Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1808-12-12


Noveinb Der. %, 1893
Mn. PRESIDENT,
| have listened with great pleasure TO the
FcatleDAn from Kentucky, { Mr.. Pope) who.
has just sat dowa bat although entertain
td wi,h his el5quence, 1 have not been con-
viaced by his arguments. Ishall not follow
him through the New-ERgland memorials,
or discuss with him the policy Of non-in-
tercouFse law. as thd IS not the question
before the senate neither shall Join issue
with him az 10 the apparent expediency Of
saying an embargo at the last session Of coa.,
gressi bat will endeavoar to shew that
the operation of this measure, upon the conn
Try, has been such As now calls most iuipe-
fiously upon thss body to pass the resold-
zion before US The importance Of this sub
7ec; Is admitted on ali sides and the anxiety
kE0wH to exist throughout every section,
and almost ii every individual Of the CON-
Tallnity, IN relations TO the decision now a
bout TO be bad aponfts IS the fullest evi-
dence Of the deep and unusual degree Of in
rerest universally felt throughout the cojIn.
try, and attaches Is the voice we are to give
the highest responsibility. 'uch respon-
siblity am not willing % meet, without
assigning some Of the reasons that influence
my opinion. And this shall do the more
cheeEfully, as know they viii be in con-
torRjty with. the sentiments OF vast por-
tion of those have the honor to represent.
The embargo when laid was admitted to he
a mere experiment, bat one which we were
admonished not 70 resist, as it was to do
great things for the United States. 1t was
IN fsg m )nths to reduce the West-Indies
"a a state Of starvation, and to bring the
two great beHigercnt powers OF Europe at.
our feet In the prophetic language Of the
President, lit was 10 g keep in safety our
merchandise, our vessels and our seamen,
these essential resources :" and we were
told on ali sides BY the numerous advocates
Of the measure, that il would speedily bring
the French and British governments TO
sense Of justice. Bat has i, or IS II likely
to accomplish any Of these desirable OBJ
jects grant you, it has kept our mer-i
rhandizc n safety if BY that was intendedto
lock Hp ia oar barns and store-houSes ali
the produce Of our country to rot upon our
hands. And as 70 our aismsntled arkroot-
cd vessels, they are indeed deeaying IN
r1fety az our wharves presenting daily to
the merchant melancholy memento OF has
present or approaching ruin and forming
suitable monument 70 the memory OF our
departed commerce. Bat where are your
lie n search Of subsistence The very !
measure that was to preserve them to their |
country has baalshed them from it, and ma
ny of them forever Even the vigilance and |
terrors of our gtIIi-5cat navy have not been |
sufficient 70 confine and starve them IN our |
ports But, sir, the most Notifying disaP- |
sentiment we have tosustain, IL the total IN /
eiFerence with which tEss boosted measure |
OF our administration has been treated by
both the belligerents. Instead Of coercing
them 10 do US Justice, we now know official
~ that it IS neither felt, or thought of in
France and the British, SO far from offer
ing rs terms on the subject, win not even
ask us 10 take It off, Here win beg leave
to read short passage from Mr.. Cannlig's
letter 10 Mr.. Plnckney, Of the 2Sd Of Sep
TENDER last, shelving most distinctly the
eense and determination Of the British gov
eminent on this subject. His majesty
(says Mr.. Csnning) sees nothing in the
Embargo laid on by the President Of the
United States Of America, which varies
this original and simple state Of the ques-
ton LII considered as a measure of impair
tial hostility, against both belhgerents, the
embargo appears to his majesty to have
been manifestly unjust, as, according TO
every principle Of justice that redress ought
70 have been first sought from the party
originating the wrong and his majesty
cannot consent to buy off that hostility
which America ought to have extended to
hum, at the expense Of concession made, /
not TO America, but TO France.
6 If, as l. has been more generally repre-
scented by the government Of the United
States, the embargo is only to be consider |
ed as an innocent, municipal regulation, |
ssiicb affects name ont the Ulited States Them. |
selges, and with which no foreign state has
any c0acern viewed in this light, his ma |
jesty does not conceive that he has the |
right, or the pretension, to make any com |
paint Of il and he has made none. But |
in this light, there appears not only no reel |
pr0city, but no assignable relation between |
fire renAai BY the u States. Of a measure Of |
v7inRWg seJirepieaos, and the surrender |
b. bis Majesty Of hIs right Of getalation a.
gHlnst his enemies"
Hero the embargo as a measure Of coer-
cion on retalistiaH or our party Is officially |
treated bf the British minister even with /
ride he ne tamungly admits, indeed, |
what Is uni1muaately 700 true, that II IS u /
ysga',gfies s3Fiea aBecs none bEt ne U. STATES /
ftfmufHs and tells Us .tliat his majesty !
neitliar das nor msanst complain of it. [
Aud although he gentleman from Kentucky I
i'ltorms rs, lie has not met with, vet have |
seen, a recent report made By a French |
minister . the emperor, in winch the en-
barge IS approved Of and applauded, as what |
IL reilly Il, measure favorable 70 them, |
and an Act.nt great selfdeHial on our partl |
Under "A these circumstances, and every |
gentlenan here .-aGgs tie facts state to Be 4
c0grcci. shy ~ tic name Of Heaven contin- !,
ue < ssipH beneficial end can il produce |
lie l3nH.fy y q til.s usonient Bleeding from |
every pore Under ~, without the remotest |
urosiecf o. probability 81 ultimately deriving |
tire least Possibse advantage orsecurity from |