Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-09-16
For THE Enquirer.
10 HENRY CLAY, ESQ.
Nh ,

TO. ..
IVhat wonl! be tie consequence Of oar recon
'lzing IRE naspcudeacy Of C1iH, and az
G'dias Il 10 Settte doicn 'odcr irsubfican
form of government SiIiifurt to thai of ON.
oWm i!
SUCH declaration on DIR part would
al once relieve our people from all those
ialpuiallons q! low urderiland practices
which are so calling 10 their feelings The
friends OF The PATROLS could no longer he
accused OF violating The laws OF their
couiitry--and, tor the purpose ofbefriend-
ing the cause OF freedom IN another ma
ton, The citizen would not be tempted or
seduced into mean shifts and evasions of
the laws ofhiS own-fiir traders with tie
Patriots would no iongerbe sneered al. as
being on !evci with African negro ira
deTS; for 1t VIII always be found Ina; the
breach OF law IN one respect furnishes
cnunicnanee for violating il III another.
without regard to The oblectUr the motive.
III sounds harshly 10 the ear, and cannot
pm oa excessively grazing to citizen o.
independent America 10 be told, that TIE
laws Of his country forbid him, under l,ea-
w penalties, from contributing towards
The emancipation of his fellow men in ANY
quarter OF he Worlt The operation of
sEch laws upon our citizens ,..nst be OK
i.euicly pernclOws line doctrines which
they lncnicihe are destructive of all the
elevated sentiments OF treemeu and are
calculated lns:dlouSly 10 exlnguish the
tree spirit oi our p ople, AMI 10 sap lie
!undainentai principles oi our government.
IL IS OF the generous nature ot Il tiWc in,e-
'tcG" to- sympatlllzc with tbt oppressed Of
all nations. and he has a RIGHT freely to
indulge tiIoseieeiinss his heart bids hin,
pyf l,tc n
tim irom the grippe ofdespoiism, whenever
ii may be in lis power and the law which
prohibits lis doing SO, contains an indi-
rect lesson of submission 10 mis- govern
nent at home.
To cherish the generous feelings. the
ardent love OF liberty and the proud spirit
OF the Am r.can people, Is lie ayst dnfy ot
tA6lr government but, 10 ensure tier
systy, ii is said, their feelings must some
lines be little rfpreSsed, and their wish
cs occasionally disappointed and, that
Vt, upon this great question relative 10 the
recognition and succor of Spanish re-
pubic Ill the new world, their manifest
wishes and the strong bent of their feel
Ings were alone consulted, the II. States
would Immediately have aroused against
them, the implacable hostility of all the
most potent nations OF Europe-SDain
and England TO Il certainty, ii not all the
others. Ii this be really The case, il is n
consequence oi the recognition Of the CHI
Ian republic which would be great i'll
deed; and IT so, IL beliOoves It's TO weigh
matters very maiureiy before We venture
to provoke AOsiil!lics, apparently SO ex-
teDSite and destructive. Let US suggest
few reflections upon this point. On
medltatmg upon tie progress and terD,i-
l.lfI at ~ To A n
have III imagination pcrsnEIl!ed Tie nigh
iy parties III that conflict, us so many
fierce WiId beasts, who, after long and
most desperate combat, provoked by the
taste OF Il bone OF liberty accidentally
picked up by one oil them, nOw lay stretch
ed upon tie field Of Waterloo, crippled
aud bleeding, painting and exhausted ui-
terly unable TO waga tai, cr move a claw.
think OF lEsops fable Of The combat be-
tween tie lion and the tiger, ard ask 10
what but the absolute ana total eNhaus-
ton OF Tie great cOnteudiDg beasts, can
be attributed the permission oi tie jdckals
OF st. Domingo To- ran off With A SCRAP
from the bone of contention or what
other reason can be assigned for the total
inactivity OF all the legltIIuaies of Tie Ho-
~ League, and particularly of The adOred
Ferdinand, while the people OF South A.
uerIca are discussing Tie principles OF
liberty, and fighting an,ong tiemseircs for
Independence That the PalroisUf ). A.
have not been assaulted and crushed by
fleets and armies from Europe, has not
been owing 10 any indisposiiIon or disa-
greemcDl among The iegltimaies, but TO
ther total inability. eau tie United States
have any thing to fear lromany one Of the
powers Of Europe, IN consequence of her
recognizing the indepc Jicnce of tic ).
American colonies In order to ascertain
this, let Us take look at each of them.
Our differences With Spain commenced
more than thirty years ago about The free
navigation OF tie Mississippi, and from
that day TO this, not a single occasion or
ioun, Or mode has been passed over, when
size could manifest her jealousy aud am
iDosity, on which she ilas mol furnished
us, as tar as was III her feeble power, ant
pie grounds for O$en hostility. Size sli-
palatcd by solemn treaty, TO allow as tie
Tree navigation Ofihe Mississippi, and de
posi-! At y. Orleans, yet broke tDaI treaty,