The national intelligencer and Washington advertiser. — Washington City [D.C.], 1808-11-30 00:00:00, page 2

Report of the Secretary, to which IJwc
have before referred, and I wish them \ a 1
to examine for themselves, will find, j if]
that of the 48 699 r 592 doll th ■ge
of pi other mot i ou
the actual gro« ih
oar own country, expound . hotn tin
U. S. in 1307, we s ' gc
To England, th
dep • in Eu- tie
rop hit a, Sc ac
S 37,917,07,' in
To Spain, vo d her sc
per. ■ th
and " 3,998,575 in
To Portugal h her de- ct
pendencies in Europe b<
and America, 1,599,616 tb
To Sweden, Be Swedish oi
West lie 472,666 at
To China, the East and sc
West Indie general* tv
ly (not included a- vi
bovc) Africa, and N. tl
West coast of Ame- I
1,919,908 hi
'- tc
Making in the whole, S 35,707,842 ri
(I
Almost Jour-fifths ■ hole na- (ri
tive exports of the U.
■which w
ly now as then, bo ;"j ti
, ii certal
of this | ti
British ' w
(era of council, and the Fren
frpm a total ma- h
, .ue a mere h
nullity. It ore, as bus o
n said, the d ders of c
foreign powers, that have reduced c
our country ' I distressed h
lition. It isour vi
own foil] a that now pal- ll
eies the labor, the energies and enter- t<
prise of ou , and locks up ti
more than thirty-five millions of dol- n
lars, the native ; I our coun- tl
try, to perish and sink upon our hands, v
I want to hear, sir, for I have not tj
heard yet, !iow this enormous, this \]
uu and ruinous sacrifice oi r
nati -.ndividu-.il wealth, c<o# he d
justified to the public. There is no r
man w! more indignantlyn.han y
I , B and Bri- I:
tisb orders ; but before my God, Ido f
most religiously believe, that the eni- s
bargo is a thousand times more inju- v
rioustoour country than tiiey both v
could be rendered. i
instead of availing ourselves of the <j
immensely extensive and valuable I
commerce now open to us, with
least three-fourths of the commerci
world, it has now become a great fa- t
vor, if we can be permitted by the
President and his gun-boats, to sneak t
along shore,from one oi'ourown ports I
lo another, with us much Hour & poik |
as we can eat on the passage. Sir, i
this is the inxt commercial country \
in the world lo England: we arc, in .
fact, in this respect, their only com- '
petitors, and whilst, asat present, they J
have an opportunity of monopolizing
I the commerce of the world, do you i
Relieve they vwli e*er ask you to take 1
Off the embargo ? No sir. This would <
be an act of madness in them, equal '
almost to our continuing tfiein. They '<
do not wish to meet upon the ocean '
again their industrious and enterpris
ing rivals. They are no doubt pleas
ed to see us shackling and crippling
ourselves.
Much has been said by the gentle- I
man from Maryland (gen. Snntl.) on
the subject of tribute, and in a manner I
I do not well understand, unless it be,
to retort upon the gentleman bis own j
language, ad cufaandum. I wish it j
however to be distinctly understood,!
that no part of the commerce I have \
undertaken to shew the U. States !
" might now carry on, would bd subject
to any tribute. I wish it to be fur
ther understood, sir, that I would not
only see this country clad 111 home
spun, but in sackcloth
ashes, rather than that she should cbn
topay tribute. 1 would see every
commercial city upon our shores, and
every rag of canvas we hold, in
flames. I would see our soil smoak
ing with the best blood of its inhabi
tant-, and the bones of our citizens
jningled with the ashes of their
dwellings rather than see this people
nit to pay tribute to any nation on
earth. I trust there is not in either
House a member, who would not
sooner risk his life, and spill his blood,
than give a vote that should reduce
ountry to a condition so slavish
and degrading. And I hope, Mr.
President, that no insinuation has, or
will be made here, calculated even to
intimate an idea, that the gentlemen
of this body who may vote for the
repeal of the. embargo laws, would
subject this nation to tribute. Such
an insinuation would not eidy be un
founded, illiberal and derogatory of
tlsls floor, but in other respects highly
unju»tifiable.
