The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-12-12


when impressed, l would give my voice fer
waging an in,erminab.e war,unl.ss the prin-
cipie was relinquishcd do not under.
| stand, however, that Britain insists upon n.
| ny such pretcnsion. She tells US that her
seainen desert, Come to the United States
and are na;uralized, ar withou, naturaliza-
ilnu SO ON board of our merchant vessels
| that her navy on which her existence de
ends will be unnamed unless she rcgains
those scameu. We admit that her Seamcn
come to the United States and 20 into our
merchant vessels. But we say. that in re-
taking them She takes not only her own,
but our seamen. We declare that we have
no wish to retain her seanen, and for my
own part. could wish that no FOREIGNER of
| any description, should ever hereafter set
ms foot upon American ground for the pur-
pose OF becoming a citizen. The real diff
! lcuity then between the two nations results
from onr law of NATURALIZATION, which varies
from the British law prohibiting expatriari-.
on, and from the necessity Of preventing Bril-
''sh seamen from getting into our vessels,
winch IS made the preteXtfor inprcssmcnt
ISomething Is therefore necessary TO be done
| on our part, as well as on the part OF Bril-
! TAIN Let us Danish British seamen from
our vessels, for we DO not want them, and a.
dept regulations by which their future adj
| mission Will be prevented. When this is
l.
De taken from our enemy. Our own govern
ment has always, until very recently appear
eel 10 consider this Il proper subject of nego-
CITATION. When we offered to lit the en-
barge and open commercial intercourse
with Britain, If the orders ut council were re-
moved. 1T cannot be thought tina, we intend
ed to close that intercourse Immediately by
a declaration of war, because Of the impress
ment OF our seamen. In a subsequent ar
rangement made by us with the British mi
mister Erskine, which was said TO be salts
| factory to our government, the mpressment
oil our seamen presented no obstacle to the
progress of the negotiation, and was no
where noticed. Again since that arrange
ment, and alter the pretended revocation of
the Berlin and Milan DEGREES, we have offer
ed to re-establish a commercial intercourse
with the same Power,if she would rcvok her
orders OF council and blockades These
facts incontestably prove, that the Impress
ment OF our seamen, however grievous the
outrage, has not of itselfb been considered by
oar administration, as furnishing sufficient
grounds for declaration of war.
have not only thought, that the present
| war might have been honorably avoided,
but have had much reason to doubt, whe-
Their the object contemplated by the war, was
obtainable in the mode proposed by our ru-
iers. The Constitution of the United States
was not framed with any view to way be-
yond the limits of our Territory, and whilst
the President is very properly not permit
ted to compel the militia to pass those Ii
mIts, have always conceived, that there
would be much difficulty in procuring a suf-
hclent regular force for the conquest of the
Canadas. Those provinces form the only
point at which we could expect to meet Tn 9
/ British forces with success. If we take
them, shall we have obtained the liberty of
the seas 1! Or will they indemnify us for the
blood and treasure which we must expend
IN their conquest Few men | presume
would be disposed to answer these questions
IN the affirmative. We were told, that this
was warrior the protection of our COM
| MERGE and our seamen. In casting my eve
over the map of the Unitez States, and in
reviewing the names of those who voted for
and against 1T. l confess that cannot re =
press my establishment at finding almost all
the Representatives from the commercial
parts of the Union in opposition, whilst those
VINO represent districts without seamen and
without ships appear to have been its most
strenuous supporters. 1t is a war for the
protection OF our commerce, and strange
to say those portions of our people who are
most extensively engaged in commercial pur-
SUITS are less disposed than all the rest Of
tue Union to prosecute it, 1t is a war for
the protection of maritime rights, and vet
we see that since its declaration we have no
maritime connection with any portion of the
Globe, except by the permission of cur enc
my. Does any man believe that the decla
ration OF war was necessary to preserve the
honor OF the nation ? Let him look at the
situation in which we now stand, in refe
renee to France, and be will see that his
opinion can no longer be maintained By
! France We we're long ago told that there
shohid be no neutrais. Without obeying
that order, and without entangling ourselves
with French alliance, we yet promote the
interests of Napoleon by fighting his enemy
! BY the continuance This war we endanger
the Union, we give to oar constitution its
seyerest trial, and we saddle ourselves anS
our posterity with incalculable debts and
taxes without end.
Numerous however as appear TO be the
evils which follow in its train, lit is the duty
ct all good citizens to obey the constituted
authorities of the Nation, and lift be indeed
true that peace cannot be procured on no.
norable terms, | should wish the war to b,
eternal.
Fellow Citizens, I am native Of vour
district. have no preposessjons or pre-
Jndlces Tor or against any Foreign nations
whatever. My principles and feelings are
all republican, all American. Should be
honored with your SURFACES, shall NJ all
times hold myself responsible TO you for ny
public conduct, and bound by any instruct
onS which You may give. If my services viii,
sentiments like these, are worthy Of your