The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-05-15

us compensation. The conduct OF the
french government is NOT only dishonora-
Die To herself, but tn/riendiy to us but it
is's,rely no breach or her engaeement.-
Under the act OF Congress, the President
was virtually forbidden from pressing the
point; he was bound to see that - the
neutral commerce of the u. So was respec-
ted; that II should be subsequently, safe !;
bu; not THAI the belligerentA should lnakeus
compensation Tor their freuiouS aggiessions.
rad U. Britain thought proper to have ia
Ken US at ourword, AS France disl, she would
not nave been called ON to have satisfied us
lor all her host OF aggressions.towarols us
10 nave gwen up every seaman, and every
cent OF property which She had taken for a
series OF years past.--But, Sir, your pro-
position IS premature, even if the reason for
1t had been well-founded. Are Won sure
that france has failed to make us compen-
sation May the Horne. bring US no glad
.nings OF great Joy"? Are YOU certain that
Nir. hariow VIII make no treaty of accom-
mediation
But you say again, that France "excludes.
by enormous discriminating duties, our to-
oacco and cotton - And is this any breach
OF the compact? Does the Due de Cadore
give US any pledge on this subject. France
mas a right to levy such duties in her ports
as she pleascs-and where is our redress
I-Countervailing measures. We may levy
SUCH duties On her wines and brantlies as we
thihh proper. his was the course pointed
out by the President in his Message to Con-
gress IN November; 1T is the course of iR-
Paruality, honor and dignitv''-it is coming
up to the spirit of the age it is the course
OF refGHot'on---l shall not deny that France
is Just as Untriendly Gus, as she is blind to
ner own lnterests--but we have our redress
RESIDES, Sir, are you sure that Mr. Barlow
has not succeeded in softening the riror of
these discriminating duties
But you speak of "granting licences to
carry on trade from certain ports of the
u, S.-But did France bind herself to abo
hsh them! She did not.--In this case al
80 we nave our redress, pointed out by the
PRESIDENT to forbid the use of them by a
law ct the land. Have you moved sucb a
llaws 'ooA @
Whenyou speak, Sir, of the "recent and
repeated aSgressfons Of her public and phi
Fdte armed ships OF the lawful commerce. OF
he y. D., you, indeed, touch subject of
much completely and confusion. 1t presents
tseh under such variety of lights the
cases or aSgressions, of which we have
heard. are So different from each other: that
II is necessary to lay down a few obvious
distinctions.
France has captured some ships IN the
!
some OF these were honest, bona fde Anne
rican vessels: of course, there have been
dSSreSsionS In that quarter But Won will
not say, DIR, that these have been inflicted
under her Berlin and Milan DecreeS i. our
ships were not taken, because they had be en-
TO British port or were destined thither
but because they were said to be British
properly under the American flag. And
are You surprised at her conduct. Is i
wonderful that She should injure the Anne.
, lIoah merchant; when she observes the
Ir'a s1, and the Professions OF her enemy
w nat are the facts ON this point ?
u. Britain once cried up, that ssjshe was
merely retaliaiing the conduct of her enc
my tnat she was retorting upon him the e.
WIS OF his own injustice; that she would not
trade with him nor should any one else. ;
But she hnds it impossible any longer to dis
guise her couduct; and she turns round and
tJustines It,. What does She now say to us
fon shall not trade with France. though
1 will. Last year gave $4,000 Licences tc
my merchants to trade with the continent
theSe licences guarded them from CAPTURE
oy my ozcn SHIFTS Of 7car.-But this was not
lehough-itls necessary to guard them from
capture In the French ports and hence &" to
aeceiUe the enemy In his own ports & this
deception IS only practised by maxine the
property In such a manner that it should
laWiear 10 De neHfra[-* l therefore force
your fahers and your. Rag-tnese frauds are
indispensable for how can | trade To the
continent without them ."-Now. what does
France urge in her own beialf> cit is
I true that may sometimes take bona fJe
American, bound to the Baltic but whv ;
because take him for an Engiishnan. How
can l always distinguish them G.. Britain
coniesses, even from the lips of her ministers
IN the II. OF Commons, that she cannot trade
but under the guise of neutraIs. When I
see her Ministers declare in the face of the
world that there are ....few who had hvnocri-
sy enough to assert that the trade to E.urope
was to be abandoned on account of the I'm, :
morality of the frauds necessarily Draotisea
in the carrying it on''--that there is not
such serious immortality tn showing faLsc
coIorS tothe enemy*''-I must either let
her whole commerce escape me under false
colors, or must interrupt it at the risk of
sometimes injuring the honest neutral. When
That. neutral happens to be in suspicious
company. under the convoy of my enemy.
there is surely some excuse for nv can
lures And yet G.. Britain is pleased 70
say that my DEGREES are still in force AGAINST
| America, when it is her own frauds that
produce the mischief. She first ;nfects the
whole American flag with suspicion. and
| then curses my injustice if an innocent ,ner-
chant should suffer by those very susp;cions
| which she has created"
L his IS the plea urged by France, and e.
ven you must confess that it has considera
bic weight. 1t is not :or these aggrcssions
hesd l,r