The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-04-10

| iu NaSt, I'd VarnIsh over the greatest caiami
ties of the country. and endeavor u prove
that our greatest mistortunes ought to be
considered as blessings. There is no occa
sion to wonder at the awful event, which
have transpired-they are caused b; the stu.
pldity of ministers. Twill main!ain, my
lords, thatwe owe all our disastersand dis.
grace, to the ignorance and inceDacty oI
his majesty's present administration Blu,
what could the nation expect fr,m men,
who came into Office under the ma,k OF vile
hypocrisy, and have maintained heir pla.
ceS ny imposture and Illusion! Look at the
whole OF their conduct The frs. instance
either principles, was the treatment of a
country at peace with us |; in a state of peace,
they attacked her, and brought her into
pen hostility. This was a foul act. and the
day may ccme. when repentance win be too
late. IheirneXt achievement, was to send
one OF the ablest linen, who ever coIa-
handed an army, into the centre Of Spain,
unprovded with every requisite for such a
dangerous march. If Sir John Moore had
mot acted according to his own Judgment,
every man of that army, had been lost to
ms Country. BY his transcendant judgment,
that army made one of the abest retreats,
recorded on the page Of history; and while
ne saved the remnant Of his valiant troops,
| his own life was sacrificed in the cause OF
his country. And how did ministers pay tri-
butte to his memory? Why, my lords, in
this place, insidious aspersions were cast up
on his character! People were employed
In all parts of tho towr, to caiumniate his
conduct. But, in spite # all the runners and
dependents of administration, the character
OF that General, will always be revered,
as one ofthe ablest men this country ever
saw.
After this abominable enterprize, another,
| equally foolish, was carried into execution,
and another General wak sent with troops
INTO the heart of the Peninsula, under SINH
lar circumstances. and the glorious victory
alluded 10, was purchased with the useless
expenditure OF our best blood and treasure.
1t was victory of the enemy, for he alone
took prisoners. But what shall l saw. nv
| lords, when come 10 mention the expcdi-
ton to Walcherens Why, l think it use
less to say one word on the subject. Any
body may be minister in these days. Mi
nlsters may flow from any corrupted source
they rise up like tadpoes they may be
compared to locusts; they send forth their
pestilentiai breath over the whole country,
and nip and destroy every fair flower in the
land. The conduct of his maiestv's govern.
ment, has led to the most abominable disas-
tiers, which are no where exhibited in the
annals OF history. The country is in that
state, which makes peace unavoidable it
WIZ be compelled to make peace, however
disadvantageous.
The noble Earl, after showing the iniu-
RES which must eventually befaf the Ship
ping interest, in case ola peace, when almost
every ship in the river, would have broom
hXea on the top of the mast, concluded by
| submitting question to the first lord of the
admiralty, whether it was in contemplation
| to make dock for the future reception Of
our ships at Northfleet, which he recon-
mended as ajudicious measure?
| Lord d1uLSrdUe intimated, that such @
measure had not escaped the attention OF
government, but could not return any def
mite answer to the enquiry of the noble
| Earl.
! Lord GrenUiiie rose, and spoke nearly in
these terms:
MY Lords-It is with very great gra.ia-
cation to myself, gave way to the noble Earl,
because the share the noble Earl has had in
the glorious triumphs of his coHntry, entitled
him 10 be heard with reverence and respect,
when speaking of the calamities which have
oefallen 1T. Not only did j give way most
/ willingly to him, but it would have been
infinitely more gratifying to me, to have left
tomen of younger and more active minds.
the task of Offering an amendmen. TO the
address which has just been proposed to your
lordshIPs. But that anxiety is not to be re
s!sted, winch INDUCES me 10 offer myself at
| this early period of the discussion. am anxi
GUS to anticipate the probability Of any Cir
cumstance, which may divert the Course of
| the debate, from that which is of the first
consideration, and the only feature TO which
| it is possible for me to give my attention ON
the present occasion. For othsrs., can.
not presume to Judge but for myself, my
heart is full, and | must give vent to those
feelings, by which my mind is impress
ed.
! There are in the kings spesch, many to-
| pics that ought to engage, and must, on fu-
| ture days, engage the attention Of this house
i On future days you must examine, not only
| the effect, but the foundations Of those Gala.
mites, which are adverted to in the speech
You must consider not only the effect and
foundation of those caiaClities, but the con
sequences they are likely to produce on the
state and condition of the country, and the
spirit of the people. You Cannot shut your
/ eyes to those questions. " is in vain vol
attempt 20 shut them they will ro-ce them
selves upon your attention. In the same
manner, that subject which is treated of IL
his majesty's speech, Imean the topic of otiI
differences with America, there will come
n day, when you must examine what is, ant
has been, the conduct of tie government o
this country tawRrds America. There viii
come day, when it will be impossible t.
be borne in country, which calls itself free
that there should be laid before such an as
sembly as tins, garbled, mutilatcd and mis-
represented documents not to keep bacl
information, bnt to give information directly
= tss.r4