The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1813-04-23
POLITICAL.
rro.,t the LorGoa Sanday Reuieu.

fviga,es. of them Of The First class b, three yes
fes o! tue same description belonging TO America is
circumstance calculated to excite the greatest ~
arm in the treart orevery individual wLo breads the
subluSaon OF his country by foreign foe. IL is an
occurrence which eectualv disspates the charm of
our nVinolbiity by sea and while II fail TO
animate the Americans beyond all Former example
u must teach us, If the people OF this country can
he taught by any calamity, to shew greater .espeet
Tor the talents and courage of our trarsatae;ic trails
than we are generally in the habit Of doing. war
with the United States seems, in fact arisen
from The utter contempt in which that power was
hell by ministers, who uneeasing in their EN-.
beavers to persuade credulous alton that they
could dictate terms at any time to that government
by merely dispatching few iiigates 10 heir shores
1t has required bst short period ind. ed, since the
commencement Of hostlities, to shew that this in
iant navel power not 10 be intinilsred 10y our
vain toassg, and that the British tag which ,>s So
long indignantly usurpst the sovereignty " the ceps
is destined TO bc BUNDLED by the yerv enemv which,
II affected on all occasions 10 despiss
When the FIRST Of orr tsigatcs was capt;red bv the
Americans, we were told that this arose from acci
cent Now thst two more (report SAYS three) OF
The htst rate, after desperate Engagements with the
enemy single handed, and with All the chances in
their favor have been compelled 20 s.tiee this ia,
tsi ercunsance, so degrading TO our national pride
10 aine"eti, not az the consequence of the skill aud
bravery OF the los we had 10 encoGnrer, bnt the
result oi their numerical strength, AMI Che weight OF
their metal. But when ministers 50 confidently as
cured US, that the \ nercan nayy would he amin
lated by few British frieateg did they or did lney
the strength oil the
vessels Ii they did, it is now ridiculous in diem
50 attribute their disasters TO that circumstance. H.
they did not better proof cannot he given OF their
arrogance and their vain-s oraus threat to humble
America, without calculating whether the means
ehey ntended to employ were s,leQuste to that end,
Ittnever can be our wish to depreciste the brave
~ r. our tars or the talents of the officers who have
80 often led Them to victory But we are nersua-
ded that the enemy they have now TO combat is
nrch mnre Formidable than even British sca,nen
accustomed TO triumph, were ever taught 10 expect
HaNre has undoubtedly stamped the character of
seanien on the Americans by assigning 10 them
greater extent of oeean than any otter peope pos
Ssss Inc numerous rivers also which low from the
interior form navigation q ITSELF and must natu-
ffs'Y alapose them TO cultivate mariiiale pursuits.
How raortifying, now bumbling, therefore, must it
nave Deen tor them to find all their naval projects
eonyteraetsd by nations at distance, whose claims
70 fhe unrestricted commerce of the seas were not
U.Ieh wore uuquestionable than their own. Can
%e be matter OF surprise that the inhabitants of n
country placed ia thesc favorable circumstances,
should evince superior courage when an opportu-
nifty offered cf asserting their legitimate rights by
those who bad so often invaded The with impunty
We should Indeed have regarded tie caiIas OK Che
Amer ans 70 rec government, aDd to a superior
Erow'edge 81 naval tactics &c mere professions, had
they acted otherwise thau they have done. Ii is in
rheir unidentified galor then, reused ty deep sense
o. their wrongs, and not in the number OF their sea
men o. their cgrs, that ought to seek Tor the
cause Of their late iriump.s lie, rs nor. however,
oeNeeussd O. reasoning upon bare assumptions, OF
taking it for greutrd that tie Americans are The IN
jored party. Let the question be decided by the
erheuce OF facts
No mon can GcHy that the war now existing in
Europe. is ! war wagcd by us for the monopoly Of
commerce. This spirit Of monopoly extends to tho
exclusion oil every nation from Commercial freedom
which may be presumed dangerous as a rival or com.
petitOr. 1t has pros;rated al neutral rights. and
what was formerly reeosu. 81 81 European powers
"a theiaw OF nation. Consistent with the accumuia.
tive nature of injustice it hascons;anty assumed
rretensions exercised new & unprecedented outra-
ees, and affected 30 establish the PRINCIPLES &c nlc-
tee as law. II mas changed the law of ration. by
overthTowing the established treaties and usages, on
the subject OF contraband Il has practsed the bc.
barous outrage, particularly the Americans, of
Tnapstealng, and detained te free citizens of an in
dependent nation in AFFECT and forced servisude.
Notwithstanding repeated efforts By treaty, and
by all the means which the spirit of peace eonld
devise, carried TO the extreme of humiliation and
sippiicat,On the restoration Of these stolen people
could not be obtained by the United States. So
Ear from restoring, the inhuman and crying out
rage was, by public and avowed pToclamaIion,
declared aud asserted TO be rule of action, which
il was determined "a pers we're in.
The rights Of peace, which have been. in oil ages
held sacred and psramount to the usages OF war,
in the most barbaTons tines. have been, in the
existing war, declsFedy destroyed, and actually
borne down by the operation of this rapaeic1s ard
jealous spirit Of monopoly Il has not been permit.
Ted to nentrig to carry on their accustomed trade
in time Of peace. II has not been permitted them
to carry what 70 called a carrying trade. Il Ina,
not been permitted them &c carry on trade in
tseir Oya commodities. IL has been declared and
enforced, that neutrals shall rot Gerry on trade
with nations with whom ,hey have no quarrel IL
has been declared that the ships Of oil neutral ma
SONS must first touch at port Of bell gerent, x
there pay duty bsfore they can proceed TO any
other port. Vessels proceeding on innocent yoya-
yes, with Che pycducts Of the neutral nations only
have been interrupted on the high seas, captured,
carried into mort, and, by form assuming 20 be e-
gal, condemned and sold. An American ship 50
seized and condemned, the offence charged being
no than intention To proceed the ports Of
another ration was, with hatchcs unbroken sent 20
tic very nation 20 trade With which il had been
made criminal 70 have Intercourse. and, in the ports
az that nation sold account Of the captors.
During the oppression thus sustained by neutrals
in Which the Americans had tie principal share S,
growing, for twenty years successfully, every year
more oppressive than another, einisstries have
been employed to stir mp resurrection in tie bosom
o. neutral and pacific nations, and TO produce civil
war IN order 10 favor this spirit Of universal mono
poly. In the pa-ianncnt the p0Ter, which ic the
fountain of ~ It's tyranny, it has bcCn avower i'm
public debate, ~ u.,ustcr ol state, d" that the
question in relation 10 WIS monopoly s n uuesticu
or comm ercial caiculatiou and tlsf ahoa d the
nation might sutrr ~ the operations Of 10 own
policy in establishing suci Fc p'atCn over COM
YueFce md on The hgn stas. get ,iat IL would az
fer much more w absaininr from is exercise IN.
sssaush rs nsutrals would prosper 70 so great an
would operate the rain Of the depressing pow
e."
saeh nj arc eapsbe &c aD1recin,ug The untrre oil
thcse fats, VII BE able ~ deferoiinc whrt<r1. ihc
1 A ncfieaos have MOI su 81ies.t ragse 20 ctau,4tc
bpasalsllsG ee.erifizes s9d sltA as re-