Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-06-14

coffee, sugar, or molasses But tina
Eit We dare to convey particle of thos,
productions to any port of continental
Europe, without paying her duty
without first going into her ports, anc
submitting to examination and taxati
ION, our ships shall be arrested ant
condemned for the benefit of the can.
ltors. Documents containing all tbes.
facts, In the most circumstantial man.
ner have been 6 officially communica.
ted to the people.
There is only one way in which the
Language of the preamble can be con-
strued so as to render it intelligible
Ii the Essex Junto deem it less ruin
Gus to coalesce with great Britain a.
Igalnst France if they conceive that
the United States will be more honor
ed by paying tribute to our ancient
masters than by manfully resisting
their demands; that it is better to be
the tools OF Britain than her equal !;
then, indeed there is some sense, some
meaning in their expressions. Ifsuch
be their sentiments how dare they call
themselves the friends of Indepen-
dence What would they make of us
but colonies in disguise masked pro-
vinces of Britain? Suppose them sue
cessiul In their efforts to effect their
wishes /; admit that we were connected
with England by the closest ties.
where could be our trade, our com.
nlerce' What becomes of us? Bona
parte lnterdicts us entirely from his
ports: 1t would then no longer be a
question whether we should 90 I
a French port from an English port
but we should not be permitted 70 GO
from an American to French por,.
When we now speak of France all
europe is understood. Friends and
allies OF Britain, we should follow her
fortunes and partake in her distress.
Where is the nation that has not been
destroyed or dishonored by her friend
hip? Why has she not protectea
chem and their commerce? 1Vhy does
he not protect her own? This then is
their object--.they would render these
tates subservient TO British policy,
and tributary to the English treasury.
We should not even have the ayari.
cious satisfaction of being subsidized
Tor the dlshonorable submission. Our
disgrace would be aggravated by the
consideration that we had to pay for il.
The embargo like the declaration OF
Independence is the test of patriotism
and the Essex Jcnto who oppose the
former stand precisely on the same le-
vel with the tories who in 1875 re.
probated the latter. The time will
come when any man in this country
will be proud to say, 1 supported the
Embargo. What difference is there.
IN truth, between the principle in con.
troversy in the revolutionary war and
the one at present in dispute Then,
8ritain took Americans across the AT.
antic to be tried for pretended often.
Ces, and wished to tax us in all cases
whatsoever: Now, she seizes and de-
talns our mariners on false preten-
ces, and interdicts our commerce un-
tess we will submit to a taxation laid
on by her leg stature; not taxation for
trade with her own ports but taxation
for trade with French ports.
The resolutions are nothing more
than an application of the preamble,
like sermon after the text. With
an air of peculiar sagacity, as if it
were an original discovery, the first re-
solution AYERS " that the citizens of
Massachusetts have a natural, necessa-
ry, and immediate interest in the pre-
servation and prosperity ofcommerce,
navigation and the fisheries" These
are things which no man questions, and
which ten thousand resolutions could
not render more true. But when we arc
told, thatto secure protection and en-
couragement to these most important
Uld unalienable interests, was primary
motive for the accession of the COM
monwealth of Massachusetts, to the
constitution of the United States, ,"
and that the Essex Junto 4" view with
anxiety and alarm the operation of
he embargo" as tending to annihilate
those interests, there is something
more to be said.
3y their own reasoning the authors
of the resolutions have reduced the
question to this Is the Embargo a