Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1808-11-30
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Mr.. Smith, Md said he was not pre-
pared to 50 as largely into this subject as It
merited, having neither documents nor pa
pers before him. He would therefore only
take.a short view Of It in his way, and en-
deavorto rehut part Of the argument Of the.
gentleman from Massachusetts, and perhaps
to notice some OF the observations OF the
gentleman from Connecticut. He perfect
II agreed with the latter gentleman that this
subject ought to be taken up with GOODNESS,
and with temper, and he could have wished
that the gentleman from Connecticut would
have been candid enough to pursue that
corre which he had laid down for others
Had he done it? No, In the course OF
the discussion, the gentleman had charged
lit upon some one, he knew not whom, that
There was disposition to break down COM
Enerce for the purpose OF erecting manufac-
tues on it's ruins. If this was the DISPOSE
Ito of those who had advocated the embar-
go,he was not one to go with them, and
perfectly corresponded with the gentleman
| in safing that such a plan would be ex-
| tremly injurious that possibly it could
/ not bt enforced in the United States and
that, L il could, merchants would conceive
themselves highly aggrieyed by it. But the
gentlanan's idea had no foundation. Mr..
1 S. said he had before seen it in newspapers,
but had considered it mere electioneering
trick; that nothing like common sense or
] reason was meant BY it, and nobody believ-.
cd it. The gentleman surely did not throw
| out this suggestion by way Of harmonizing !;
for nothing could be more calculated TO Gre
ate heat.
The gentleman last up, throughout his
argument had gone upon the ground that
| it is the embargo which has prevented all
our commerce that, if the embargo were
removed, we might pursue it In rhe same
manner as ;if the. commerce of the whole
world were open to us. IF the gentleman
could have shewn this he would have gone
with him heart and hand but it did not APP
pear to him that, were the embargo taken
off tomorrow, any commerce OF moment
could be pursued. Mr.. S. said he was not
certain that it might not be wise measure
to take eff the embargo but he was certain
that some other measure should be taken
before, they thought of taking that. And
he had hoped that gentleman would have
told them what measure should have been
taken before they removed the embargo
Not so, however. A naked proposition
was before them to take off the embargo !;
and were that agreed to, and the property
Of America subject to depredations by both
the belligerents, they would be foreclosed
from taking any measure at all for its de-
fence. For this reason this resolution should
properly have gone originally to the COM
mitteee on the resolution of the gentleman
from Virginia (Mr. Giles.)
Mr.. S. said as he was not prepared for
a long discussion, he should take but short
view. He would not go back to see which
nation had been the first offender. It was
sufficient for him that both were offenders.
He was not the apologist Of any nation, but
he trusted, a tervent defender Of the rights,
honor and interest ofhis own country. By
the DEGREES of France every vessel bound to
or from Great Britain, was declared good
prize. And still further: if spoken alone
by any British vessel, they were eondeIn-
ned in the French prize courts. When a
vessel arrived in the ports of France, Mr..
t S. said, bribery and corruption were made
use of in order to effect her condemnation.
Every sailor on board was separately exa-
| mined as to what had happened in the
course Of the voyage !; they were told, you
will have one third of the vessel and cargo
as your portion Of the prize money, if you
will say tina, your vessel has touched at a
British port or has been visited by Bri-
tish crilizer. Of course then by the DEGREES
! Of France all American property that floats