ias been asked by the gentleman
from Kentucky, why (b not those who
iose the embargo propose some
'.itutc ? Certainly it cannot be
;ted of us to offer ourselve
ionect'3 of this adminisiiv
!. reply to the question, I will re
jentlemen to a confidential letter
'he Senate a few days
]>a»t; gentlemen need not be alarmed,
J am not going to tell what that letter
contains. If any substitute be neces*
itcd out the one I
I would adopt; there is marked a safe, <
I a high, and an honorable course, that I we
jif pursued, without, I believe, cndan-l
i gering our peace, would add alike t
our. :ioival . (>
■ weai
ft has been well observed,by the' H
' gcntiein.m from Virginia (M?. GilesjH p r
that it war, time we had become ana- vc
tion, that we were nationalized. The th
sentiment wits worthy of that gentle- C r
man. and one to which I entirely sub- ( 1(
scribed. But is the system of which D «
this m< i apprehended by ma-.i hj
ny to be but icncemcnt, cal
eulated *■ No, sir; mm
better calculated., I fear, to estrange t fc
the extremes of the union from each j w
other, and to familiarize our ideas toj re
an event, that I chu mit almost trea- w
son to think 0 that every ho- c i
norable and patriotic American must n
view as the most calamitous curse ci
that could be 1 pon this country, ti
I beseech gentlemen, therefore, to n
beware how thej this system oi
too far. There, is a section, a very ci
spoctable and powerful section of ai
(hi I with commerce is ii
j rich and happy: deprived of that h
ace a large portion of h» po- , o
popula-! t(
j tion expect, and as a portion of the ' a
■ imunity have a right to expect, it
that their only means of subsistence t<
' will lie fostered and defended, and not n
rificed to inanuf. during whims, or m
• local pre 1 do not mean los :
intimate, thai the embargo grew out \
■of either of these causes; but the 81
"; continuance of it at present, under p
!• tii,.. circumstances, after the gall- p
ing experience we have had, and tl
' when it can obviously produce no- I
• thing but distress and embarrassment b
■ to ourselves, may engender and nur- b
» tore jealousies that perhaps time will o
• not ailay. I believe the people of s
• this country would submit to any pri- !:
. various for the public good, but tin
t must first be convinced that the pub- j r
i lie good requires the sacrifice. It I
f must, it will astonish every unpreju- j P
: diced and i effecting man in the com- I n
) munity, il this ruinous measure is | I
i persisted in, after the experience we ' t
- have received, and when we have be- t
> fore us the most conclusive and irre- [ I
• sistible evidence to shew, that it is j c
- utterly inadequate to the accomplish- l
i merit of any of the objects for which c
it was said to be intended. And con- s
i duct that cannot be accounted for on i s
- any reasonable ground is apt, howe- i
tver unjustly, to be attributed to un- I «
ithy motives. I trust, therefore, J 1
- that gentlemen on their own accounts j <
b will not reject this resolution ; that j l
<- they will, at least, first deliberate and t
s look to consequences ; that they will 1
S feel well the public pulse, before, by ' <
, this rash prescription, they stagna
y the national blood. i
l ("Debate to be i \
. > «i>
y J November 28. ;
;r '■ On motion of Mr. White, ordered i
li that the report of the Secretary of
c the Treasury, respecting roads and
d canals, made 4th April last, together
d with the memorials of the President
y and Directors of the Delaware and
n Ciiesapeake Canal Company, of Ist
,- ! December, 1805, and 10th January,
;- 1807, be referred to Messrs. White,
g Reed, Mitchiil, Anderson and Pope.
The Senate then resumed the con- I
:- side ration of the motion of Mr. Hill-!
n house to repeal the acts laying an em
ir bargo—when
;, General Smith of Maryland deli
n vered a speech which occupied the
it j whole day.
1, | November 29.
Mr. Anderson withdrew his motion
:s ito reconsider the vote of the 25th
;t inst. for receiving and reading the in
> siruciions of tin aire of Mas
it sachusetts to their Senators on the
i- subject of the Embargo, which were
d then read.
i- The Senate then resumed thecon
y side ration of the motion of Mr.
d Hillhousc to repeal the acts laying an
n embargo.
i- Mr. Hitthouse made a speech,
i- which continued until past 4 o'clock,
is when an adjournment took place,
ir without any decision on the motion.
Ie
JF HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
Dt
"» MO If DAY, NOVEMBER 28.
'C Mr. Holmes from the committee of Clairru
ih reported a hill i f certain
r< |>. (certain citi
' zens of Kn<; luch was twice
read and reierred to a committee of the
Lo whole.
