The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-12-02

YOU cannot prevent them from launching Oh
the ocean whilst the public sentiment is a
gainst you; and it will be against You if it is
not so already. Mr.. Quincy proceeded to say
that there would shortly not be found juries
to convict offenders, nor officers to execute
the laws, that this was somewhat the case
already, and that in little time it would be
impossible ITO identify the vio,ators of the
embargo with common smugglers. You
ought (said he,) to have some regard to the
cherishing a love of order and law, and the
thing ought not to be strained too far. He
spoke of the power to regulate commerce,
stating the improperly OF taking it out of
the hands of the Legislature and vesring it in
the hands of twelve men; and also adverted
to the jea)ousies of congress with respect TO
the continuance of our embargo In Wash
ingtou's administration, having limited it G.
ven when he was chief magistrate. He as
serted that such a state Of things as the pre-
sent could never have been contemplated by
the trainers ofthe Constitution drew a COM
parson between the prescriptions of the
constitution with regard to certain species
of southern property, and the rights of COM
mercc inherent in the eastern states; spoke
of the futility of thinking to starve Great
Britain, when out of a consumption of one
hundred * fifty millions of bushels of wheat
we at no time supplied her with more than
seven millicns.whilst Africa & the commerce
of the Black sea furnished her with supplies,
and all South America was open to her navi-
cation; he recurredto the assertion that the
embargo saved ear resources, and said ten
per crnt had already been sacrificed, never to
be recovered, and which was dead loss -
AS to the embargo bearing equally upon e.
very part of the union, it was a fallacious j.
dea.
He would take for example the two most
considerable states nf the nninn Viruinia
had population of about nine hundred thou
sand souls, and a capital of about six IN illi
ons of dollars engaged in foreign trade =
whilst Massachusetts, with a population OF
six hundred thousand souls, had a floating
capital of thirty millions of dollars Thus the
evils of the embargo must be felt in MGssa-
chusetts six times more severely than in Vir
ginia as, to equali2e the burthen it would be
necessary fer the latter to have rs 600, 600 of
dollars capital at stake. Andin Massachu
sets the middling class of people were the
most oppressed Ruin is suspended over
your wisdom nor do they believe that you
understand their interests better than they
do themselves.
Mr.. Quincy adverted to Massachusetts
being called the & cradle of liberty" Not,
sir, (said he) of an embargo liberty. Their
liberty was Graded on the ocean, and is not
so much of mountain as sea nymph. She
came from the great waters, and was found
on the sands of the beach spreading her nets.
Not, sir, liberty in chains /; in letters We
are asked too, where is the spirit of '76
Aye, sir where is that spirit? 1t was
glorious spirit and ought to prevail in the
house. 1t was not spirit OF mere deciama-
ton; but was an active, dignihed and ener-
getic spirit. There was no such sentiment
in all seventy-six as was contained in this
report no proposition for abandoning your
rights under pretence of protecting them;
the spirit of '76 relied on the sword-thcre
were no such words in seventy-six as en-
barge, dignifed retirement, and who should
do each other the most harm. At that time
we had an army, a noble army; consisting
of the yeomanry Of the country, with Wash
ington at it's head-We had, sir, an army
and head too. Gentlemen ought not t. in
woke the spirit of 70. (Here he read ex-
tracts from the declaration of independence
in point.) If they do, it will not come, or If
it does, it will come in the shape of a tormen-
tor. Mr.. Q. spoke of the clamor about tri-
butte. observing that no man could be for
paying tribute that in fact there could be
no such thing; that as the payment of duty
was in consideration of vessels proceeding to
L ICVCl pOTlS, diiti ROlHS tiitilSI "sto ~
ing to confiscation, it was idle to suppose
merchants would do so. But he said we had
done more than pay tribute they had ask
ed us to go with them mile and we had gone
two-They ask for our cloak, and we
give them our coat also. Such course of
procedure might answer very well to secure
happiness in the other world, but would ne
yer secure our independence and honor in
this.
Mr.. Quincy concluded by saying that gen
temen in the majority were wringing their
hands & crying on. what shall we do" 1t was
not for him, he said, to advise but he con-
ceived that our situation now was not much
better than war we were certainly not at
peace we were retiring from the blows {:
war may result, and gentlemen ought to re
collect that the best way to prevent war was
not to fear it. Our path he observed, was
clear as the milky way, studded with stars,
and full of light. The resolution was not to
be mistaken; it was pledge for new mea-
sures and under the impression that we
were to be permitted togo on the ocean ant.
support our rights, he should vote for it.
Mr.. Dana after some remarks relative
to the inutility of declaring ourselves an in
dependent nation n second time, which the
resolution implied, and expressing his wish
to make it more specific if it did pass, moved
the following amendment. The amend
ment is quoted in the resolution so as to shew
it's connection and beariug)
}1esoI1sH That the United States Cannot,