Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1806-04-12
.TcoNTISueD.1

Mr. SMILIE.-~A am IN AdVOE VAT CHdtr
m au of the re ISOLATION uader coastderallon
aud lest It should De supposed am an en-
thusiast ln respect TO commerce, and de-
setvs to be Classed among that desperate
order Of msn called merchants, according
TO tae reprs ssasAtlon when We nave had
yesterday ifom tbs gentleman ct Virginia,
Deg leave 10 MAKE ateWreMafks on tbs
abstract question, waeghrr con1aerce sugas
TO DC eaasiaefed as beneficial Fsn lssNreiasi--
o. 20 tnr~U aiyed Slates.----- | tlavestoGg
thoaght iaat there Is al cssensial dit
,betw cen. what is IA the common language
of TIC world, splsndid and great, aud a
.-hapoy people. [ have beO, led 90 think
thaI the situation Of Inc people of the y.
States, separated tros ths gestot The world
bysaa ocean OF three thousand miles, pos
sessing an immense region OF land, having
full cmpioytnSnt for ali nsr people in the
scaltiya.ion ofthe earthst saving from the
variety OF her climates, aaa the difference
!, OF her soil, the meaus OF supplying herself
No, only with the necessarles OF lite IN a.
bunaauce, bat with manylpf les comforts,
and even win some of its laxuries: from
these considerations have been led to
think It had been happicrif the American
people, wnen they became az independent
nailoa had found themselves without som.
m:rce, aud had still remained SO. nus
ctrcanssanced they would certainly have
avoided those dangers, winch rhow from
the weakness OF al extended trade, aud
those laxnries waich have hitherto proved
80 fatal ID morals, happiness and liberty.
ln.my opinion we should have been hap.
pier people without cum Herce. Among the
coasidera.iens wblch have lndncedme to
believe that this would shaver been a happy
state, Is, tina, we shosld have enjoyed a
perfect state Of safety. We should not
have been under the aecessi,y of conflict
ing with toreign nations, because COM
merce aad commerce alone can produce
those conflicts. | have expressed this O.
pisioo % shew that have not been led 10y
aay particular attach ment to commemorate
take chat part which have declared 1
wscld do On the present occasion. fBut
what was rhe situation of the American
people when they FIRST feund themselves a
nation? Aad what are the duties ImPos.
ed upon US by the compact we have en-.
tered iuto! AS TO aay abstract opinions
we may entcrtanon this subject they ought
s. 10 nave Nd iaaaeuce upon us.--I stand
here on other ground and dare Dot resist
the dictates of duty. was astonished
TO near it mentioned Yesterday by the gen.
tlemaa VIrgiuia Mr.. ] Ohm Randolph
ADD b,ldly asserted, referring to- the con.
L a
was under no ob!igas.on TO protec. any pro-
perry ofi,s citizens one foot from the shore.
49, was astonisled at this declaration be.
cause eoald see to what it weut.I
saw if this was the.epinion of the southern
states where it would end. The situation
otshis people, when they became nation
was this: The sastern states might pro-
perlv be said 20 be ommercial. people
as they lived by com merce.; the middle
states were partly commercial and partly
+, agricultural; the southern states properly
speaking were agricultural. This oppesi.
ton of character must have created great
difficulty in forming the constitution. and
In truth this and ether points threw greas
obstacles into the way of It's formation. Sat
spirit OF concession overcaae all tdlmeul-
ties. Is il however TO be believed that the
eastern ssates properly cen mercial, or the
middle parsaking equally OF the commercial
and agricultural character, would have uni
sed with the southern states, 3ifShey had
been told commerce vas 10 receive no pro.
lection! No sir, IT cannot BE believed.
But take high-r ground; the cotnpactit-
self referred 70 by the gentleman from
Virginia. Let Us examine tae powers
vested in congress, under this compact,
and decide whether commerce was or was
not In,en led IN b. protected If there was
nothing specl6cDn these powers, the 6rss
page woal SHOW Sht. iate atioa of its fram.