Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1808-05-20

1~many mltuOno~ u inc same properly
would have been at this moment in the
same predicament, had they not been
saved from the exposure to j. by the EN-.
barge, those orders, which If once sub
mitted to, and carried to the extent of
their principles, would not have left an
inch of American canvass upon the o.
eean, but under British licence and Bri.
tish taxation. An attentive reader Of
the letter, without other information,
would not even suspect their existenc
They are indeed in one or two pas
sages, family, and darkly alluded to UNI
der the justif, ing description Of : the ORE
dets Of the British government ret0iias.
ing the French imperial decree: but N
causes or even prefeaccs OF war with
Great.Eritain, they are not only unnotic.
ed, but their very existence is by direct
implication denied.
1t is indeed true, that these orders
were not officially communicated with
the Presidents message recommending
the embargo. They had not been Off.
ciall y eceived-But they were announc.
ed in several paragraphs from London
and Liverpool newspapers Of the 10Th,
1lth and 18th of November, which ap.
peared in the National Intelligeneer the
18th December, the day upon which
the embargo message was sent to Con.
gress. The British government had Il.
ken care that they should not be authen.
tieally known before their time for the
very same newspapers which gave this
Unofficial notice of these orders, announc.
ed also the departure Of Mr.. Rose, up-
on a special mission to the United States.
And we now know that Of this abide.
vouring instrument ofrapine, Mr.. Rose
was not even informed. His mission
was professedly mission Of eonciliation
and reparation for a aagrant-eno,mou.
acknowledged outrage. But he was
not sent with these orders of council IN
his hands. His text, was the disavowal
of admiral Berkeley's conduct. The
commentary was to be discovered on a.
mother page Of the British ministerial
policy-On the face Of Mr.. Roses in.
struetions, these orders Of council were
as visible, as they are ON that Of Mr..
Pickering's letter.
They were not merely without Official
authenticity. Rumors had for several
weeks been in circulation, derived from
English prints, and private eorrespon-
dences, that such orders were to issue
and no inconsfderable pains were taken
here to discredit the fact. Assurances
were given that there was a reason to he.
lieve no such orders to be contemplated.
Suspicion was lulled by declarations e.
quivalent nearly to positive denial: and
these opiates were continued for weeks
after the embargo was laid, until Mr..
kEskine received instructions to make
the Official communication Of the orders
themselves, in their proper shape to our
government.
Yet, although thns au,he ntics.ed, and
even although thus in some sort denied.
the probability Of the circumstances I'm.
der which they were announced, aud the
sweeping tendency of their effects, form.
edto my understanding powerful mo.
tive, and together with the papers sent
by the president, and his express recon-.
mendstion, adhesive one, for asserting
to the embargo. As precautionary
measure, Ibelieve it would rescue IN
immense property from depreciation, if
the orders should prove authentic. If
the alarm was groundless, I, must very
soon be disapProved, and the embargo
might be removed with the danger.
The omission of all notice of these
facts in the pressing enquiries "why the
embargo was lain !''%is the mos. surpri-
zing, because they are Of all facts, the
most material, upon fair aud impartial
examination of the expedieney ofthas act,
when it passed. Aud because these or
ders, together with the subsequent, ire
talia,ing DEGREES" of France and Spain,
have furnished the ONLY reason upon
which have acquiesced in its continue
ance to this day. Ifduly weighed, they