Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1808-12-06
sss,r .nce Is The nation, that twill no longer


submit Is these edicts.
Il. Il remains for us, therefore, to conslder
what submission IS, and what the plrdgenos
to- submit implies.
One man submits to the order, decree, or
edict Of another, when he does that thing
which such order, decree or edictE com,
rnands or when he csnits to 90 that tning'
which such order, decree or edict prohlblts.
This, then, IS Submission. It is to 90 as
we are hidden. 1t is to take the will OF a.
mother as the measure OF our rights. # is
to weld to his power to go where ne 81
rests, or to refrain from going where \. ne fof-
bids us.
If this be submission, then, the pledge
not to submit implies the reverse OF all this.
II IS a solemn declaration, that we val not
do that thing, which such order, decree OF
cdict commands, or that we will do what It
prohibits. This, then, is freedom. This
is honor. This Independence. It consists
in taking the nature of things, and not the
viii of another, as the measure Of our rights.
What God and Nature has offered US, we
will enjoy in dsspishtof the commands, re-
gardless Of the nenaces Of iniquitous pow
fer.
Let us apply these correct and undeniable
priincip.essto the esiicts OF G. Britain and
France, and the consequent abandonment
Of the ocean BY the American governments.
The DEGREES of France prohibit Us from
trading Will, G. Britain. The orderssof 9.
Britain prohibit us from trading with France.
And whar do we? Whv-in direct subser-
viency to the edicts Of each,w prohibit our
citizens from trading with either. We db.
more, as if unqualified submission was not
Illuminating enough, we descend to an actoi
superarogaticn in serviiity we abandon
trade altogether; we not only refrain from
that particular trade, which their respective
edicts prescribe, bat lest the ingenuity Of
our merchants should enable them to eyade
their operation, to make submission donbly
sure, the American government virtually
re-cnact the edicts Of the belligerents and
abandon all the trade, which notwithstand-
ing the practical effects Of their edscts, re-
main to us.
The same conclusion viii result if we
consider our embargo in relation to the OBJ
jects of this belligerent policy. France by
her cdicts would compress G. Britain, by
destroying her commerce. and cutting of her
supplies. AL the continent of Europe, in
the hand Of Bonaparse, is made subservicat
to this policy. The embargo law Of the U.
Sin sts opcration,is an ulicn with this con-
tineatal coalition against British commerce,
at the very moment most suspicious to its
success.
Can any thing be more in direct satser-
viency to the vicwf of theFrench emperor?
IF We consider the orders Of Great Britain,
the result VIII be the same. Iproceed at
present on the sgpposi,iop Of a perfect I'M
partialty in Cur administration towards both
belligerents, SO far as relates to the embargo
lazy. 6. Britain mad two objects in Issuing
her orders. First, to excite discomfort in
the people Of the continent, by depriying
them of their accustomed colonial supplies.
Second, to SECURE to herself that commerce
Of which she deprived neutrals. Our en-
bargo co-operates with the British views in
both respects. BY our derelictien of the
ocean, the continent is much more deprived
| of the advantages Of commerce, than it
would be possible for the British navy TO eff
feet, and by removing our competition, all
the commerce of the continent, which can
he forced, is whollyleft to be reaped by 9.
Britain. The language Of. each sovereign
isin dnectconformity to these ideas. Ma
polean tells the American minister virtually
that We are very good Americans; that al
though he will not allow the property he has
in his hands to escape him, nor eesist from
burning and capturing our vessels on every
occasion, yet. that he is, thus far satisfied
with our co-operation. And what is the