The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-12-29
,stfhcaon insupport tcreof ing fall win be ,ha, state


. G7'IssIrc;'-t. M,'s Commerce If those c2ttn-
sr1es s.I.: cae 'arosher, ard S.ilh. their ccio-
.nies, coittd no lonyer De carried on By fktm-.
setceS. Here The vcsseis Of neural n0,iovs
came into their aid, ard cartfe,! on nearly
Efffe svhcte conro,erce Of those nations. iYith
their Seamen thus liberated from, tie mer-
| ch0nf SERVICE, those nGtions III tie hreSens
ana preceding scars, goere en06teoLto man
fAeir shifts Of sv0r and the neutrai vesseis
and Sedmen sXhfHed Their places, became
~ fact, though nos in name. auxiIiaries i'm
war. The commerce IF hose nations, with
out'one armed Shir on the sea ahfr9hr1Qte
j./or as PROTECTION, scaS intended this 10 De
secured under neUtral flags; syhile IRE mer-
ch7nt peSseis Of Great Britain, 7oith tie
numerous armed ships TO gua.d them. Sverc
erhcScd 10 occasfos'at eitture. Such a. course
| u things Great Britain has resisted, NOT IN
me present only, but in former zvurS (: at
Feast as far back as l756. lind she hQ- claim
ed and maintained a right to fmhose on This
commerce some limits and restraints be-
cauSe IL 7vas a commerce svhich yrls denied
5y those nations 10 neutraks in times Of heace !;
! because IL scaS commerce Of immense "a
i"e 10 ne subjects Of her enemies ; and be-
cause H.FNed ne treasures with money 10
enadfe fhein TO carry on fheir Svars zvith
/ Great Biitain'
What did the people of Salem, of Boston
and 1T New Haven mean, when they pledg-
ed TIER Tues and fortunes in support of any
measures that government might take to ob :
tam redress of the wrongs that this nation
iiau endured! They meant that there suas
cause, and that they were prepared to ga 20
zrdr. And yet the gentleman from Massa-
chusetts (Mr. Pickering,) has written grave
when ether expressions were added, %
those then complained of; that truly, "there
were frofenceS, but no real cansc of com
plant against Great Britain
Hostility to commentaries, Sir, have
seen Charge of that kind against the party
III power in newspapers, and in town meet
ing speeches. i believed it to be used for
party purposes / did not believe that any
man of respectable standing, would have as
serted such fact The honorable gentle
i;ian from Connecticut, (Mr. Hillhouse) has
now declared that he verify believes that
there IS u serious Intention to break down
commerce, and RAISE manufactures upon its
ruins And what are his proofs Ihat he
dtd at TIE last session frGfhecy, that such
Suonld be- the course IF conduct. In ancient
days, Mir. Pres dent, there were prophets
there were juiSe i7JjiRct8, VINO went through
the land, prophecy ing falsely to deceive tic
people. And trust, Mr.. President, the pro.
phccy of the honorable gentleman may be
ranked with them. l challenge the gentle
man to produce one act--oue solitary
act 20 prove his assertion He cannot
produce one. He may report CONVEX
sations with individual gentlemen, who
might suppose that commerce had been too
much favored; and such opinions are enter
tanned, not only by gentlemen from the south,
but also by gentlemen from the interior of
the north, and the east. Yet, sir, have
never seen any of these gcntlem predicate
any act hostile to Commerce thercon.-It may
not be Improbable TO take a view of the acts
which have considered as expressive OF
sincere friendship toward communicating
statute books arc filled with laws establish
ing hight houses along the whole exiGnt Of
our coasts, and chain of lights are now to
/ he seen extending from st. Croix to st. Ma
l'ry>s Nonew duty charged therefor, has e.
| yer been proposed by any member to be i'm
posed on the tonnage of the u States. The
duty on tonnage has remained The same from
the trst law passed therean. 1t is SHALL and
not felt. The CoaSting trade of the u. States
is c0untenanccd in peculiar manner. 1t is
confined to our own vessels and free OF charge.
Early alter the adoption of our Cons. itu-
ton, Congress passed a law, lcvyiIg q heavy
duty on foreign tonnage, for he prom otion of
our own, and Charging on al goods lmpul ted
IN foreign vessels. a duty OF ten per cent On
the duty imposed ON similar goods when i'm
ported in American ships This system Sc
cured the carriage of all goods imported in.
TO the United States, to our own vessels and
tended greatly TO the Immense tonnage nov
possessed by the merchants Of the Union-
L MS advantage was necessary to promote
our own navigation when in its infanci, but
being now ill is manhood | should have no
objection to admit foreign ships on the Same
f0"ting with our own. IT, such foreign nations
as would admit us on terms ofreciproCitv in
to their ports; tor on equal terms, have No
tear o. the enterprise OF any natits being su
5erior to cur own A,system adopted,
and has been continued, highly Just i'll Itself
and proper, which conduced to The immense
neutral t,ade carried on by ;he merchants
ot the y ')tates-l mean the system Of gran.
tihg drawbacks ON re expectation Of foreign
goods--by which system the nation has been
greatly enriched. and thereby aided in the
payment OF the national debt, but which a
gricutural men may. permit themselves in
nocenily to believe, has contributed to
Conduct the y. States TO the present crisis.
we the merchants, ought therefore, to be
cautious how we charge agricultural men
with hostility to commerce. Had Congress
been justly chargeable herewith, they had a
fair opportunity of shewingt in 1906, whom
your tables grOaned with me norlas from The
seaport towns. They might then have said
what have the agricuituriSts TO do with your
neutral commerce We will prt tect the com
TneICe carried ON in native e>;i)orts but viii