The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-03-06

honourabie gentleman was anxious that Bo-
napar.e and France should possess Ships,
Colonies, and commerce, then it was
not very difficult to understand, why he pre-
ferred Co abandon that system which kept
those ships, colonies, and commerce out of
his grasp.-( Hear, hear, from the niiniste-
rial benches. Ills antipathy to the mea-
sures retalliatory on the Cerlin and Milan
DEGREES was Oh this score very easy to be
accounted for. If it had not been for them,
Bonaparte might have plumed himself upon
the success of his DEGREES and the honour
able gentleman, too, would be able to con-
sole himself for not having his present sub
ject Of regret. Although he always wish
ed to answer the arguments of his oppo-
nents rather in train, than to begin at the
conclusion OF their speeches, yet the last
sentence was so outrageously extraordinary,
that he felt it impossible not to endcavour
at once to expose its folly, and to counter
act its tendency. Following, then, the
course of the honorable gentleman's obser-
vations, the first topic he had to notice, was
the gloomy picture which the honorable
gentleman thought proper to draw of the
state of affairs in Spain and Portugal, and
the character which he gave of the war,
darkened by all his expressions Of despair,
and shorn of hope by all his prophecies of e.
vii. When the honourable gentleman in
dulged himself in this his favorite strain, it
would have been little fair for him to look
back to his declam atoms at the beginning of
last session--to recolect how he then des-
cribed the state Of affairs on the peninsula !;
to travel back to his predictions and pro-
pheciestosee whether those propheceis&pre-
tictiohs had been fulfilled. If the honoura-
BILE gentleman had done so, he would have
been able to appreciate the contrast between
the state Of affairs then and now; he would
have been able to discover, that all his au-
gurics were fulfilled; and he would have
found reason to believe that all his specula-
tions OF disaster had been abortive.
But it did not astonish him, nor ought it
now to astonish the house, that the honora-
BILE gentleman should sit down once more to
his gloomy work, when they had it from
himself, that it was all done in expectation
OF the irresistible power OF France. Happy,
however, was he that the expectations of
the government of France, and of the homo
rable gentleman, were superintendent
when the honorable gentleman saw daily
proofs of this, it would not, indeed, have
been too much to expect some modesty from
him in distressing his opinions. The French
government had made many boasts, but we're
they VERIFIED Among others, were we yet
driven from Spain and Portugal into the
sea ? Oh no-but the new reading now is,
that we are tobe destroyed after our resour-
ces shall have been exhausted, and when
the Spanish nation shall have been COM
pletcly subdued. First, we were to have
been the earlier victims, but now we are to
be left for the last.-Wosld any man in his
sober senses listen to trash like this Would
any man believe, that if it was in the power
OF the French emperor to crush us, that he
would not have done SOL Could those, in
particular, who were in the habit of CONT
~ DIM min no, Of
doubt with the expectation that it might be-
come irresistable-coaldt they be of opinion
that Franse would not long since have bro
Ken us down, if it had been IN her power
tie was confident that France had done her
utmost, but she met resistance upon which
she did not calculate-a resistance which
was ettectual to her disappointment, to her
hftassation. and to her disgrace. His argu-
quered US, he could not. He did not beat
us, because he was not able-because he
had not resources competent to such al pur-
pose. lie DID not mean to speak presump-
tuously. He would not, In indulging any
presumptuous view, initiate the example of
the French themselves-for he was, on the
contrary, anxious to guard against over-ra-
ting our own resources-but judging by fair
MISUNDERSTANDING our own conclusions from
the past to the future, had we not right
to say that We could not be conquered-that
the nations OF the peninsula could not be sub
dued !-Had we not right to say, that as
long as British arm remained in the Pc
ninsuia, IN counteraction of the designs of
Bonaparte, resistance would be opposed to
him which he could not overcome-a re,
sistance, which was the more CALLING, as it
was standing shame to his designs, and a
standing contrast toh his cause-to the basest
spectacle OF tyranny, and fraud, and oDpres-
sion, that ever was exhibited to, or disgra-
ced the world. If Bonaparte was to view
our resistance in this light, and it was i'm
possible that he could not, if he conceived
that putting his nation into this shameful con-
trast with the British empire we're materi-
al to his character and ambition-was it not
natural to suppose that he would have en-.
dcavored to keepit out of the contemplation
OF the people OF Spain and Portugal and in
stead ofprotracting such contrast, put an
end to it at once by our destruction With
this view OF things, had he, (the Chancel- |
ior of the Exchequer) not reason to look on
the contest, not only cheerfully and san |
guinely, but even to hope, that in this very
stage OF his crimes and tyranny, Bonapar |
might find the grave of his ambition But. |
indeed, this new system, imputed by the ho- |
norable gentleman to the French emperor, |
appeared TO be rather jocose affair entire
ly, than any serious attribution of such a plan |
70 such a person. 1t was Just as much as |
TO say, that Spain and Portugal were to be |
de voured first, and that we were good natu-
redly reserved as bonnie bouchee for his |
NJ ajesty, On Laugh.) The right honora- |
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