:n DISABLED SOLDIERS;
ie Mr. Nelson said he would make no apo
-1(1 logy for offering to the Mousr the follow
ing resolution. It was on a subject which
;l1 i-. ..d with which the
H* House was sufficiently acquainted to render
of any preface unnecessary,
jy Resolved, That a committee be appoint
} i ; tiency of mak
ing | I'of the mm
m firm, disabli I offic*ca
10 and soldiers of the late revolutionary army
jc aAd of* the present army of the U. States;
and that the com; i
by hill or or
iS The resolution wan ag I op
» position, and
c- FOREIGN RELATIONS,
sr On motion of Mr. Cum fib ell, the
/s House resolved itself into a committee
d, of the whole, Mr. Stoker in the
Br Chair, on the report of the committee
s- on the subject of our foreign rela-
I tions.
Tfie first resolution in the following Hi
words, haying been read : wi
Resolved, That the United States cannot, co
I without a sacrjftde of theivrights, honor and c>
übmil to I'.cts of .
/ Great Britain and Frai ' .
Mr. CumjWell opened the debate. v ..
jHe '.a:,l t'oat ill heahh had hitherto "*'
' prevented and mighl hereafter pre- on
vent him from giving that attention to '
the subject which the all-important ™
crisis would seem to require ; it was "
however his duty to bring the subject c
before the House. The committee CCI
; having in their report presented to c(
j the House the view in which they had T^, r
> sidcrcd the subject referred to .
them, and the reasons generally
i which induced them to present these Z(
resolutions to the House, he said it ITI
was not bis intention at this time to c
enter into a discussion of their mer-
its. Those reasons had been deem- a
ed sufficient by the committee to jus-
tify them in recommending a conti- '
nuance of the embargo; and as the
objections to this, if any there were,
could not be foreseen, he would not
attempt to ant'uip tie them. Accord- f'
ing to the view which he himself
had taken of the first resolution, it °'
lid require no discussion ; it was
'too clear to require demonstration, ®'
and too self-evident to need proof of ,
, its propriety. It might indeed seem Sl
to require an apology from the com- c '
; inittee for presenting a proposition "
• which every American must long '3
i since have determined for himself. w
WHen the question had been first pre- P
i sented to bis consideration, itbadap- tJ
• peared to him that it was totally su-
■perfluous, and to be doing little more
I than announcing to the world that the n
. United States were still independent; a
: but on further consideration, it had "
• been deemed by the select committee -
I of some importance that in the pre- t;
f sent critical situation of the United s
- States, they should fix on some point t!
rat which all would meet. After a pc- ,
■ rusal of the documents laid before the ll
.use at the opening of the session, °
- j Mr. C. said it had been supposed that c
-I no one would hesitate in declaring fl
■, | bis indignation at the flagrant viola- l \
; i tions and encroachments on our rights [
-j by the belligerent powers, while it "
- ! had been supposed that some differ- ( '
3 > ence of opinion might exist as to the l
- mode of resistance. After it was v
i once determined that they would not £
- submit, that they would repel aggres- .
i sion, it had been supposed that they !
- j might with greater probability of una- r
- j nunity discuss the course proper to be 1
i, J pursued. With a view to this the '
s , committee had presented this resolu- a
t ' lion to the House. It was expected *
d that all would unite in il and prove to '
1 the world that the Representatives of *
y ' every portion of the American people
c i were determined to maintain their
rights, for the belligerent powers 1
really seemed to suppose thetthe A- ;
merican people had forgotten them, ]
and had therefore assumed the right '
d of prescribing the course of conduct '
)f which we should pursue. To submit j
d to regulations of foreign powers which
r limited the conduct of the American I
it people, and prescribed the rules by '
d which they were to be governed, '
5t which pointed out the very ports to
U which they should or should not go,
J, which fixed the tribute or tax which
c. they should pay, would be not only to
i- abandon their dignity and honor, but
1- to surrender, shamefully surrender
i- our independence. Mr. Campbell said
he would not take up the time of the
i- committee in shewing that the orders
ie of council of Great Britain, and the
decrees of France, were on the part of
those nations, an assumption of povv
m er to give laws to this country in di
h rect violation of our neutral rights,
i- and an encroachment on our sove
s- reignty. This would require no ar
ie gument. The real question is, said
*c he, shall we govern ourselves or be
controled by the will of others, shall
"»- we become tributary or not, shall we
r. submit or be independent ? And to
in the committee he cheerfully left the
decision of thit» question.
