The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-06-23


and honor OF the nation. Your committee
are happy to observe, on a dispassionate
lrcview oi the conduct Of the United States.
that they see in 1t no cause for censure.
If a long forbearance under injuries ought
ever to be considered virtue in any natl
OH, it is one which peculiarly becomes the
United States. No people ever had
stronger motives to cherish peace meme
have ever cherished it with greater since-
rity and zeal
But the period has now arrived, when the
United States must support their character
and station among the nations Of the earth,
or submit to the most shameful degradati-
on. ForbearanCe has ceased to be virtue.
War on the one side, and peace on the o.
Their, is a situation as ruinous it is dis
graceful. The mad ambition, the lust of
power. and commercial avarice of Great
Britain, arrogatilis to herself the complete
dominion of the Ocean, and exercising over
| 1t an unbounded and lawless tyranny, have
lett to neutral nations an alternative only,
between the base surrender of their rights
and manly vinGication of them. Happily
tor the U. States, their destiny, under the
aid of Heaven, is in their own hands. The
Crisis is formidable only by their love of
peace. AS soon AS it becomes duty to re-
nquish that situation, danger disappears.
hey have suffered no wrongs, they have
received no insults, however great, fox
which they cannot obtain redress.
Mere than seven years have elapsed,
since the commencement of this system OF
hostile aggression by the British govern
ment, on the rights and interests of the u
nited States. The manner of its com
mencement was not less hostile, than the
! spirit with which it has been prosecuted
The U. States have invariably done every
thing IN their power to preserve the relati-
ons of friendship with Great Britain. OF
4 drGf -. ,.1~
proof, at the momeut when they were made
the victims of an opposite policy.
| The wrongs of the last war had not been
| forgotten at the commencement of the pre-
sent one. They warned US, Of dangers,
gainst which it was sought to provide. AS
! early as the year 1904, the Minister of the
United States at London was instructed, to
4 vi,e the British government to enter into
negotiation on all the points on which a col
ision might arise between the two coun-
tries, in the course of the war, and to pro-
pose to it an arrangement of their claims
on fair and reasonable conditions. The in
lvitation was accepted. A negotiation had
commenced and was depending, and no.
thing had occurred to excite doubt that
1t would not terminate to the satisfaction OF
both the parties. 1T was at this time, and
under these circumstances, that All attack
was made, by surprize, on an important
lbranch OF the American commerce, which
Iatfected every part of the United States,
and involved many OF their citizens III ruin.
The commerce On which this attack
was so unexpectedly made, was between
the United States and the colonies OF
France, Spain, and other enemies of Great
Britain "a commerce just in itself; sane
toned by the example of Great Britain in
regard to the trade with her own colonies !;
sanctioned by solemn act between the
two governments in the last war; and
sanctioned by the practice of the British
government in the present war, more than
two years having then elapsed, without a
ny interference withit
The injustice of this attack could only be-
equalled by the absurdity OF the pretext al
: lodged for IT. It was pretended by the
, British government, that in case of war;
her enemy had no right to modify its colo
> NAL regulations, so as to mitigate the Gala
: mites of war to tho inhabitants of its colo
mes. This pretension, peculiar to Great
Britain, is utterly Incompatible with the
rights OF sovereignty in every independents
state. 1t we recur to the well established
and universally admitted law of nations, we
shall find no sanction to it, m that venera-
bic code. The sovereignty of every state IS
! co-extensive with its dominions, and cam
MOI be abrogated or curtaled in its rights
! as to any part, except by conquest. Reu-
trail nations have right to trade to every
pOil VI WiliNl - iSI ic-
lgally blockaded (; and in all articles which
are not contraband of war. Sucl,'is tie abb
> 'NIrdity of this pretension, that your COM.
mittee are aware, especially otter the able
manner in which it has been heretofore re
; 'uted, and exposed, that they would offer an
insult to the understanding Of the House, il
they enlarged OH it. and if any thing could
add to the high sense of the injustice of the
British government IN the transaction, it
would be the contrast which her conduct
/, exhibits in regard to this trade, and in re-
gard to a similar trade by neutrals WITH
!. her own colonies. 1t is known to the world
that G. Britain regulates her own trade, in
war and in peace, at home and i'll her colo
l MES as she finds for her interest-that in
war size relaxes the restraints of her COLO
NAL system in favor of til: coloniess
and that it never was suggested that she
had not right to do it or that neutral in
! taking advantage of the relaxation violated
Ia beiligcrent right of her enemy. But
with G.. Britain eUcry thing is lawfal. Il
;s on in a trade with her enemies that
the Unite States can do wrong. With
them all trade is unlawIu' ,-.,,,
In the year 1898 an att9ck was HHus oy tne ,'el
fish government on the same branch =, ou, eu.;
trade, which had nearly involved the two 80.
| in war. That difference however was S!ncabi, n
commodated. The pretenson was Withdrawn ana
reparation made the u. States for the losses which
they had suffered by IT, Ii fair to inter from
| that ARRANGEMENT that the commerce deemed