The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-11-15
THE EN- Q.UIRER.
THE QUESTION
No.. /.
W., AZ = $3.50 is, 1sI1.
Z x q l. Y s. T II ED.

! for iour years past, the u. States have
oeen at a loss in whar way to preserve their
| rights ana honor unimpared. Placed as 1t
we're between two great nations who spar
ed no one else to injurc each other, cur trade
has fallen a prey to the insolent aggressions
! OF each. The French DEGREES averred, that
ne should not trade with G.. Britain The
tOrders In Council prose ,1bed all trade, with
| the French Empire, which did not call and
pay tribute to u. Brtain-but this rule was
at length changed, by the indignant remon-
| strahces OF neurrais, into the more rigid but
less dlshOnorabIe measure of an unqualified
Introduction of ali trade with most Of the
richest ports of the continent
The nrst impulse of the United States was
TO retire IRON the scene OF contention and
give up trade which was exposed to such
| Perlls. We shall not here dwell upon the
Embargo, its causes, its consequences, or its
catastrophe. These are facts sufficiently
hxed In the minds OF the people-and they
teach US that we have citizens TOO base to
respect the laws, and representatives too
weak to resist the clamours of the moment.
What then were the u. S. to do? To fight
WITH both nations, would nave oeen wild &
desperate project. 1t would have been the
old story of Don Quixotte and his wind mills
| over again.-It would have been almost
| warning with world in arms.-To choose
ONE OF them as an adversary, would have
oeen delicate alternative, while war a.
galnst one would have been impunitv to the
other.-To gallant and feeling nation, an
unqualified submission to the wrongs of both
nations was entirely out of the question.
he only Course seemed to be, to make an
attempt to place one of our adversaries hors
dc combat, thus leaving only one of them to
deal with. The leading inducements to such
Course, were, that if one of them should re-
turn to the paths OF justice, the other might
PoSsiDiy ioiiow SUIT; tor as each Of them had
protested to do wrong only in retaliation for
the acts of the other, it seemed barely me-
cessary that one of them should set the ex-
ample, tor the other to pursue it and at all
/ events, II she still perscyered, then we might
nave but one enemy against whom we might
| pour forth the united resources of the natl
on; and it she did not take off her hefarious
edicts, we might then play the child's game
+ OF cfub fist, e force them Off.
u gieam OF hope seemed to spring from the
arrangement with Mr.. Erskine. That min
lister, pledged the faith ofhis cabinet to take
Fot their Orders i'll Council, brouided we would
suspend our non-interccnse act as 20 his
country. The President, accepted his Of.
ter, and issued Mat Proclamation. which
ought Tor everto put to rest the irritable ella.
+, mours OF his British oppcnents.- I,ut thii
gleam soon vanished. The british catinc,
disavowed the acts OF their minister. and we
Yet Congress did not altogether des.
pair OF the success of their scheme Thev
made Il new appeal to The interests of both
by a solemn pledge to revive the provisions OF
the Non-lmportation Act against that nation,
which should continue to violate our rights
three months after the ether had ceased lis
violation. We all recoilect the impressions
which this new law produced. An idea went
forth, because it was drawn from Speculate
ons on the interests Of G.. b.. that she would
be the FIRST to avail herself OF it's provisions
/ l'ut 1T was not so. France was the first 70
embrace proposition which was equally
extended to both and in Aug. 181O.,ke Dul;c
: OF Cadorc announced TO our Minister. tic
extinction other DEGREES On the 1st.of Mos
/ 1t was to have been hoped, chat G.. Fri
tain would have seen it 10 initiate the OK.
ample OF her encny, and return 70 sense
OF justice. That she would proceed tar
faSSn, take every step that France hal, "a
! Ken, and respect our rights in the same de-
gree that France had dcne, was ccrteini,
her own gratutcus premise. But promises
are NOT acts. VIII { mus. 5e tl'castoh shaen, g,
Indignation of the Americas rcnI,ic, 10 dis.
cover from the Documents now lad before
/ Congress, that G.. Rritain rcfu-es to relax
her cdlctsin any degree whatsoever G tina,
pretensions are set up, as the conditions OF
their extinction. which none bit "thc mos,
conslmtnatc impudcpcc and i~uoraacc'
lcts1sd possibly have coisesiyed