h, Mr. Mumford next addressed the
k> committee of the whole. He observ
e, ed that although he had the honor ol
being one of the committeeof foreign
relations who framed the report under
consideration, he dissented from that
report in some respects. We had
now arrived at a momentous crisis in
theaffairsof our country, and he hop
ns ed the House would deliberate with
'!' that firmness and moderation which
u ~ became the Representatives of the
j,'. frefc and independent people they had
the honor to represent on this all-in
teresting concern. However they
'°' might differ ou smaller points of mi-
J nor importance, yet when the best in
| lC terest of the country was at stake he
or hoped they would unite in some mode
to secure our rights and promote the
£" interests of the United States. The
„~ proposition which he had the honor to
xa move a few days ago, was consonant
"y in some degree to the instructions of-
s ' fered by our ministers to Great Bri- j
tain and Franc •; to remove j
,p. the embargo in relation tocitber, that i
should rescind their obnoxious de- !
crees. Neither of then having rc
ie ceded, Mr. Mumford said he would I
26 continue the embargo in relation to I
1c them both. Nay, further, he would I
iG inflict the severest penalties on any one I
a " who should receive a license or voiun- i
tartly pay tri
He considered them both alike. Pie
wished to see the country placed in a
complete posture of defence ; but he
could not see any good reason why we
should not trade with those nations
who were willing to receive us on
friendly terms, and to trade with us
! on the principles of reciprocity 'md
mutual interests. This would not
romit the honor of the nation.
Even admitting that it might possibly
lead to war, which he doubled, he was g
convinced that the citizens of thi
country would rise en masse, in sup- s
port of that commerce which neither
France nor England had any right to £
interdict. He did presume will all the
zeal of some gentlemen for irritating **
measures, it was not seriously con- J
tcmplated to declare war against all Vs
mankind ; he was for having: at least £*
a few friends in case of need. What g
was our situation now? The Presi
dent of the United States had told)
them, after speaking of France and j '
England, that " our relations with the
other powers of Europe had under- t ,
\ gone no material changes since the i
p last session." This being the case, «
t our commerce was open with them
j all except France and Great Britain
and their dependencies. Mr. Mum-' L j
p ford said he was well aware that he n
should be told if we permitted this s |
commerce to those countries who
j were disposed to receive us on friend-
r ly terms, Great Britain and France
■ would indirectly receive their sup- j
plies. He acknowledged this in a cor-
tain degree ; but his primary object c
was to relieve his own country.
, Where is the patriotic breast that did r (
\ not beat in unison with the patriotic j,
. and valorous sons of Spain ? Shall v -
we refuse them a loaf of bread mere- n
, ly because we are afraid Great Bri- r,
" tain and France might possibly cut a 0
j slice off as it passed along. Let us
t take a view of their whole conduct to t]
the United States since their revolu- t
a tion, which had been a series of good v
offices ; they had immediately releas- r
t ed our vessels which had been se- j
y questered in the ports of Spain by the ..
* iron hand of the soi~disunt Emperor of t
s the West. Let us now turn to the ~
t new world. What has been the con-
duct of that government erected by j
the friends of the patriots in the Ha- j
g vanna ? More than fifty vessels had £
. gone out under the permission of the j
President for the purpose of collect- 8
' ing debts due to them in that island ; j
they have compelled their citizens to j
c pay these debts, and the vessels have ,
c returned loaded to the United States, j
, and contributed essentially to the re- g
j venue of the United States. Is this ,
0 not truly characteristic of Castilian j
} c honor and generosity ? ]
c Mr. M. said, he considered the re- ,
r volution in Mexico as the most im- (
, s portant era which had taken place ,
t . since our glorious revolution, which t
~ in his opinion would ultimately lead ,
lt to securing our south western noun
:t ry on a permanent footing ; and but E
j t for the recent revolution, New Or- ]
n leans might even now have been in <
in possession of France. When the t
,„ question of slaves was agitated among (
c l the inhabitants of that place, it was t
to not unusual for them to say of the U. ,
0 S. we care nothing about you; we .
h shall soon have other governors. It ,
to was no doubt within the recollection ,
llt of many members of this committee, ,
sr that a man had been lately taked up at .
i,j Nagadoches. He bad not at the time ,
, c (taken much notice of the report, had ,
rs considered it but a common newspa- (
le per report, or, as it might be called,
0 f a display of the arts of able editors ; ,
v . but there had a fact lately come to ,
|j. his knowledge which he conceived to
s be his bounden duty to give to the
c ! committee. It had been communi
r . rated to him in such a confidential
• X l manner that he could not mention
, c names, but love of country was with
di him paramount to every other consi
ve deration, and be would state the fact (
to for the information of the committee. :
h e A gentleman, (said Mr. M.)an Itali
by birth, of a noble family, and who ,
|, c was recommended in our revolutiona- *
v . ry war to Gen. Washington, a man of]
0 ( genius, after having resided sonic
m time in the U. S. returned to Europe, j
er and was taken into iavor by Bonaparte.
