Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-03-29
LETTER

4
] LETTER
\ From the honorable Timothy Ptckerinp, {
] senafor o. The United Stoses from, M
state Of G21sSaehusetfs, eLhi5ifing 10 hi.
constituents q uiero If imminent Gange,
Of an unnecessary cnd ruinous 5sar -
addressed 10 his ccceHency James SUI.
Hvon, governor If The said state.
CITY or WASHINGTON,
February 10, 1903.
SIR,
In the even current of ordinary
times, an address from a senator in CON
gress TO his constituents might be d:spen.
sed with. In such times, the proceedings
of the executive and Legislature of the u.
States. exhibited in their fsubic acts, might
be sufficient. But the present singular
condition of our country, when It's raost in
ltercsting concerns, wrapt up IN mystery
excite universal alarm, requires me 60 be
no longer silent. Perhaps 1 am liablc to
censure, at such & crisis, Tor not sooner
lpreseuting, to you and them, such view
OF our national affairs as my Official situl-
ton has placed in my power. / now adj
dress it to you, sir, as the proper organ Of
communication to the legislature
The attainment os TRUTH is ever 1es-
rable: and cannot permit myselfto doubt
that the statement l now make must be
| acceptable to all who have an agency in
directing the affairs, aud who are gu rtli-
ans or the interests of our commonwealth,
which SO materially dep .nds ON the mea-
Sures OF the government of the 7igs:oH.-
AT the same time am aware VI the lea
lousy with Which, i'll these unhappy DAYS
of party dissentions, my con,nun cations
may, by some Of my Constituents be re-
ceived. Ofthis l will not complain: White
earnestly wish the same Jealousy TO b..
extended towards all public men. Yet !
may ciaiin some share of attention ant Gre.
tht-that share which is due 20 the man
who defies the world to point, IN the who;
Course of a long and public life, al onu
instance OF deception, 1t single departure
from TRUTH
The EMBARGO demands the first notice.
For perhaps no act o. the national govern
nent has ever produced so muck solicitudc,
or spread such universal alarm. Because
all naturally conc ude, that measure pre-
nant with incalculable mischief to all clas-
ses OF our fellow Citizens, would not have
been proposed BY the persistent, and adopt
ed by Congress, but for Causes deeply ,.f.
trcting the Interests and safety OF the ma
ton 1t must have been INder the influence
OF this opinion that the legislative bodies OF
BATON of The embargo, either exp icii!y,
OF by implication.
The following were al the papers LID b.
the president before congress, as che grOna Is
OF tie embargo.
I. The proclamation os the king OF Great
Britain, requiring the return of his subjects
the se@men especially, from foreign coun-
tries, TO aid, in this hour Of peculiar dan.
ger, III The defence of their own. But IL
being an acknowledged principle, that G.
very nation has right 10 the service OF its
subjects in time of war, that proclamation
could not furnish the slightest ground for
an embargo.
! Q. The extract OF letter from the grand
! judge Regnier to the French attorney ge-
neral for the council of prizes. This con
tanned partial Interpretation Of the i'm pc
rial blockading decree OF " v. 81, 1906
| This decree, in1eed, and its Interpretation
present fragrant violations Of our neutral
rights, and Of the existing treaty between
| the United States and France: but still,
the execution of that decree cohld not
| from the small number of French cruz.
ers) extensively interrupt our trade
| These two papers were public.
| 3. The letter from our minister, Mr.
Armstrong, TO Mr. Champaign, the Frcuch
minister OF foreign affairs aud
4. Mr.. Champaigny's answeF. Both these
ought, in form or substance, also to have
been public. The latter would have fur
nished to our nation some idea Of the views
and expectations of France. Bat bo;h
were Withdrawn by the president, to be
deposited among other executive secrets
while neither presented any new ground &c
Justify an embargo
! In the sennt... these r1aoers were referred
to committee. The committee quickly
reported bill for laying an embargo, a.
grecsbly to ne presidents proposal. Thi,
was done first, a second and third time
and passed and all in the short compass.
Of about four hours A Lutte tine was re
pestcdiT asked. to obtain further informa.
tion, and to consider a measure Of such
momeat, Of such lcivcrsal concern: bat
these requests were denied. We were
hurried into the passage of the bill, as i
there was danger of It's being rejected, 4
We were allowed timc 20 obtain fur her in.
formation, and deliberately consider the
subject. For 90 that time oar teSses were
| freely sailing on foreign voyages; ard in q
national point OF view, the departure oi
/ half a dozen or dozen more, while we
were cnguirigg into the necessity or expo.
d,encI of the embargo, was OF little mo-
"ent. Or Is thc danger to cur vessels sea