Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1808-09-16
Ersm sAe North american.
NO. VII.
ON THE EMBARGO.

fellow citizens 10 the CIlDdISo. Nn LIZ
l;ev Of this self-destroying measure, on the
mischief which it scatters through all class
= &c societv, on the ruin it conveys to the
;rmo.t recesses of oar country, it is not my
n,,rpose to remark. My observations wall
consned to the evidence it affords, OF that
subseryiency to France, and hostility to
England, which characteristics the present ao-
ministration.
+ l. impossible to advert to this subject,
without searching for the motives In which
<rl,e Law originated. In pursuing this lnqul-
~. those aids which, calculating on the
form of our government, we might reason
ablv expect to derive from official sources
are rnattainable. A studied obscnrity CO.
xrr. from our view essential information
respecting it. -
As this subject was debated with closed
aoors the public is not in Possession OF
those arguments with which the bib was
.unnorted by its advocates. The message
of he nresideat, and the documents trans
.rr;tted with it, furnish the only motives
..,,;rh orr rulers have avowed tor this de-
structiye measure.
The message refers to the communica-
.;ons accompanying it, as /" showing the
great and increasing dangers with which our
vvessels. our seamen, and merchandise, are
.hrsatened ON the high seas and elsewhere,
{ from the belligerent- powers OF Europe
- concludes with recommending an era
harpo. and preparations for any event "heh
= -. y --.., c,t Of the Crisis.
The documents, so Tar as VIC are &C
nua;nsed with them, show, that the decree
made at Berlin, hadalways been understood
md intended by the emperor OF France, to
Be applicable to the United States, and that
the British government had issued procla-
nation recurring their seamen in foreign
parts TO return 10 the service OF their conn-
nv.
II would seem then that the only danger
which these communications announced to
our commerce, was found ih'the Berlin de-
cree and the only increased danger, which
threatened our scamen, was the prociama-
tion recalling British subjects to the pi otsc-
ton of their native land.
Iet us examine these causes OF alarm, and
INQUIRE what would probably have been their
;nauenoc on eur administration, had there
not been others, which, though unacknow-
ledped, were more operative.
Was the Bertha decree the real, efficient,
moving cause of the embargo!
There is not, perhaps, thinking lndIvl-
a,al IN the II. S. who would not answer
this question in the negative.
The president had acquieseed in that de-:
cree. without serious and adequate re-
monstrance, too long to warrant suspicion
that he contemplated resistance to 1t. When
Snain. whose monarch was a known auto
maton, moving at the will OF Bonaparte,. a.
dopted this measure in terms, and applied
it to the United States, it was scarcely pos
s;ble TO doubt the intentions Of his master.
Yet no rescntms nts were manifested oy our
rulers, nor was any disposition shewn to
counteract this nefarious war on our offend
inc commerce, though it might have been
: done by means far less ruinous to ourselves,
than those which were selected.
If the system recommended by the exc
cutiye had really been directed against this
decree. there could have been no concelya-
BILE motive for not speaking to congress
plain and decisive language, unless II was
an unwiIiingness to proclaim to the legns!at-
ure and people of America, the grating
truth. that the distress they were about to
experience, was to be aseribsd exclusively
TO France.
On the contrary, he would, in all proba'
bilitv, have stated the tact in explicit terms
Il would have been his duty to have done
90, that congress might have exercised some
Judgment in determining, whether this aro''
uary decree could have been resisted moS'
advaatageously for the q. S. by an emoar'
90, or by different means.
Unfortunately, no American, who ma
been within the walls of the house OF repre-
aentasixes, can ascribs to the majority Q