The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-12-08
N6.N:sTE OF TIE, UNITED S7.dTES
TUnsDAY, Nov. %.
EMBARGO DEBAyE.-CONTINUED.
Mr.. POPE's SPEECH--CONCLUDED.

The gentleman has informed us that Great -Br-
tain can be supplied vita cotton from tie East-ln
dies and other co,a,rics. win ask the gentle
man, il Greas britain procure this article
frtn tire East ladies and other countries in spf-
cient quantity, aud as good terms as from the
United States ? IF she Cannot, which suppose
to be the case, she must feel eIpbargo m her
manufactures, one OF the Vital sources Oh her
strength and prosperity We are told that a non
Importation act would have no effect, because 1t
could not he enforced, smuggling would be car
ried on to very great extent that a nOn-inpcr'
tation act would, like all ot,,er laws, be partially
violated, WAS 10 DC expectcd--Eyery law Is Sio-
lated, but with due vigilance, SUCH IL measure
Could be enforced To very great extent. THUS
measure would not be sufficient, says tae gentle
man, because Great Britain viii ind market
for her manufactures in New Spain and South
America. will ask the gentleman, whether
South Ameiics has 40, heen supphed heretofore
with British manufactures to n considerable eS-
tcnt And docs the gentleman seriously believe
that she would find mark It in that country for
the immense quantity ct her manufactures nther-
to consumed in the U. States
Although the gentleman has net, in his rcso,.i-
ton to- repeal the embargo, proposed substitute,
he nitiinatedi', his argument, that we ought IL
arm our commerce against Ill nations. j not
prepared to say, that will adhere TO this e,nbar-
20 sys,,m If a better can be ueN,aetl-but before
Itemb:.cc substitute, Ir>ist be informed how
Ii Is TO opcratc-the gentleman must therefore
excuse me, for propoun;ling few questions to
him IN relation TO this measure. wish to be IN
forncd-wouid not such measure be war vita
France and Great Britain. should We not, by
such a measure. put it III the power OF the COM
mGrcial interest to enibroIl US WITH WHICH nation
they pleased Is Il prObS bic that our merchants
would ran the risl, of fighting ther way to the
continent of Europe, with loaded vessels IN de-
fiance Of the British navy Is it not NOR; pro
babe that Great Britain would have agents III
this country TO selilceuces 10 o,ir merchants to
trade to the continent, and would not our mer-
Chart, for their own security, secretly purchase
and trade nnder these licences /, II the object
oS Great Britain be a commercial onopo!y, and
we remove our embargo, would it not be III the
power OF the British merchants, by secret I'm
derstGrding with, and the eonnivance Of their
government by agents end secret partners IN the
United States to carry on the very trade to the
continent which Great Britain interdicts to us ?
l have been led 70 make these enquiries by read
ing the memorial OF the merchants OF Bcit.more,
presented 70 the government in 1906, respecting
neutral trade, snt. which signed by men OF
all parties IN which it is positively charged that
the object OF Great-2riAin i'll hsrrassIng our
trade, was to cripple American commerce and
promote her swn, and that she granted licences
to neutrals to carry on the trade whci, she inter-
dicted. l will read ii:
g 1t has been said, that, by cmbarking in the
colony trade Cf either of lhe beIiigcrents, neu-
trail nations. in some sort, interpose in the war,
since they assist and serve the bclliGercnts, III
whose trade they so embark. 1t is sufficient
aiswcr TO this observation, tlIet the same course
OF reasoning would prove, that neutrals ought 20
discontinue all trade whatsoever with the par
ties ut war n continuance OF Their accustomed
peace trade assists and serves the beiligersnt with
whom it IS continued end if this effect were
sufficient to make trade unreutrai and Illegal,
hert ~
OF course, become so. But Great Britain sup
plies us with another ans 10 this notion, that
our interference in the trade of the colonies Of
her enemies is unlawful, because tier are benefit
ed6y Il. 1t :, known that the same trade is, and
long It's been carried CT by British subjects and
your men,oiisiists feel themselves bound to state
that according to authentic information lately re-
ceived, the government Of Great Britain does, at
this moment, grant licences TO neutral vessels,
taking IN proportion OF their cargoes there, to
proceed on trading voyages to the colonies of
Spain, from which size would exclude us, upon
TIC condition, that the return cArgocs shall be
carried 60 Great Britain, to swell the gains Of
her merchants, and TO give her Z monopoly Of the
commerce OF the world. This great behigerent
right, then, upon which so much has been sup
posed 70 depend, sinks into an article of barter
1t Is used, not hestile instrument, welded by
wstlke state, by which her enemies arc To he |
wounded, or their colonies subdued, but as the !
selfish means Of commercial ~ gr2.ndizcment, 10 |
the mPoyerishment Ind ruin OF her friends rs
engine, by which Great Britsin is TO be lifted
up 10 q vast height IF prosperity, and the trade
Of neutrais crippled, and crushed, and destroy
ed''
,Accordingto the courseofreasoning adopted by |
the gentleman from Connecticut, the object Of
Great Britain in blOck&dinr the continent is not
90 starve it, If must therefore be to- secure TO her
self the benefit of Ill the commerce carried on
with the continental, powers. Ia such state Of
things, while those who trading underline |
licences OF foreign governments, were making
thciT fortunes, the honest americans, who would
not consent TO degrade their country by naviga-
ting The ocean under the protection of any gov
eminent but their own, would be plundered by
both belilgerents IL we are TO consider the bel |
lgercnt nations as pirates, no longer bound by
those principles of public law To which civilized
nations have hitherto subscribed, and are prepa- !
red to Pnrchase rights on the seas, let us do
1t as ration, by paying them sum in gross, and
thereby place our citizens on equal ground. We |
are told uiat en- cary considerable com |
mere Will net ,,f.~ tta ecore I'll
dee;ees or orders Of the bell gerents-this arr,l-
lnent is spccious ard captivating, let us examine
,t Tor fee! as much solieitute as the gentlemen
IN 'Ie opposition to rem0ve this embargo whene. |
yer 1t can be done with proprieiy--o this as well
as ON the subject Of on armed commerce, the |
Sthpemen will pardon me for requesting infor-
NATION. Jt we remove our embargo as To- Portu- |
ga End other pieces 20 which our trade is not in
tcttlcted, and by law declare thGt our citizens