The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-11-10
WAsHINGroN. Nov. ).

congress. ne United States are charged
with being ungenerous, in declaring war a
gainst @. Britain, whilst she had another
war on her hands that is, that, instead of
seeking redress when she had the strongest
motives TO yield it. we ought TO have waited
till she could refuse it with less prospect of
suffering by the refusal.
But the idea i'll this case is as absurd as it is
novel for the cause W the war declared bv
the United States necessarily implied that
the enemy was engaged in another war at
the same time. The war proceeded from
aggressions ON our neutral rights, and there
could be no such thing as neutral rights to be
violated, no such thing as neutral party to
be injured, but III case where the party COM
hitting the injury was at the time at svar with
some other power.
1t has been represented also, that one of
the original objects of the war is abandoned
by the instructions to make peace without a
positive stipulation, for disseminating the
practice of improvement. This view of the
subject is evidently unwarranted by the fact.
The object, namely the cessation from i'm
pressnent, VIII have been obtained by an G.
vent wiz. the peace in Europe) Subsequent
TO the declaration of war; and which event,
ifit had freceded the declaration of war,
would have prevented the declaration. 1t
was the practice of imprsssment, not a claim
of right not in practice, that required the
may insert this Claim among his prerogatives,
as he used to 90 among his titles his claim to
the Kingdom of France. That alone will ne
yer produce war.
1t is true that II would be agreeable to have
the point OF impressment settled by a positive
stipulation against the practice, & better still,
to have a stipulated REIMBURSEMENT of the right
as shutting out forever the danger of future
quarrels from that cause. 1t was, however,
never contemplated to contend for the latter
security. 1t appears indeed, to have been in
tended to obtain the security OF stipulation
against the practice of impressment, even in
the event of peace in Europe, because there
was at the time state of things making it
probable that such stipulation, on the terms
held out by the United States, might be at
tainable and a prospect that if a peace should
take place in Europe, it would be, like the
Treaty of Amiens, rather a truce than a
peace. When change took place, letting
loose the whole force of G. Britain against US,
and at the same time holding out the pros
pect of a durable peace in Europe during
which our neutral rights would not c ne into
danger, ordinary prudence suggested a change
in the Instructions, adapted to SO important
change in circumstances. The war became
more difficult, and the positive stipulation less
Important 1t would be well for those who
crlticise the REIMBURSEMENT of the positive
stipulation to consider how far they may have
contributed to it by the additional difficulties
they have thrown into the war, by the part
they have taken on and since the occasion
which gave to the enemy the vast disposable
force sent and coming against u.s.
But, laying aside Al other considerations,
the war, declared expressly against Certain
wrongs aud persevered in till they actually
ceased, viii not be without effect in proven
ting future renewal IF them. The proof
will be remembered that such wrongs have
been resisted by an appeal to arms, and il
will be anticipated that ike appeal will
follow like cause for it. If the British gov
eminent had fully believed some years ago
that her impreSsmentsa and blockadeS, as prac-
tised by her, would have produced war and
compared her gains BY the former with her
loss by the latter, is It not probable that peace
with her would have remained to this day!
Take a case in history so pertinent that no
one can mistake the inference from it. The
British trade had been much harrassed by
Spanish Guarda-Costes, which were in the
practice OF searching British vessels on the
American seas, and carrying them into port
for confiscation, as having violated the ordi-
nances of Spain. The Spanish court having
refused or declined satisfaction, war was de-
clared in 1889 by the British government on
that account. The universal cry in England
was, free trade and no search. The war CON
tiAued until the peace of AK la Chappelle in
lI48, the treaty OF which was entirely silent
on the subject which had caused the war In
the words of the historian "no mention was
made of the right of English ships to navigate
the American seas without being subject to
search though the Indignation occasioned by
the violation of that contested right had solely
given rise to the war between O. Britain and
Spain"
And yet who will believe that the war did
not produce the greater respect afterwards
shewn to the rights Of the British flag
haf. Int.
Cohy IF a letter from General Bf-oqvn 10
General DTHmmo1d, dated .4ilgust I'd,
1874.
SIR,
A letter said to be dictated by you,
but signed by Lieut.. Col. Harvey, has been
laid before me. As it was proposed to ex-
change your aid for mine, / desired first TO
ascertain If my aid yet lived But as it APP
pears my flag sent direct from the Ameri-
can shore, Tor the purpose Of ascertaining
the f7ct, has been detained, wave the 90.
lection that influenced my mind at the time
the proposal was received. Send me the |
body OF my aid, Capt. Spencer, by his brother,
IT he is dead, and your aid, Captain, Loring,
shall be returned to YOU 1fCapt.' Spencer
IS not dead, any attention that you will cause
TO be paid TO him, will be gratefully acknov-