The Enquirer

To the Printer of the Aurora.

SIR-It appears that the negotiations at Ghent were not broken off, but that they were suspended. Although we have no facts upon which to rear a settled opinion, I think it probable, that our ministers, after rejecting the insulting terms offered them, did not wish to take upon themselves the responsibility of returning home; that they thought even suspense better than a certainty of continued war: and that they hoped for some change in Europe, that must lessen the arrogance of our enemy. Hence their dispatches, as published; and hence the return of the answer of our government by Mr. Purviance.

So that, in all human probability the British will not relax in their demands, our ministers will return, and we shall have war in earnest next spring. Are we doing exactly all that we ought to do, and can do, in such circumstances? I read the papers, I read the speeches in congress, but I cannot perceive that much is doing. Every body says that we cannot go on without money; a great many say that we can borrow no more; and a great many more say that the United States bank will not be chartered at last, and that if it should, it won't prepare us for the next campaign. So that the taxes at last are thought of: I do not see that the bills have as yet passed, and if they were passed, I fear it would require much time to collect them.

At this time our enemy is making every "demonstration" of his intention to "destroy every assailable place," and he will in all probability have, early in the spring, 70,000 men in North America, if not more, for the last advices inform us that he has again purchased men from the German princes.

And yet, after all our experience, here we are, not much better off than we were last winter, if as well. It may be that I do not pay attention enough to the papers, but I really do not know what I could answer if any body asked me what congress have been doing.

The people, too, or many of them, strange as it may be thought, are as fully convinced that peace is at hand as ever they were. All that I want to know is, for what possible reason they think so. But even if the chances were in favor of peace, ought we not all to be up and doing: the British know better than we do whether there will be peace or war, the choice rests with them, and they are not only preparing for vigorous war, but generally opposed to peace altogether.

In March, 1804, Mr. John Quincy Adams, one of our present ministers at Ghent, wrote as follows to Mr. Harrison Gray Otis:

"It is impossible for any man to form an accurate idea of the British policy towards the U. States, without taking into consideration the state of parties in that government; and the views, characters, and opinions, of the individuals at their helm of state-a liberal and a hostile policy towards America, are among the strongest marks of distinction between the political systems of the rival statesmen of that kingdom--the liberal party are reconciled to our independence; and though extremely tenacious of every right of their own country, are systematically disposed to preserve peace with the U. States. Their opponents harbor sentiments of a very different description- their system is coercion--their object the recovery of their lost dominion in North America --this haughty tory stands high in power-al- though admiral Berkeley may never have received written orders from them for his enterprize upon the Chesapeake, yet in giving his instructions to the squadron at Norfolk, he knew full well under what administration he was acting. Every measure of that administration towards us since that time has been directed to the same purpose-to break down the spirit of our national independence."

The hostile party which Mr. Adams thus describes, is that now in power; it is not only in power, but, owing to the late events in Europe, it has arrested all opposition-it still wants to recover the lost dominion in North America, and to break down the spirit of our national independence, and there is no party in England, that dare to say-nay: there, there is a perfect union, here there is as complete a disunion.

So that there is :

An united people-against a divided people.
A large army-against a small one.
A long purse-against an empty one.
A vast navy-against a small one.
A military government-against a republican one.

On a former occasion, we had-
A small army-against one not much larger.
An almost united people-against a divided people.
The French, Spanish, and Dutch navies-against the English.
The purses of France and Holland-against that of England.
And we had the congress of 76.

So that the sooner their successors try to equal them, the better-delay is defeat--time is the only friend we have at present, and even he cannot be coaxed or compelled to stay with us; whilst he is here, we must make use of him, for we shall never be able to make up for our neglect afterwards.

YOUNG RIFLE.