Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1808-04-01

NeuutnS ~ huPSutS "tAA StS"t
Will Il be believed that tits principally,
or solely, to procure inviolability to the
merchant Gag Of the United States: In
other wurds, to protect all seamen, Bri-
tish subjects, as well as our citizens, on
|. board our merchant vessels1 1t is =
fstt that this has been made the greatest
obstacle "a an amicable settlement with
Great. Britain. Yet (I repeat it is per-
feetly well known that she desires to OBJ
tain only her GUN subjects ; and that A.
raerican citizens, impressed BY mistake,
are deliveredu up 90 dolly authenticated
proof. The evil We complain Of arises
from the impossibility Of always distin-
gushing the persons Of two nations who,
a few years since, were one poodle, who
exhibit the same manners, speak the
same language and possess similar fea-
lures. But seeing that We seldom hear
eonpldints in the grea.naVigoting States,
how happens there to be such extreme
sympathy for American seaihen Al Eash-
ingtons Especially in gentlemen from
the interiour States, which have M sea-
men, or from those Atlantick States,
whose native seamen be ar a very small
proportion 10 those Of New England !
In fact, the causes Of complaint are much
fewer than are pretended. They rarely
occur IN the States whose seamen sre
chiefly natives. The first merchant in
The Gaited States, in answering my late
inquiry about British, impressnehts,
says, " Since the Chesapeake affair We
have had no cause Of complaint. I can
not find one single ~instanee where they
have taken one man out of a merchant
vessel. Ihave had more than twenty
vessels arrived in that time, without one
instance Of a man being takea by them.
Three Swedes were taken out by q
French Fsigase. / have made INQUIRY
ofall the masters that have arrived in
this vicinity, and cannot find any COM
plants against the British cruisers"
Can gentlemen of known hostility to
forcing commerce ia our GUN vesseLs-
who are even willing to annihiiate it (and
such there arr)-can these gentlemen
plead the cause Of our ~ because
they really wish to protect theme Can
those desire TO brateet our seamen, who,
bylaying an unnecessary embargo, ex-
pose them by thousands to sfdrve or beg$
One gentleman has said (and I believe
he does not stand alone) that sooner
than admit the principle that Great Bril-
tain had a right to take her gun subjects
from our merchant O~esseks, he would A.
handon commerce altogether ITO what
~il every man in New England and of
the other navigating States, ascribe such
- sentiment! A sentiment which, to-
prevent the temporary loss of Ave men,
by impress, would reduce 6fty thousand
10 beggary! But for the Embargo, thou.
sauds depending on the ordinary opera
tons of commerGe, weuld now be em-
plsyed. Even under the restraints Of
the orders Of the British nent,
retaiiAting the French imperial decree,
very large portions of the world remain
open TO- the commerce Of the United
States. We may yet pursue Gur trade
with the British dominions. In every
part Of the globe with Africa, with
China, and with the colonies Of France,
Spain and Holland.
And let me ask, whether in the midst
Ola profound peace, when the powers Of
Europe possessing colonies, would as
formerly, conhne the trade with them to
theis own bottoms, or admit US, Al fo-
Seigners, only under great limitations,
we could enjoy a commerce much more
extensive than is practicable a. this mo.
mens. If the Embargo were not in the
way ! Why then should it be continued
Why rather was it ever laid? Can those
be Legitimate reasons for the Embargo
which are concealed from Congress, at
the moment when they are required to
impose it! Are the reasons to be found
10 the dispatches from Paris? These
have been moved for; and the motion
was quashed by the advocates for the
Embargo. Why are these dispatches
Mthheldhr The Executive : VIII WHEN