The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-10-04

of September. 1909 for The purpose of ia
king into consideration the present crisis OF
public affairs
He''erai i,vDEKr ruRTrRFIELp,.
appointed Chairman,
and SAMUEL CLARKE, Secretary /
The chairman haviI;A informed the meet
ing, that the objects theteof were TO take in
to consideration the pressnt situation Of the
as it respects the>operati,n OF the
Embargo Law, to express Sheir opinions on
the policy which dictated il, Sand the expe-
dIency OF its continuance, and also t adopt
such measures as might be deemed neces-
sary to support the Election of n FEDERAL
President and Vice-President, and aFede-
raj Representative for this Congressional dis
trict.-On motion, alexander .Melson, Car
ter Beverly, James Bell, .4ndreyu .Ande,son,
WilHam Robertson, alexander Robertson
and .EkerandG., ST. Clair, were appointed
a Committee to draft suitable Resolution, to
be proposed to the meeting. The committee
then retired and prepared the following:
TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE .. sTATE,
SIR,
WE, the Freeholders Of Augusta
County, at the Court House, in The town of
Staunton, duly assembled according to pub
nc notice given in the newspapers, hereby
beg leave to approach the Executive branch
OF government, with such expressions Of the
political sentiments of the County aforesaid,
as seemeth unto us meet and proper. The
fundamental principle of our Constitution
has been always considered to mean that
the power OF each branch of the government
being derived from the people, they of ne
cessity have the right to control the operati-
ons OF 1t, and for that purpose it has been
generally acknowledged that the legitimacy
OF IT," government Is alone the sovereignty
OF the people. Viewing it therefore right
we possess, co-equa, with the formation OF
the compact, that whenever public exigen-
cles shall require the expression Of the indi-
vidual opinion, it should be freely and fully
declared, we have thus assembled to take
into consideration the present unhappy stu
alton of our country, & after the most mature
and deliberate reflection, we deem it our du-
ty to lay before you the following cxpressi-
on of our feeling
The prosperity of the United States has
invariably depended upon commerce, main
tanned and supported by just regard to our
national honor, and we viaw it therefore of
deep regret to the nation that after nine
months experience of the Embargo Law, we
are left, ruinous and dreadful as the coDse-
quences are, to GeDlore continuation of it
without any serious prospect whatever, of
its being repealed. AS long as it was thought
isht w TulcTS III 81 TRIAL OF TIE
experiment, we have in common with the
great mass of the good people of the United
States, silently submitted to the authority of
the government, but as we can no longer
perceive the least probability OF the great
htlhgcrent nations swerving from the politi-
cal stand they have taken, and as the United
states without commerce must infallibiY be-
come crippled and finally bankrupt peo-
pie, we deem it absolutely essential to our
political existence, to declare a continuance
of the Embargo Law ruinous and impolitc ::
we evidently discover, (tested as our ideas
are by experience) that unless the avenue S
of commerce are again opened and the COM
mcrcial people of America suffer ID to haz-
zard themselves upon the ocean in pursuit Of
their lawful gain, free and unu,oested ny any
domestic shaCkleS, 7Ue are serioftSiy GRhre-
henSiUe there qoW soon herpade one general
sentiment comfteteiy GerefctiUr Of longer
acguiescence 10 the eyiH Of CONGRESS i; un-
pleasant as this declaration is, echoed and
sent forth by the populous and patriotic Coun-
ty of Augusta, we consider it nevertheless
as u truth that can no longer be disguised {;
and when we declare to you that we have
loug since considered our government harff-
al and iDlorous in its operations towards one
of the great bcligerert powers of FuroDc.
and unnecessarily clamorotLs towards ano-
Their you will do rs the justice to believe
that we are neither actuated ourselves by a
hatred towards the one, or love towards
the other country but that VIC measure our
public sentiments by that political role which
is the unerring concomitant of wisdom and
Justice. viz. We consider it as honorable to
deal unto all nations that equal share Of ma
tional dignity and Interchange that neither
espouses ingloriously the actions OF the ono.
to the annihila ion Of the other and 7vc dcc0l
it as the most uRhGrd2nabic circU7nsfaHcr
that me DeiegafeS ofa free Heohie sdouid
eUer haze. formed Themselves info Il coH,jiH0-
,ion, 10 subUerf fhe rae interest o}'hei,
goUernment BIZ shr0HGiHg hhcmSciOes undcy
RrecUtiUe recommendation Up Legisiake 70,
one foreign government at the erbeace Of
another, and qDe can no longer hossi6B Jer.
jeor to say, that The continual serie8 Of Sc.
cret deii6erafionS tn the t7co last se8sions oJ
Congress, a6ord no omcn5 to us Of mutton.
n integrity. IVit5i1 TIC secret Ho1 ~.
'-HeVc the most. GishouorGbie TRANSACTION,
iaVe arisen. and that fhc HeotiIe haUc 6eet
| ubsoIHtriy hreOented .fj'ori seeing Mose cir
"un,etances saosf infimctciy connected 7vfi{
| heir Political sajefHaud tiresc -pnfioa: For
! although we donog deny the propiiety Of tbs