial forms. and the impress
ment OF our seamen on the pretext that they
must beiBritsh subjects, because they spoke
the English language. The House of Re-
personalities at length thought it time to
look into these abuses and the Secretary cf
State was called upon to make report on
the privileges and restrictions on the com
p:erce of the U. States. He performed that
duty on the 10th December, 1898, and after
shelving the restrictions of each ration with
which we had commerce, he proposed, If
they could not be obviated by friendly ne
gociauon, to meet them by corresponding
restrictions in every instance. On this re-
port were founded the celebrated resolati
ons of Mr.. Madison, which were laid on the
table of the House of Representatives on
the third of January 1894. Those rcsoIuti-
ons proposed nothing more than to retort
upon each nation precisely the same degree
of restriction which she had previously i'm
posed upon us. Yet it was on these resolu-
lions that the imputation of partially was
founded /; and on this signal occasion it was
that the charge of French Influence first
distinctly made its appearance. 1t was said
that these resolutions bore harder upon c.
Britain than upon France; it was admitted ;
but why did they SOP Because G.. Britain
had previously borne harder upon as exact
Iy in the same ratio; and the policy of the
resolution clearly manifested. that as fast
as she removed her aggressive restrictions,
we would remove our defensive ones.
There was indeed another reason why G..
Britain would have felt our restrictions more
sensibly than France, and that was because
of the far greater share OF our commerce
which she enjoyed 1t was shewn by Mr.
Jefferson's report that our exports to these
two countries stood thus:
To G. Britain and its domi
Mons s 1865. 4l6
To France and its dominons
Che next highcst nation on
the list) ard OF which
very great proportion pass
ed through G. Britain 69S,735
Balance IN favor CT u. Is. d ,664 681
That cur imports were
From Great Britain and it's
dominions s Is. 285A29
From France and It's domini-
ons (the next highest OH the
list) 2.0s9. 348
Balance in favor of G. B. S Is, 217 ,0eO
While Of the American tonnage employed
in this commerce
e. Gieat Britain employed only Tons ~ $50
While France employed 1910
Thus while g. Britain was monopolizine
almost the ~'loie profits arising from the
exchange OF our surplusses, she was bu-
silly employed in excluding our vessels
from any participation in the profits of the
carrying trade; while France with com.
parative!y little inducement from CONNER
rcial barter gave employment * encourage
rnent so our shipping in the ratio of nearly
three Tor one. 1t is clear, therefore, that
with this immensely superior stake in A.
mcrican commerce, gained, too, by the po.
}lcy OF her restrictions, 6. Britain would
feel the countervailing restrictions Of the
! q. 5. much more sensibly than France or
any other nation. But whose fault would it
be that she would so feel them? Most clear
ly her own; because we proposed Only to
resent her cgSreSsionS, and retaliate upon
her, restriction for restriction. The great
policy of those measures was to force all
nations to treat us justly; to deprive each