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


of Europe that should admonish them that
this is not the season when such visions can
be safely INDUCED? Is there nothing in the
aspect of the blackening horizon before us
of the storms that are brewing in the South
and the East-that should induce us 10 look
anXiously for the return of serenity in the
West? Who is there so sanguine as 10 ex-
pect that Europe is to remain in peace for
many years or that England is not to be en-
broiled in the first and the last Ct her quar-
rels or, il that tremendous destiny may be
avoided, who does not see that the best chance
to avoid it, IS 10 have great dispo.abie force
ready to throw into the scale oft the advocates
OF cr e. and lustice-to have orr hands free.
and our TANKS diSencumbered for the vital
contest that we NAV yet have TO Sustain on
our own shores! For the sake OF trying to
gam frontier a little more convenient for
the insignificant province of Canada-for the
sake OF making an irreconcileable enemy of
America, and pouring out oceans of blood &
heaps of treasure, in contest in which sue
cess can be attended with glory, and de-
ieat leads to aggravated disgrace--is it real
iy worth while to desert our own cause, and
that OF Europe, at moment so critical as the
present, and to send fifty ships and fifty thou
sand men to waste their strength in that OBJ
scure and subordinate contention? ;"
How long does any one think We can reck-
d.
wing TO meet the Americans without any al
hes And has our success, while they stood
SINGLE handed against us, been SO very bril-
liant as TO give us much hope of favorable
result when they are thus strengthened and
supported Besides ali this. the very ex;s-
tence or our quarrel with America is likely
enough to embron US in Europe, and to dis
turb before its day, the nice ard ticklish bal
ance on which our tranquility so visibly hangs
1eC he hcle &c I
States, with some trihing exceptions in state
ot blockade. DO we imag1ne that the mari
time nations of +, ope will quietly submit for
any length OF time to such an exclusion; and
if we capture French or Russian vessel ira
ding towards the unnvestel ports of that Coun-
try, can we doubt for an instant that we shall
have the question OF neutral and beligerent
right which IL is ~ - in our power TO settle
on terms Of infinite advantage, to try under
circumstances intellectually more unfavorabe
than any that ever Occurred with AIneri-
ca ~
After referring 30 the embarrassed state Of
the Britssh finances and their burthen Of tax
atlon-and pointing out the certainty of the
loss OF the remainder Of their American Pro-
vinces ifthey persisted i'll the war. the article
is concluded by the following paragraphs,
which we strongly recommend TO the atten-
ton o. our readers
eve shall conclude this part of the subject
with the mehtion of Que other most painful
and most potent dissausive from the farther
prosecution of this disastrous war. Our ar
mites will be thinned by unprecedented Deser-
tons III every campaign on the soil of Anne ri
ca-and will melt away by inglorious dissolu-
ton, adding to the force of the enemy, and
detractlng at once from our strength and our
hatonal character. Do not let it be said that
thisIs an imputatjon on the loyalty and honor
Of our army, which it cannot possibly have
ruereed. We appeal to facts that are noto-
riou: and to principles of human nature that
need no corroboraton from particular instan-
ces. We think as highly OF the valour and
the worth OF our soldiery as it is possible to
think OF any soidiery; But alas, it is not in
the private ranks Of q regular army-and,
least OF all, perhaps, IN the ranks of war
worn veterans, who have campaigned in 70
reign lands till all domestic recollections are
nearly worn out of them-that we are to look
for refined notions of proprety, or the habit
OF resisting extraordinary temptations. 1t
is to the extraordinary force of the tenpta-
tIon, and not to the previous corruption of its
victims, that we asCrlbe this disaster.
There are assertions from all armies that
begin to be unsuccessful but, in a country
where the deserter can hide and domesticate
himself with those who resemble his coup-
trymen, who speak his own language, and
display his own manners--in a country, a.
oove all, where wages are high, and subsis-
tencC cheap, and wnere common. labourer
may, IN a short time, raise himself 10 the
rank If landed proprietor-the temptations
TO desert are such, the ordinary rate of
virtue in that rank of life will rarely be able
to resist. We know already, from docu-
ments that have been laid before the public,
that the Americans boast of prodgious deser-
tions having taken place from the British for
ces and the fact, when averred in Parla-
rne {, met with nothing but an evasive an
swer from his Maiesly's Ministers. We
know also, that proposition to encourage
dcsertion, by holding out large bride at the
public eXpence, was entertained in Congress
and, although it WIS rejected as nconsis-
tent with the principles Of honorable hostil-
i-y1 we have little dou1t that it viii be re-
newed, II we should really proceed TO enforce
our demands ofterritory by an actual INVASION
OF then soil nor do we sec very we'll upon
WI grounds we should then be entitled to
complain of It. Against lawless invader
an invader for The ayowed purposes of con-
quest-alI arms are held to be lawful and all
devices by which lac caA be resisted praise
wottby. But, whether this additional seduc-
ton be reS)rtrd to or not, we greatly fear
that many will be frVpd oyield to the ey,s-
ting temptatlons-and that, after mourning
PTcuigioas and intolerablc e%pence in trans
porting men TO fight our melancholy battles IN
America, we shall find tho. rry uks reduced