Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1808-12-05
GO N g RE SIS.
Senate . The United Stats.
TuGspAr, Novem5er p.
e MBARGO.
on M, l1illh0uses s.otion tsr 2
repeal.
coNTINUED.
N
Inf. Pobe's Speech concluded. !

To- .
According to the course OF reasoning a. /
,Ionteds by the gentleman from Connectieut,
The. object Of Great Britain in blockading
the continent is not to staryc It, It must
therefore be to secure to herself the benefit
of all the commerce carried on with the COM
tinental powers. In such a state OF things,
while those who were trading under the II.
cences Of foreign governments were making
their fortunes, the honest. Americans, who
would not consent to degrade their country
by navigating the ocean under the protection
sof any government but their own, would
be plv.ndered by both belhgerents. 1--we
are to consider the belligerent nations as pi-
rates, 70 longer bound by those principles
of public law to which civilized nations
have hitherto subscribed, and are prepared
tospurchase our rights on the seas, let us do
it as anation by paying them in gross and
thereby place our citizens On equal ground.
We are told we can carry. Oh considerable
commerce with countries not within the
scope Of the decrces or orders Of the bel.i-
gercnts--this Argument is speeicus and cap
tivaf:ng, let Il. examine il /; for feel as
much soheitude as the gentlemen in the op-
position TO remove this embargo Whenever
it can be done with propriety--on this, as
vel. as on the subject of an armed com.
.merce, the gentlemen will pardon me for
requesting information. If we remove our.
embargo as to Portugal and other places to
which our trade is not interdicted, and By a
law declare that eur citizens shall trade only
to those. countries permitted by The 5eltiger-
ents, would not that be submission to their
orders and DEGREES, and if we open cur
ports, and restrict our commerce 10 those
countries, could we afterwards hope for a
relaxation of the British orders Of coulsiI!
Would not Great Britain have every in
ducementt to perpetuatcsuch astste OF things,
which would aAord 30 her the benefits ofour
commerce without its Inconvenience The
S fkst sba 6ssst q fs d has atta5 ii
adopting the present system, is to nrt down
commerce and promote naBufactures., If
the administration has any concealed mo-
tive Tor this measure, [ an a stranger to it.
Il IS well known that II has been faveritc
object with the present administrator to pay.
the pubic debt, and it would be strange, Ia
deed, that il should pursue a system which
cuts off our only source of revenue. IT,,
conjecture of the gentleman is too improba-
bic TO require a serious refutation. On tie
policy Of promoting manufactures I shall
make but few remarks, as II viii be hereafter
a subject of distinct consideration. l have
supposed that il would be sound policy in
tiIs government TO diminish, in some de-
gree, the induc ements now held out to our
citizens to embark in foreign commerce, and
increase them TO vest their money in the IN
terior-the increase of manufactures would
lessen orr dependence on foreign nations,
andronderu us more dependent On each other.
There would be more intercourse between
The people of the different states, which
would tend TO nasicnalise us, and give fliore
strength and perlnancncy to the American
union. Towhat extent this policy should
be carried | am not now prepared to ssv.-
A distinction has been taken between native
and foreign commerce, or what Is more
commonly called the carrying trade. The
policy Of encouraging our citizens to parti-
cipate in the carrying tradsis one ching, our
maritime rights is another. The gentlemen
insthe opposition COMPLAIN that this measure
bears peculiarly hard on the commercial
states. On TIE SUBJECT Of commerce, as all I
others Of national concern, am disposed
to considerable u. States as an integer. and |
to forget the lines Of partition By which we
are separated into different states and dis /
tricts, for the purposes Of internal govern /
ment-but as the gentlemen have contrasted
the commercial with The agricultural states, !
i am willing to meet them. I had thought |
that this measure, if It's pressure was greater
upon one part ct the country than another. /