Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1808-04-01

Justify, who End an excuse fer 4 course
OF conduc, which has brought u coan-
try into its present state Of alarm, EN-
barrassment and distress? For myself,
Sir, I must declare the opinion, that no
free tountry was wei before so cause.
lessly, and so blindly thrown from the
height Of prosperity, ard plunged into
q state Of dreadful anxiety and suffering.
But from this degraded and Wretched
situation, it is not yet too late to escape.
Let the dispatches from our minister in
France be no longer concealed. Let
the president perform the duty required
of him BY the constitution ; by giving
to Congress full information Of the state
Of the union in respect to foreign nations.
Above all, let him unfold our actual
situation with France.-Let him tell Us
what are the demands and proposals Of
her Ruler. Had these been HoNoRABLR
to The United States, would o the
President have been eager to disclose
them? That they are Of an entirely diff.
terent nature, that they are Gishonsr0bie,
that they are ruinous to our commercial!
interests, and dangerous to our liberty
and INDEPENDENCE, we are left to infer.
hope, sir, that the nature and mag.
ni.ude Of the subject will furnish a suf.
Gent apology for the length and style Of
this letter. Perhaps some may deem it
Presumptuous thus to question the cor
rectuess Of the proceedings Of u GO
vernment. A strong sense of duty, and
distressing apprehension. Of National
ruin, have forced the task upon me,
To some, the sentiments which, In the
sincerity Of my heart, / have expressed,
may give offence ; for often nothing Of
tends so much as TRUTH. Yet do | not
desire to offend any mau. But when I
see the dangerous extent Of Executive
influence : when I see the Great Coun-
Gil OF the. NatioH called on 10 enact laws
deeply affecting the interests of all classes
OF citizens, without adequate inEorma-
ton Of the reason of that CALI: when I
observe the deceptive CLOSES with which
the misehiefs Of the Embargo. arc. at
tempted to be palliated; and posterior
events addnced as reasons to Justify the
measure when I know that the risks Of
continuing their commercial pursuits A.
gainst all known dangers can and will
become more accurately calculated by
our merchants than by Jul government;
when If any new dangers to commerce
were impending, o (Which our merchants
were uniformed, but Of which the go-
vernment obtained the knowledge thro,
its minister at Paris, or elswhere, it was
plainly the duty of the Executive to make
those dangers known to Congress and
the Nation: and since ifso made known,
the merchants & the sea fa.ing citizens
would, for their OWE interests and safe
~, have taken the precautions to guard
against them : andas it hence appears
certain that the Embargo was not neces-
sary to the safety Of " our seamen, our
vessels. or u merchandise ;"-When,
sir, | see and consider these things, and
their evil tendency; in a word, when /
observe a course Of proceeding which 10
me appears calculated to mislead the pub
lie mind to public ruin ; I cannot be si-
lent. Regardless, therefore, Of person.
al consequence. / have undertaken to
communicate these details; with a view
to dissiPate dangerous illusions , TO give
to my constituents correct information
to excite inquiry ; aud to rouse that vigi.
lent jealousy which is characteristic Of
REPUBLICANS, and essential to the
preservation Of their rights, their fiher-
ties, and independence.
have the honor to be,
very respectfully, Sir,
your obedient servant,
TIMOTHY PICKERING.