The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-12-24
mo. r..

|. ouid continue after the means of payment
S ceased to exist i'll other words, tine ex-
1 chanSe OF labor between the two countries
, woald be too unequal to last. In short
, time even that branch of revenue would dw;n
die into issignihcance /; it would not replen-
ISM the treasuary. Thus, sir, take these. e.
oictS and orders i'll council in any possible
point OF view. their operation upon your
commerce is exclusion from the continental
market, the destruction of Your revenue,
the iesscned value of the produce of Your
son, and the prostration of your fisheries
and aavigation
Entcrprze cannot continue when every a.
venue OF commerce. is cut off--In short, thew
produce the very evils which gentlemen wish
TO Charge on the embargo. / have endea-
Vorcu to consider this question as a question
or pecuniary calculation altogether ana it
IS so clear to my mind, that there does not
exist temptation to sacrifice the honor and
Independence of the ". S. THAI, lam astonish-
! - gentlemen can take any other view of the
subject than that have taken. To take
Oil the embargo at this time, while the de-
crees OF France and the orders of England
remain in force, without adopting some other
| neasuie equally efficient, would be to sub!
INIT to the meanest degradation. It would
oe sending your property to certain ruin, ex-
Posing 70 tic iamirss spoiiatiun OF every
pirate with which the ocean IS infested,
withon the means If resistance or the hope
OF justice. If you do not now take stand
for your rights, when will you? Can the oc-
caSon ever be more urgent ? 1t would be
vain hereafter when you have ielded, and
the nation IS Infatuated to foreign dominate
on Doyou Halter yourself that your griev-
ances will close here You will be misra-
Kent is not the nature of power intoxicat-
ed with success to retraCt it's encroachments,
or commercial avarice to relax its preten-
SONS. The little YOU now have wilt soon be
Claimed, and what you have ALREADY Weld
ed, will furnish the pretext to enforce YOUR
compliance-you will not even be remune-
rated yprofit for your disgrace 1t is not
time when submission is entitled to mode.
ration, or concessions ensure forbearance
Our agriculture must continue as it now is
until some new direction be given to the des-
tructvc tempest, which renders it almost
iinpossiblc to navigate the ocean. ] know
tnat the operation of our measures is strong,
that every man must feel them more or
less, and the plainest calculations cannet uui-
CT the rest.essness of pecuniary embarrass-
ment. But. sir, while candidly believe the
members OF this House feel their full share
Oh tne pubic pressure, (that at least is my
case) and are honestly governed by what
: they believe the interest of the country. I
cannot but rely upon the patriotism of the
people. Let gentlemen, therefore, who DIS
!
say what they think best to be done. They
owe 1t to themselves, and their constituents,
and they cannot withhold their councils with
out violating a sacred duty, they are pledg-
ed to perform. Let them do this instead Of
dividing and distracting the government and
weakening the nation-thcy are Americans
ahd ought not to sacrifice the national richts
to the pride OF party. AS to the embargo,
shew me something better and will retract
IN nd y
consider myself precluded from g choice of
measures because once voted for it, There
is no object to which / stand pledged but
the safety OF the nation, and no system but
that which will most certainly promote it.
My colleague has said, we are called on
by every sense OF duty we owe to ourselves
and country 20 unite and annoy our enemies,
and make the strongest possible impression
upon them agree with him. 1t is time
to retaliate the aggrcssions and injuries of
which we have been so long he victims.
! ms is the only way to change their temper
by retorting the evils Of their own Injustice
some foreign magic must have withered
his brain, and that man must be under the
influence OF foreign governments who will
not go all lengths TO support the honor of the
nation 1t is to be regretted our harmony;
has been disturbed by the introduction Of
subjects not connected with the existing
difficulties. Union would be more promoted
by looking prospectively. As to those mea-
sures alluded toby gentlemen, as the causes
OF our present difficulties, they passed be-
fore had Il seat OH this floor, and without
any participation of mine. Can there ex-
list a doubt that the crisis has arrived when
we must take care of ourselves, and keep TO
ourselves' Every mode of insult to the ma
tion has been tried, and even your public mi
nisters have come in for the; full share Of
neglect As 20 keeping them any longer in
Europe to be writing notes and papers, it is
out of the questlon---for one, am prepared
to 90 along with my country and share its
fate. / shall vote for the first and third re-
solutions, because we cannot without disfe-
nor submit to the fragrant violation of our
neutral rights, and because we should be
prepared to defend them. The second, ex-
Guiding armed vessels, shall also have my
aDprobation-l am willing to place the En-
gilsh French on the same ground. Their
conduct has forfeited all claim upon us, 10
the hospitality and protection OF our wa
tiers. lam disposed to exclude the prodpc
tons OF both and cut off all intercourse unt;l
they are disposed to renew it upon tc.cs,s nf
equality As for this measure injurir,a r.
gland more than France we cannon h .Inibot
but it ought to be recolleCted that II has rot
been long since we we're told b. the Dri,;tb
Themselves, all their efforts t., iniure Franc.
were vain, while S',e cnioN oil H. -. r