The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-06-28

nation. belief that it it had beer opted, we
should have avoided present dniculties.
trust, have shown that they have not ARISEN from
the rejection ot tlstrcaty, and that its adoption
wou> not have prevented the state of things that
now exists betweenthe United States and Great
Britain; CHS has been my only motive for the no
lice nave tsken Of it. 1, has been tn me paint
tal duty. have cndeavored to discharge 1t, In
! a manner consistent with the respect feel for
| the gentlemen who negotiated that treaty One
OF tnem nave Known long and Intimately l.
know he IS incapable of sn intentional abandon
H,ent or the interest of his country. NV object
~ not Ia criniinate the cOmmi ssioners, who,
am confident, believed they acted for the intc-
rest OF their count!N,, but TO rescue the admns-
tration from censuse they do not merit In
forming lhe treaty, the commissioners acted up
on n responsibility, the full force of which they
telt. The President in sending it back and re-
tusng to ratfyi 1t. discharged duty to his coun-
try Ihave no doubt he did ligllt. That nc act
ed according 20 his conviction, there can be
no doubt. 1t is proven BY his instructions ,ntc-
ccden,y given The sPondence is publish
ed and every man has the means OF forming an
opinion for himself
| Before you will believe that the necessity for
the embargo grewout Of The fault s. reniss,ess of
our own government, and not out of the, French
DEGREES and British orders, YOU will require it TO
be proved by what act OF ours, short of war with
England, we could have prevented the block i'd
ing decree Of France from being extended to our
commerce and by what act oil ours, Short of
war with France, the British orders Of the 9TH
january, 1907, and their orders of the 1ith Mo-
vember, would have been prevented from issuing
They have told you and you have seen, that the
rejected treaty would not have had that effect
| Il must be shown too, how the British were 10
have been restrained from the improvement of
our seamen how, by any act of sur's, the attack
upon the Chesapeake was brought about and how
| the execution of one of the four men taken from
on board that vessel, and the detention of the o.
Their three, is to be ascrbed to the rejection the
| treaty. 1t may be asked, do we rely solely upon
| the embargo We do not we have made pro-
vision for the defense of our ports and harbor,,
| by the appropriation of large sums of money, for
| the erection of Qualifications and the building
g,m-boats, to be used in the defence of our PORTS
| bays, and rivers. We have ordered a regular
force of upwards of six thousand men to be rails
| ed, who will be employed for the defence of cur
| most exposed and important pla..es We have
| given the President power to call into actua!
| service 10000 militia; and we have appropri-
ated ESQ., 900 dollars for the purchase and manu-
facture of arms. A much larger sum would have
been applied to this most important object, if it
could have been used but that was not believed
| to be practicable, as we can only procure them
from manufactures within the United States
| How long us the embargo likely to continue is
question every man feels interested in. A law
passed Congress short time before the adjourn
ment, authorizing the President of The United
Event such peace or suspension
of hostilities between the belligerent pswers of
Europe, or CT such changes in their measures
| affecting neutral commerce, a may render that
OF the United States sufficiently safe in his iuGg-
ment, to suspend the act laying an embargo In
either OF these events, the embargo will instant
| iy be taken off,. If the wrongs of which we COM
PLAN continue, and the embargo becomes more
/ oppressive than war, must make the appeal
to arms, and resort to such measures as will give
fuii scope to the courage and enterprise of our
tcountrymen. lfthis shall be our only alternative
the course we have taken was the best we could
have adopted; IT has enabled is to bring home
! all our citizens who were abroad. to secure the
vast property we had afoat, to put our country in
state OF defence, and TO make ali the necessary
preparations tor offensive war, if we should be
Obliged to resort TO it. 1t gives us every ole
chance to escape war. But if We should not be
so fortunate, we shall engage in it, with less risk
and loss to ourselves, and greater means of an
noyance to our enemies.
Feiiow-ctizeas, the state of our affairs and in
deed OF the whole world, is portentous and me-
Tts your NEST serious consideration 1t is not the
lot OF man to enjoy uninterrupted happiness.
Our situation IL, and mas been the most enyiable
OF any people on earth. We live under govern
ment OF our choice, administered by our own a.
gents, elected by and responsible tous Our pro
perty is our own; not shilling Of it is taken
from us bit what is faithfully applied to the pub.
lie service. Fulfilling all our duties to Others we
ask OF them nothing but to forbear to do us inu-
! ~ When the people and wealth of other coHn-
tries have been devoted to CRAFTY the ambition of
their rulers, we have been happily ENJOYING the
fruits OF our own labour. 1t is in America ONLY
that the rights f.man are known and respected.
should be unfaithful to you, if did not warn
you OF the possibility of your being called upon
| to defend these inestimable blessings, and that
you may be called upon for yet greater exertions
than you made in your revolutionary war In this
crisis, feilow-ctzens, when it is uncertain from
what quarter the blow may come, as with what
force you may be assailed; let us think only of
the danger to which our country is exposed let
us dismiss all party and personal considerations,
and devote ourselves to the preservation of our
country; let us make solemn vow, that we will,
at the expence of our lives and fortunes maintain
that independence and liberty which our best
blood was expended in acquiring that we will
defend TO the last extremity, the rich Inheritance
procured for us by the valor, wisdom and p4tri-
otism of our fathers, and that we will transmit
it unmpaired to our posterity.
| ! am,
With the greatest respect & consideration,
| Your humble servant,
L