The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1814-07-06

| use.
| Was IT not to have been expected, that the
demolition otthe only PRINCIPAL power in Eu-
! rope, who was opposing the tyranny OF Great
Britain ON the Ocean. would have encreas-
| ed her power, would have mnltiplicd
! her means OF annoyance! Was it not inconsi-
! derdte chen, was ii not intatuatioD that per-
| sons Sloud be found in some of orr sister
states, who At such time should celebrate e.
| vents, having such effects, with Examinations.
| with festivals. and even with the ceremonies
oil religion: At the very time when these cerc-
MONIES were performing, the blazing ships <
| coniiagrated houses on the shores of Mass.-
! cnusetts, attested the malignant 10y Of our en-
| envy, and were 50 many offerings made on the
| affairs OF the demons of tliscortl and hostility
! Hut we are told, these rejoicings were at the
emancipation OF Europe from the mower nj
despotism. 1t is the duty Of patriotism. as (
conceive, III the first place, to view the effects
| or events Oh our own country. We have no
| OBJECTION to tue People OF France CHANGING
| their Government when they pleas. thcV
| have right TO do so. But snrclv there. ex
lists no cause OF rejoicing even at a favorable
change III foreign government, which is to
| DC attended with injury TO ourselves II * of
| lttie Importance as an abstract question to MS
| whether Bourbon or 4 RonapaItean dynast,,
| swayS the sceptre OF France. Bot il vitall,.
| ahectS our interest, that England should be
enabled to burn our towns, and destroy our
| people. Besides, could we divest ourselves
| OF all attachment to our native land. (hcayen
! forgive the supposition , and view the subject
| rs mere citizens OF the world, arc we sure th..
| cause OF humanity has been advanced be the
| destruction Of a power, which however am
bilious and unjust Ill its own dispositions, for
| med some counterpose to the power of Eng
| land, and who, Ono matter to the arglimeuO
whether Tor selfish or disintcrcsted motives
resisted her tyranny on Tie Ocean? Is the
world much interested to put down a powCr on
| the land, merely to increase thereby a power.
| on the sea already overwhelming, a power so
| much the more destructive, because every r,eo-
pie may, ON the great highway OF nations, ex-
perlence les injustice, AMI feel It's oppression
Besides, the i.iea OF France rcgaininr the as
ccndancy ON the continent, which She had lost
was chimcrical. The Allies were in the
heart of her country and the question was
not whether She should annihilate other ma
| tons but whether she herself should be subiu-
| gated. But it was our duty TO Contemplate these
| events as AmericamS,and viewing them in that
aspect, could not see in them any causes uf
rejoicing. Others may be differently impress
sed, and my views may be fallacious but they
| are certainly sincere, and the avowaI OF them
| is not intended to cncroaCh on like freedom
ofopinion in those who differ from me.
/ have said the crisis is important-i believe
| son for dependence or despair. Contiding in
hearen and the justice Of our cause, believe
| if we are true to ourselves, we have notilin.
| to fear for the issue of the contest in which
we are engaged. Our ancestors by their reIi-
| ance OF these sacred supports, were carried
| triumphandy through the revolution. By
them they obtained our independence, and bv
the same means,we shall defend and maintain
it. What though many of the Nations of Eu-
rope are allied to England? For what was
their alliance formed They declared, to
guarantee their liberties, and the indepen-
| dence of nations. Can it be believed that
Nations who have professed to fight for
such cause, can be SO false to their own prin-
| cipleS, can stain their triumphs by countenan-
cing one OF those very Allies III establishing a
tyranny the sea, which they so much dep
recate on the land VIII the nations of the con
tnent consent, that their banners which now
| wave in triumph, should COVER before the
| Flag Of England on that Ocean which God &
| Nature declared free, but which the pride of
man endcavors 20 enslave
Besides, are not the continental powers, is
| not every nation on the globe, who has com
| merce or chips, except England, Interested,
deeply Interested, IN the maintenance OF ncu-
| trial rights and an unshaCkled trade VIII
| Alexander abandon the interests Of his great
| Empire VIII he allow England to fatten on
| her spolls, by prescribing the channels in
which her commerce shall flow? VIII Swe
den, who was bent on the acquisition of colon
| les, as means of giving vigor 70 her COM
| merce, suffer that commerce TO be made trib-
utary 20 England? VIII Spain and Portugal,
so soon IS they recover from the caIamities Of
| a long and desolating war, suffer Their wealth.
| instead of being employed, in renewing their
exhausted resources, to be sunk in the abvss
! of British rapacity: Can Alexander, possess
sing as believe nc does, a love of true glory,
forget that his ancestor, Catherine the I'd. was
the author ard promoter Of that armed neu-
traiity, which bound the nations eneagcd III itf
70 make common cause at sea, ag;ginst any O,
he bciligerent powers who shonid violate with
respect to neInal nations = principles Of
maritime law /? Can Sweden, can Denmark.
can the 5tates-General forget that they were
parties to this compact? Depend upon it, that
the principles for which the United states con-
tend, founded as they are on the rights Of Ma
ture and Of Nat OILS, will be espoused by tie
Continental Powers That sooner or iater,
they Will make common cause with us. That
they viii do so, we have that security, which
is the best for the conduct OF States as well
AS individuals, that thereby they viii defend
Their own rights, and their own interests
Tney will discover that though we occupy the
van Of the contest, We are fighting their bat
ties This is my belief. But whether we are
supported by other nations or stand alone, let