The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-08-04

States.
10 submit TO such injustice while we
llave the power to resist, would be to surren-
der our independ ence without struggle
A degree OF degradation To which the u. S.
are not reduced, and by the permission of
the Almighty, we trust they never will be.
When by the valor of the American peo-
+, pie. crowned by the blessing OF O cd, the
United States were severed trcm the Bri-
fish yoke they acquired all the rights and
privileges OF an Independent nation. After
the expulsion of the British frJIn our shores,
those rights and privileges were acknow-
| lodged tobelong to our republic by the pow
ers OF the world, not excepting q. Britain
herself.
| Among those rights thus guaranteed.
those OF navigating the ocean under the
Known laws OF nations, and of prote citing the
lives, liberty and property of our citizens in
the pursuit ola lawful commences, were al
ways deemed most sacred. To violate
| these by any nation is an act of war, and to-
refuse to make repatriation for the W rong by
the offending party is just and righteous
cause for war on the part of the injured
| There is no doubt then, that the ". States
have just cause of war against England and
France; but sound policy required that we
should not be burthened by a war with tive
powerful nations at once. Congress, there
fore, wisely selected England as our enc
| my, she being the first and the greatest ag-
gresSor.
England. by her Orders in Council, ha.
given fatal stab to the freedom of com
merce, has violated the laws of nations, and
under preteXts the most futile, has exerci-
sed the rights of sovereignty over us. In
the impressment of seamcn sailing under
the protection of the American flag she has
trampled upon the personal liberty of the
citizen, and entered with ruthless violence
the sanctuary of our Independence, drag
ging her victims to slavery and to DEATH
In employing the savages to murder our
people, fact which is confirmed by the tes-
timony of Governor Harrison, and which ne
one'can doubt who knows the influence the
British have overthe Indian tribes, she has
! shewn that she disregards those maxims
which ought to govern civilized nations
| in sending secret agent among us to plot
with the disaffected dismemberment of
the Union she has convinced the world
that she makes use of means to accomplish
her netarious purposes at once the most "a
trociousand the most despicable.
| With these just grounds for war, with
such powerful inducements to rally round
the ark of our independence and defend it;
| it is matter of astonishment to us that any
men that claim to be Americans should be
so entanglcd in the tolls of party, so lost to
\
upon their country as to deny the justice Of
this war altogether.
| Your committee are fully convinced that
the present war is not only Just but neces-
| sary and unavoidable. Even, however. did
! they doubt of the necessity or policy of the
war, they sh ould hold it to be their duty,
now that war has been resorted to, to sup
port the government in it, in order that our
rulers might have fair chance to obtain an
IL nxJls. >Irr e
other eXpedient has been tried in vain to
bring the belligerents to sense of JUS
tee, and nothing remained to choose but
war or unconditional and base submission.
1t the war of the revolution was Just, this
war is not less so. That was war against
arbitrary taxation of the British Parliament.
1t was war for independence. 1t was
war for liberty and equal rights. 1t was
begun in honor and ended in glory. At the
commencement of it, clouds and darkness
hung over the country; our internal enemies,
those ill-Omened birds of night were cont.
Bually croaking around ruin, devastation
and death were the burthen of their song
but the genius of America trumphed and
left Ter sons a rich Inheritance, cemented
by the blood of her heroes. Let no one say
that this prize was not worth contending
tor. We have reason TO thank God that
the noble virtues and exemplary COURAGE
OF the revolutionary worthless delivered US
from British bondage, and rescued this ma
ton from the thraldom of corrupt hierar-
chy, from the tyranny of mad King and of
prohigate Prince.
Che present war is contest undertaken
in defence of rights not less essential, and
for privileges not less dear. 1t is commen-
ced under circumstances by far more ausDi- I
cious and promising happy issue. With
perseverance, union and courage on the |
part OF our citizens, the result we may
venture 10 predict will be equally glorious.
Under these circumstances is it not alb
surd to withhold our support to government |
because anotherpower besides England has |
injured us DO the DEGREES of France af- |
ford justification of the Orders III Coun-
Gil ? BY this mode of reasoning the United
States are made the football Of the bell |
gcreDts. On this subject the Ground taken
by the Congress of the United States, is the |
true American ground, and the only one
which nation that respects itself should
take. in the language of Congress we re-
peat that the United States must act as
an independent nation and assert theirl
rights and avenge their wrongs according to /
their own estimate of them, with the party |
who commits them, holding it responsible !
for its own misdecds unmitigated by those
OF another"
Your Committee are not insensiblc to the
calamhies of war, neither are they dead to
the rights and independence OF their coun
try. They view war as an evil, but as an
evil infinitely less than the surrender of our
rights, or quiet Submission to the violati