The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-04-08
POLITICAL.
FROM BELLS WEEKLY MESSENGER.
AMERICAN EMBARGO.

duOpt
1t is an embargo upon their shipping; an
Introduction of all foreign trade whatever;
it is a suspension Of the exercise of those
maritime rights which they were determin-
ed not to surrender, and did not choose to
contest. 1t is a dignjfed retirement from the
commerce Of foreign nations, at a period
when the two great powers OF the world
have scarcely any other object of contention
left; When to prevent trade on the part of
the one, and to force it into the prohibited
channels on the part of the other, is almost
the sole remaining motive which nourishes
the fame of war in Europe.
Toprevenr kindling from the common blaze
and that necessary injury from the strug
gle which an unavoidable inclination to one
party or the other must have produced, A
merica has pursued conduct of sound wis
dom, and true political virtue,
AS trade is the object of the quarrel, she
has resigned the prize to the combatants.
She has Withdrawn her claims from the list,
and retreated to the tranquil station of a
spectator.
This was the only middle point left her be-
tween peace and war.
The embargo is hostile to no other power,
because the measure is founded upon those
Just rights of conrroul which, in national
exigencies, every government has right
to exercise over its own subjects; and be-
SauSC, IL IL Oc uOSllie 10 any party, IL Is
hostile to the American merchants them
selves.
Iii measure of peace and precaution. 1t
lsimpartial because it is universal it is just
because its direct operation is upon those a
lone. whose rights as subjects of America,
the supreme power of the state has power
to modify, to suspend or TO abridge.
AS there are no exceptions in favour of
any people, there can be no just cause of
~,
and Spain, are upon'the same footing of COM
mon exclusion or rather indeed, the Ame-
rican merchant is prccluded from trading
with any or either.
We thus see that America has resolved
not tobe caught in hostilities and as she has
found what is ordinarily called netrality i'm
possible, she has resorted to the defensive
system with equal dignity and prudence;
she has withdrayS from Europe, and fallen
back upon her own sources. In the common
phrase, she is at length resolved to keep
herselfto herself. She sets the first exam
pie of t-y4;g to live without Europe; and it
now remains for Europe to try how She can
live without America.
With respect to the Islands of France,
Spain and the other powers in the Atlantic,
which we call the West India Islands, there
is no alternative with respect to them but
the following: they must starve, or surren-
der without a siege to Great Britain-As we
possess the sea, their mother countries cam
not supply them with that food which they
are unable to raise for themselves; and Anne
RIGA from the operation other embargo will
not supply them. ,
What then is to become of them ?-They
must either be the prey of famine or the
spoil of G. Britain. But is = to our advan-
tage to conquer them? Certainly Motive
cannot feed many additional mouths as
ST. Domingo alone contains without diminish
ing our own necessary stock Of subsistence;
moreover, we must now supply OUT own CO.
lonies with provisions Smithfield, Leaden-
hall, and Marklane, viii now swarm with
new contra ctorS for Barbados, Jamaica, &
Antigua; we shall have to feed a black po-
pulation III our several islands exceeding ond
million; and white population Of hundred
and fifty thousand!
Can the nation support this ienge Are our
crops so very abundant, and our harvests so
regularly exuberant, that we can afford an
INCREASED consumption of million and a
half that we can feed, in addition to our
own people, half as many mouths as all Ire
land contains
Here is the danger here is the real pres
sure ); the loss or suspension of our commerce
is mere subordinate evil to this If year
Of scarcity should again overtake us, which
Providence in its mercy avert. how would
the people OF Great Baltaln endure to see
their markets stripped, and their; provisions
shipped away for the West Indies ?
We are indeed supporting the islands at
an extravagant expence, if we must ex-
change our corn or cattle for their sugar cane
and noasses.
We have seen how America values her
trade, and how false, VIGOROUSLY false, have
been all our estimates of those feelings and
prejudicies -7hich, as operating SO extensive
iy upon US, we had conceived to operate as
generally upon her.
And as here we cannot help revertiag to
an article which our readers will find in
the Weekly Messenger of January 17th.-
It WIS written Of course, many days before
the intelligence of the Embargo was receiv-
ed but it will be found to be complete
anticipation of that line of policy which A
merica was likely TO pursue-a true descrip-
ton Of her natural feelings and All imparti-
al estimate of her political wisdom.
Our only wish is, that this article ma"
have a tendency to encourage that spirit of
Cancellation which, in the present state OF
things should be cherished at any hazard
We have no desire but to see harmony res
tored between the two Countries and AN u
Mon of interests, and alliance of friendship,
would not only check the present storm with
which we are threatened, but have greater
tendency than any other possible measure, to