The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-12-22

Pisheers the american commerce must be
depressed. 1t was the same object which
revived the rule OF 1856, ard extended its
application to us, upon principles totally new
and the orders ofthe 18th November, which
followed the execution OF the Berlin decree
were Intended To give efficacy to this project.
Upon this point the gentleman from Massa-
cnuseets is good authority he admitted one
OF theobjccts was the annihilation Of neutral
commerce he seems however to have for
tgotten that il was impossible for an Amer;
can vessel to reach the Continent and ar
CUES as it your commerce were perfectly
free. overlooking the actual situation of the
y. States. You are told by the gentleman
1 from Massachusetts, you have cf1ectually
yielded to the operation of the French and
British edicts, by Withdrawing from the o.
cean,, in conformity to them. ] would ask
him II we had armed against both powers,
IN addition. 70 the embargo, whether that
would be submission Vet according to the
igcntleman's logic, submits Sou consists i'm re-
fusing to trade with the beligersnts Let
us take him upon another ground he saws
take off the embargo, and let your vessels go
to sea. Well, suppose that to be done ;
your vessels go to sea, and trade exclusively
to u. Britain for she SAYS you shall go no
where else ; would that be submission or
resistance Unquestionably submission
Rnt sir grant vn"r nresent s-sten, 70 he
submission, is it OF that abject kind recon-
mended by the gentleman, which reneunces
the character of your flag, abandons YOUR
property and citizens othe mercy of every
picaroon & plandcrerion the high sea? Upon
the subjec of tribute, you are told by him,
it will not be paid, ifyou first go to England
because your merchants will not after
wards so to the continent, as he knows
France will confscate his property. Is it
tO L.,
France, cur bitter enemy, for protection /?
Is the national honor to be depositedi in such
hands? 1t is asked, could we not trade to
Russia, Denmark and Sweden. Yes. YOU
| could SO direct, but for the orders of coun-
Gil, which compel you to touch first at Bri-
fish port, and pay the duty which she re-
quires for permission to carry on that com
| mercc to which you have an undoubted
right, without imposition or obstruction
from that government. In this case who
Will save your honor, and your people from
paying tribute The gentleman from Maasts.
admits the trade OF; the u. States must
stop in England; it was upon that ground
he endeavored to prove we need not paw
tribute-what will be the consequence to
the u. States and the New-England people
themselves! Why, as England does not en-
| ploy or consume more than One-third or one
FOURTH OF all your exports, of course you will
loose the employment of your shipping in
that proportion; what will become of the
vessels usually employed in the export
| trade, in exporting the remaining produce to
the continent. when they are absolutely pro-
hibited from approaching it. They will be
useless and it is absurd, in the present
state of things, to imagine they would be
relieved by taking off the embargo. He tells
us, in speaking OF the relative Importance
ofthe commerce of Massachusetts and Vir-
| ginia, that the state of Massachusetts ex-
ported to the amount of twenty millions of
dollars, IS in foreign and 7 in domestic
produce. Great part Of the latter is actual
ly the product of Virginia. whose resouces
he has endeavorcd to underrate.
| In the report of the Secretary of the Urea
sury you will find the whole u States ex-
ported a little more than one million and q
half OF foreign produce to England; this is
all she wants--wnilst Massachusetts alone
exports thirteen millions; several other
states export as much foreign produce
Can it be necessary to say what will be the
consequence of CARRYING all these goods to
G. Britain Instead OF enhancing the va
hue to the proprietor the loss and deDreca-
ton in the price are inevitable. You must
lpay an export duty of II par cent. ad valo-
rem, the consumption in that country being
prohibited ; and according to the gentle
admit it may be sent abroad that it escapes
the tangs of French Drivateers and unprin-
cipled conhscation in French ports--in that
lease you cannot in addition to the expence
OF circuitous voyage, pay II per cent. and
come into competition with British mer-
chants trading in similar products favored
with consumption of the home mar
ket, and aided by the drawback, in
foreign markets. Sir, you would lese upon
the property at least as much as you dc
here, where by the progress of internal con-
sumption it is gradually going off at its full
value. When the gentleman talks about a
opposition to sacrifice commerce, a DISPOSE
tioa which never did or can exist, what
would he say if instead of the British repeal
ing our drawbacks we were to do it The
drawback given by the H. 5. to the eastern
merchant upon expectation to foster naviga-
ton, the British government has undertake
en- to repeal, and that which we give as 2
stimulus to enterpri2e, they estort as a taN
upon it, You will find the drawback ha.
been made the standard for the duties i'm.
posed by England on foreign exports.
Would again demand. what would these
gentlemen say if 7ve should repeal the draw.
backS They would say you paralize on,
commerce, suspend the employment of oui
capital, and sacrifice us to our rivals. Ye
when the very thing is done by foreign go.
vernment having no Jurisdiction over us
they see nothing hostile to commerce., not a
rnurmur is heard (; but they tell YOU let the