Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-06-28
FROM THE NATIONAL rnrELLIcExcER.

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testing against the orders in Council
Ih,s' debate -!orcbly exposes the still VII
gorous Il powerful opposition to that mea-
sure Jusihes, in their most important fea-
lures, the arguments urged in this 'coun-
try IN support of the embargo; and vim
Gates the conduct of the President in
sending back the treaty. Our readers
will be gratifed at the apparent horror
with which the ministry shrink from the
Charge of.wishing to push the affairs be-
tween that country and his to runture.
we hope that they sincerely feel what they
avow, and that when Mr. Rose shall have
convinced them, that it is the ardent de-
sire OF our government to estore the ami.
caole relations OF the two countries, they
VIII abandon measure, which, however
injurious to us, will, it persisted in, be
ruinous to them. We regret that we have
room only for the following extrA cts:
Lord HoLLAND-E'We have not vet gone
SO far in this work OF calamity, that the
warning voice of his house. might not still
save US from impend ng rum and absolute
obstruction. That ruin and that destruct-
ION there was no more certain method of
erecting, than by driv ny the people of A
=" riCa into hostility with Great Britain.
And what other eff ct than ;his can nob,,.
lords opposite expect! DO they conceive
chat grand and inde pendent nation, with
rights and interests which it is her duty to
protect, Will quietly succumb to a cour:.,
OF proceeding which goes to interrupt the
whole OF her extensive commerce with the
continent OF Europe, and subject to i'm
posts, to prohio lions, and, in some cases,
10 coniiScation, her shipping and cargoes
II is Impossible that any such hope could
be entertained, even by the most credu..
IO,lS. HIT was this nj xNya.a ,,>,o;-.a-.
satisfied with the aggression committed bv
the execution of the orders in council on
America! No; insult W S added TO injury.
and the evil was considerably aggravated
sDy the contumeiious manner in which it
was carried INTO effect. This system, so
destructive to the prosperity of America,
y hrSt ad pied without anv alledged pro-
VOCATION, and OF the intention of acting up
on 1T the ministers of this country would
not deign to communicate to the American
government any previous intlmation. In
deed, We have it from their own mouths.
that even the very gentlemen (Mr. 'Rose)
whom IT was deemed advisable to send SO
recently tn that country, on a special mis-,
sion, was, at tile time of his departure, to-
tally ignorant, not only of the n iure of these
crderSrn Council, but of the intention of
the kings government to resort to such a
course of policy. And, my lords let us
COZ slider the period wh,ch was selected for
the d p on Of this sys, Sm 1t was at a 'ime
when, from CERTAIN occurrences, our rela-
tons with America were disturbed, and
when actually special mission was sent
forward, ~ u. Britain, to enter into such
explanations most conducive to lead TO an
amlcabie arrangemI mt mp that point. -
Ohuef such circumstances 1t was that mi
nisters ventuied to carry INTO oDerat on
measures which go to deprive a great and
growing nation, such ind 1ubtedly as Ame-
rica is, OF It's great staple trade, namely.
the exportaGon of cotton to the continent
OF Europe; and subject to the taxation of
iofe., "a state, possessed of no right or con-
troll over her, the whole of her commerce.
al and shipping interests. One should
have thought that there could not be found
IN TINS country, so recentlySfter what has
happened in our connection with America.
Persons determined to revive that princi E,
pie OF American revenue which lost that
Country forever to G. Britain. Ii was not
only to impositions or restrictions upon her
trade that these orders were limited.-
Ihey took more extensive range, and
were attended W tn more violent conse =
quences. They devoted to C, fiscation a.
ny Amer can vessel on board of which a
French certificate OF the growth and orr gin
OF. the cargoes was found by anv of our
cruisers. IL Is pecessaFv on this point to
! observe, that any belligereut has a right
to demand such certificate from any neu
trail trading to the ports OF hat belligerent
Such right was recognized by the law of
nations, and had been exercised heretofore
by France, and also acted upon in this
country To the Americans trading 10 the
ports OF France, it was necessary, in OF
der To tgalise the sale of their cargoes in
that country. But the orders i'm council
have reduced them to this dilemma, that
without TINS certificate of origin, they are
liable to coniscatIon IN any port of the con :
tinent OF Europe, subject TO the dominion
OF France, and on the high seas the very
discovery of this document, by British
cruiser. IS sure to expose them to uncon-
dnionai cpnhscation, in all places under the
dominion Of the Sovereign of this United
Kingdom"
He next proceeded TO state the evils
which war with = merica must entail on
the dearest interests of this country, and the
probable injury which must ensue to our
colonies, depending as they did for sub,
sisteuce upon the supplies afforded by North
America. The evidence produced at the
bar Of that House did and would continue
to prove the evil which perseverance in
such rulncus system OF policy must inevi..
tably produce upon the manufacturing and
trading interests Of this country. He had