The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-12-03

o,L II our reliance Oh her Justice had oecn
impaired BY the wrongs she had inflicted ;
yet Wien she had plignted her faith To TIC
world that the sole motive Of her agrees
ION on neutral commerce was TO 3e found in
the 1eri.n and Milan DEGREES, we looked
forward 10 the extinction OF these -,..SSr.-.,
as the period When the frcv,iora OK the seas
wo,i;d he AGAIN restored.
In this reasonable expectation we have,
however, ocen disappointed. 4 year has
elapsed since the French DEGREES were res
ended, and yet Great Britain, instead Of
retracing fa,1 tdsSH that Course of unjusti-
liable attack on neural rights, in which she
protested to be only sne reluctant follower
OF Fidncc, has advancea with boieler and Con-
tinually increasing striles. To the cate
goricai demands lately made by oa- govern
nent Tor the repeal OF her orders III council,
siic mas affected to deny the practical extinc-
ton OF the French DEGREES, and she has,
moreover, advanced Ecw and unexpected
demand, encreasing in hostiiity the orders
themselves She has insisted, through her
accredited minister at this place, that the
'epcai OF the orders in Council must be pre-
coded. not only by the practical abandon
nent of the DEGREES OF Berlin and Mi.ar, so
lar as thcy infringe the neutral rights OF the
United States but by the remuneration Oh
he part OF France, of the Whole OF her sys-
sem OF commercial warfare against G.. BIZ
AIN OF which chose DEGREES originally FORM
cd part.
This system is understood to consist in a
Course or measures Adopted by France and
,he ether powers on the continent subject to,
or IN alliance with her, calculated to pre-
vent the Introduction into their territories of
ne products and manufactures of q. y. and
her colonies; and to annihilate her trade
With them. However hostile these regula-
IONS may be, on the part of France towards
- hritain-; or however sensibiy the latte
may ieei their effects, they are, nevertheless,
TO De regarded only as the e3pedients of one
enemy against another for which the Uni
ted States as neutral power, can, in no res
Pect, be responsible /; they are, too, in exact
conformity with those which G.. d. has her
self adopted and acted upon in time OF peace
as we'll as war. And it is not to be presum-
ed that France would yield to the unauthor-
iseo demand or America, what she seems tc
nave considered as one of The most power
tul engines of the present war.
Such are the pretensions upon which G..
Britain POUNDS the violations of the maritime
rights of the United States-pretension not
theoretical merely, but followed up by
desoiatmg war upon our unprotected COM
merce. The ships of the United States, la
den with the products of our own soil and la
>NN-s 'i0''OotNu ny OUI own SlllZenS ana
Peaceably pursuing lawful trade, are sez-
ed Oil our own coasts, at the very mouths Of
cur harbors, condemned and con fiscated.
iour committee are not, however, of that
sect whose worship is at the shrine of a cal
cuiating avarice. And while we are LAYING
before you the just complaints of our mer-
chants against the plumber of their ships ant
cargoes, we cannot refrain from presenting
to the Justice and humanity of our country
the unhappy case Of our impressed scamen.
Although the groans OF these victims of bar
barity tor the loss of (wiatshould be deare,
to Americans than liTe) their liberty-al-
though the cries of their wives and children
IN the privation of protectors and parents,
nave, OF late, been drowned in the louder
ciamors at the loss OF property yet is the
practice OF forcing our mariners into the Er!-
tlsh napy,in violation ofthelrghts Of our flag,
carried on with undated rigor and severity.
II 1t be our duty to encourage the fair and
legitimate commerce of this country by pro
tectlng the property of the merchant, then
indeed, by as much as life land liberty are
more cstimable than ships and goods, Sc
much more impressive is the duty TO Shield
the persons OF our seamen, whose hard and
honest services are employed, equally with
those OF the merchants, in advancing, under
the mantle of its laws, the interests of Their
Country.
10 sum up, in word, the great causes O.
complaint against G.. g. your committee
need only say-That the United States as =
sovereign and Independent power, claiin the
right to use the ocean, which is the common
and acknowledged highway Of nations, for
the purpose OF transporting, in their on
vessels, the products of their own soil anc
the acquisitions of their own industry, to .
market III the ports of friendly nations, and
TO bring home, III return, such articles as
their necessities or convenience may require
always regarding the rights OF belligerents,
as defined by the established laws Of natl
ons. Great Britain, IN defiance OF this ILL
conteStible right, captures every American
vessel bound TO, or returning from a port
where her commerce is rot favored en-
slaves our seamen, & III spite Of our remoE-
strances perseveres in these aggrCssions.
10 wrongs so daring in character, and So
dISgracetul in their execution, it is iuposs-
Die that the people Of the United States
should remain Indifferent. We must now
t,inely and quietly submit, or we must re-
sistb by those means which Gcd has placed
within our reach.
our committee would rot cast shade
over the American name, By the expression
OF a doubt which branch OF this alternative
Will be embraced. The occasion is now
presented when the national character mis-
understood and traGuced for d time by TO
reign and domestic enemies should be vindi-
caied. Ii we have not rushed to the field &C
battle like the nations who are ledby the mad
ambition OF single CHIEF, ortiz ayarice Of