ia t At what time it is not known, but
a j such a person was landed in some part
i n on the Atlantic shores, and travelled
~). from thence through your western
t h country. Some time in the month of
e h June, information reached Louisiana,
|, c that a French officer of distinction had
af { a conference with Governor Grand
, n _ Pre at Baton Rouge, which occasion
cy ed serious conjectures. No more
v . was heard of him till the 21st July,
, n . when he passed over to ihe Spanish
l ie lines wide off bom the American
d e post of Natchctochcs ;he there O]
l, e ed a trunk, and put on his regimen
he tali, arid proceeded to the Spanish
to port of NagadOchcs, where he was
ul t arrested by orders from the Spanish
dicers. It warned that the
rj. I information of the revolution i
lV( . [ had m I him when travelling
•nit Ito the westward. Thus, sir, while
| c . :wc have been threatened in the north
-~. we have been treading on a precipice
lid j ii th west.
l 0 | I will now proceed lo some dctr.ils
lid jin respect to those countries which
ne Imy motion co find
in. by the official ri tary
nog
;dg
.id onsaiu
iv mi}
aod oi'Uioqe uo ')uaa •sue
>dx^
insists oqi
t*rl
This will open a-rharket for the
produce'if Ofii <", Kentucky, Tea
see and New-Orleans, the •
middle and eastern states, and givi
that life and activity to comn
much desired by all classes of
citizens,
Mr. M. concluded by saying, I
I this was his view of the subject for
the present. He said we were a young
nation, and although he should
shrink from the contest if necessary,
yet it became us to act with prec'ati
tionary s'eps. If he differed with
gentlemen on this subject, it was ar>
honest difference of opinion, and he
had no other motive than a love
country.
Mr. Quincy followed Mr. Mum
ford in the debate. He entered at
large into the subject of the cmb
in a speech of about an hour and v
half. His observations, excluded
from want of room, shall appear in,
our next.
Mr. Dana said, he considered it
unfortunate, if the doubt existed in
the minds of members of this 1)
which seemed to be implied by
resolution under consideration,
it really a question whether the re
presentatives of the people of the U.
S. would bow their free necks lo
reign yoke ? Was it to be decided
by renewing the declaration of their
independence ? Oncadeclai
D. 'aid it was to be cunsidei
given point, that our independence
should be maintained ; and it was not
always a sufficient reason for agree
ing to a proposition, that it was truth.
For himself he had net supposed that
much doubt existed on this pi
Even the committee themselves
seemed to have considered this decla
ration a3 unnecessary, for tlKy say
it might to some seem supcrflu
He thought the real policy to be pur
sued by this country should be
as never to make this a question ; and
when it became a question, a declara
tion in words not to the deter
mination to resent aggressions on oik
independence. However, as th<
solution had been submitted to the
House, it became a question how it
should be decided, and another ques
tion what was the import of it i In
' one respect he approved the re sol U*
1 tion, because it was concise, and j
there might be a difference of opii
as to the terms of it. The questi
• now submitted to the councils of the
1 nation were questions relative to our
1 maritime rights ; lie knew not that
any question existed as to our ten
rial,rights The la.
' solution was very broad, and he wisii
' ed that it might be so varied as to be
> more specific and appropriate. With
1 this view, that no doubt might exist
1 of the import of the resolution, he
' moved to insert between the woi
; and the the words " abandon the n>
" vigation of ihe ocean in conscqu
' of." This amendment presented a
1 question on which he wished a decid
-1 ed expression of the opinion of the
" House.
1 , Mr. Sloan said, he perfectly acqui
■ : esccd in the amendment moved by
1 • the gentle i Connecticut
} > one word more was added ; and that
" J was the woi
fi words not and submit. He I
3 ' thought that our rights \.
>j abandoned and that they .
• bandoned too long.
1 Mr. Dana said, th
* been his opinion of the past meas\ir
* of the administration, he would r
I propose an amendment w
' imply that the councils of his n
'' submitted.
'■ vored
[ ' not consider them as
" therefore could not consent
c that re n them. The ;
r * man from New-Jersey he ho|
h would not consider it a want • I
n tion to him ; but, lor il
'*,' he couhl not .
'* Mr. \\\ c
h hi
» , .
h'' would
,: adoption ol
II cd.
W hie than th
c thai the I"
h rights, hoi
c the cdi
I
' s dress displayed in the construction
h d Iment. The decfar;
d ci ton was i
y the C I riot in any ni
lit to the edicts. The