Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1808-03-18

weakening by distressing every part Of
the country, is to increase its strength
and its vigour.-No. l cannot be de-
ceiyed in the view / have taken Of this
measure--and I will not cease to protest
against it with all the energies with
which I amPossessed. -...
/ am grieved to see that we are per.
petually engaged in making additions
and supplements to the embargo law.
Whever We Can sPya hole, if it be no
bigger than a wheat straw, at which the
industry and enterprise of nj country
can End vent, all our powers are called
into requisision to stop it up. The peo-
pie of thi. country shall sch nothing but
what they sell to each other. An our
surplus produce shall rot on our hands.
God knows what all this means | sir,
cannot understand. l am asUonished
indeed | am a.tonished and dismayed.
l see effects ; but l can trace them to no
cause. les sir, lido fea, Mattherris an
unseen hand, (Which isguidng u. 10 the
most dreadful destinies-Unseen because
1t caanotendure the light. Darkness and
mystery overshadow this house and this
whole nation. W. know nothing-we
are psrm,ted to know nothing. We. sit
here as t automaa; we legislste)
without knowing. mar, sir, without
Wishing to know, Why or wherefore.
We are told what We re 70 do and the
C,mncH Of Fiue HunIred do it. We
move, but why or wherefore, no maj
knows ; we are putinmosion, but how,
l fer one cannot tell.
Sir! the gentlemenof this house with
whom have the honour to act, and a
Distinguished honourL consider it, are
disposed to do all that men can do for
their country. But ve wish to know
what we are doing--tie tendency Of the
measures we are called upon 70 adopt.
1.-THE motives and the principles Of the
administration are honest and patriotic,
we would support them with q fervou1
which none could surpes. But sir, we
are kept in total darkness. W. are treat.
ed as the enemies Of our country. We
are permitted to know nothing. and exc
Grated because we do not approve Of
measures, the origin md tendency OF
which are carefully concealed from us!
W. are denounced because we have no
confidence in the executive, at the mo-
ment the executive refuses 70. discover
to us-even this house-nay< SIR this
nation, its actual condition. Like the
Israelites in Egypt, we are to make
brick and find our own straw. W. are
to have faith and 6nd out our own rra-
sons for it. This course will do in this
country no longer. 1.-THE speaker called
Mr.. @. to order. w. Aston wished
the gentleman might be permitted to pro-
ceed1-Mf. GARDENER. Edo not desire
permission of that gentleman. l. shall
permit myself to proceed. have wan
dered, sir, through a wide field, I con-
Tess. i return to this bill. / wish to
soften its asperities-to make its opera.
ton more mild. Particularly to have
the fourth section expunged. I will,
therefore, vote for its commitment.
FEBRUARY 22.
The house then proceeded to consider
the motion made on Saturday by MIR. d.
Williams, -tGse.commit the bill in ad.
dition to the act supplementary . the act
laying an embargo.
(FORE1GN FLUENCE)
Mr.. Johnson rose to reply to the OBJ.
servations of Mr.. GARDENER on Satur.
day, respecting the embargo. He de.
elared himself a friend to freedom of
debate, but said that the charges made
against the house ought not to be *.
eused. It had been said (he observed)
that this house was<guidrd BY al iuvisi-
bic hand: that like the council Of FIVE
hundred, they waited for ths word of
command and obeyed IL; that they
were under foreign influence ! that they
were riviting the chains which were to
bind US underthe dominion ofthe French.
Emperor ! and that they were automata.
M ronSidered aneh a0sart;on q