Star.
London, England, 1807-12-31 00:00:00

THE MEMORIAL nr THE MERCHANTS AND TRADERS

OF THS CITY CF PAILADF.LPHIA,

Refpcdfully reprefents—That a (trong confidence in the neutral
pofitiun and chars& r of their country and in the pacific policy of
its Government. bas encouraged and induced many of your Metro-
rialifts to embark their property, emenfively, In foreign commerce
—and to adventure a large proportion of their wee Ith upon dif-
tant voyages...that recent and uncupedted events fo far died the
fccurity of their enterp'izes, as to impel them to make known
their fentiments and willies to Congrefa.
Your Memorialifts cannot hut view with extreme folicitude,
the apparent (tate of the Negotiation between their Country and
Great Britain, upon the events of which. the fafety of their pro-
perty fo materially deptiols —Their alarm and anxiety increafed
by reports (perhaps unfounded) of the nature and extent of the
demands nude by the Government of the United States, cannot
but be great, while they are wholly deftitute of information
from official fourcei, calculated to direct their condo& They
mean no., however, to intimate a with for difclofur, s incompatible
with the due referve of Government, but candidly to prefect to
its view their difficulties anst embarralfineut.

in common with their fellow citizens, your Memorialilts en-
I tertain the ltrongett fade of the neeelLty of fupporting the honour
' and Independence of their country—chey feel that the national
intereft is infeparably connected with fuch fupport ; and although
in the event of war, as individuals, they mutt be deeply aff-elle d,
they have not a with that con2ierations of private intereft lhould
induce a facrifice of national honour and independence.—But from
the wifilem and patriotifm of the National Legiflature, they con-
ceive the expeetation well founded, that the commercial interefts
of the United States, with which the common welfare is infepa-
rably connected, will not be committed by an unyielding adherence
to doubtful or unelTential principles.
They, therefore, with ennfidence, fubmit tlitir hopes, that
while elf, inial right., to which, as an independent nation, we
are indifputably entitled, will be maintained to the last extremity
—matters of kerning intercit, but of lets importatice, will he
referred to a more propitious, and Icfs hazard ins moment fur
adjuament.
Under tilde imprelTions. your Memorialilts deem it an indif
per:fable duty to themlelves, and to thei- fellow citizi tis of *the
lauded and other interefts, molt refpatfuily to fuggelt to Con-
graft, that the Adt (at pr fent fulpentleti) entitled " An Adt to
probibit the Importation of cert..in Goods, Wares, and fvlerchan-
dize. palled the I Bth of April. I 806," thould It go into operation,
will not tend to I.roniute the de irable refults of national I ep • ratiou,
and amicable adjultment of our differences with Great lit
In died, that your Memorialilts confider the fail Adt. in its ap-
plication to this country, as extremely embarmlfing ; and, its
operation on the Govers.ment and People of Great Britain, as
irritating and intfficiene—That the repeal of the laid Act would
be produCtive of beneficial of eels; itiaftouzit as it would relieve
our own citizens front entharraffment, denoonftrate a difpolitiou
to treat un terms ot liberality, and be cunfidered a; a pl.dge of
candour and magnanimity in the cuduCt of the negociation—while,
in the event of failure to produce a fair and honourable acatint•
modation, the evils of war, which mutt feverely, an equally,
affect the farmer, merchant, and mechanic, wotdd be borne with
Ida regret, as being render, d inevitable.
In' fubmitting their opinions to the National Legiflature, your
Memorialilts have not, they conceive, overlooked the delicacy of
the fubjeet to which they relate—and they have anziouily mdse.
vowed, in reprefenting the objects of this memorial, to conned
the national honour and interell with their individual claims and
privileges.
Relying on the exercifc of a wife, juR, and dignified policy,
your Mcnivialifts rope etfully refer the matters, herein Rated, to
the cunfideration and ele.:ifiun of Congrefs.
(Slgtecd by the Met-Omits and Traders of PhilasUlphia.)