Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1808-03-05
CONGRESS.
x,ousE or REPREsE. fz.f7lVEsSS.
4 afosDAr, february 22.
DEBATE
cafAs Ell supplementary 70 me ass laying
an embargo, syc.
|cosTiauEr.

faenf.l from = conviction tl.at the friends of
the bin are dcsirous Of giving It that directl-
8 on. Their wishes have been expressed, and
lacouiesee. 70 have avoided debate on the
merits Of the embargo subject winch la'
been discussed, would have atordeu me great
satisfaction, particularly as It must have oeen
foresccn that much warpth would s0e exci.ea
by IT. It is no small qualification to me, tnas
those with whom am politically associatesl'
sli! not proyokeit. We are again called upon
for our reasons, in support OF this measure
We have thought, and still think, that It IS
c.e which was dictated by enlightened policy
and impcrious necessity.
Assembled here for.th sele purpose OF pro-
1notiag the public welfare, it becomes duty
10 act with propriety and temper, and IN no
instance 10 snfier our passions to lead US INTO
tie adoption Of measures consistent with
taat object. Maturity of considerati9n should
always precee!e decision. ~ contrary course
woald be a dcrili5tion of the public interest,
The embargo is in operation, il IS subject
before the .pablic tribunal, . tribunal every
Nssy co;npe .ent TO decide. There the iasrils
OF. dement's pr the measure will be aispassl-
onately weighed and numbered Il am not a
little gratifcd TO find that unequiyoeal express
sions Of spprobation. have already been made
by most of the state legislatures and that
not day passes away, without INCREASING
the numDcr of It's advocates. Epithets OF a.
huse hare, with To sparing hand, been spread
abroad in every direction. lthas besnrepre-
scsaed as the offspring of fore On influence,
Lit defamation and accusation can avail no..
thing with the enlightened pubic-proot Of
foreign iafacnco must be adlnced, If the pro-;
paaators oft expect any advantage from IT,
Letthe situation of the United States, prior"
and subsequent to the passage ofthe act lay.
ing an embargo, in their relations with foreign
nations, be candidly and impartially viewed.
If the justification of the measure is not to
be found in those relations, we disdain to re-
sort to other means for tive are willing that
al the responsibility pf the measure should
attach:to US. When our attention was first
attracted to this subject tie decree OF the En-
peror or France of the Fist of November,
1906, was in operations, and that b!ockadlng
decree, it was intilnated would be vigorously
enforced. Previous to its operation our cons
Inercc had been. and continuedato be greatly
restricted by the orders of the British cabinet,
and Our minister at the court OF London, SO
early as the 10th of January. 1907, was IL
formed, that if the French decree we're en-
forced, thar the British ministry were resol-
we'd to pursue retaliating measures. We saw
in such acts, having the sanction pf public au-
ghority, the ruin and prostration Of. our cpni-
Inerce. AS the guardisls of the national IN
serest, as the Gepositary sthe. national. pow
or, Congress was invoked to rescue COM
merce from inevitable destruction.
In the performance OF this duty, the en-
barge WAS hid, as the best means OF security.
The subsequent acts and conduct OF the belll-
rercnt bowers, have confirmed me in opinion
Z chat the measure was the result of imperious
necessity.
Those whose prciudices have shut their
minds against the influence of such manifes-
tations on the part of the belligerenr nations,
cannot be appealed to as impartial Judges.
It has been said that VIC should not prevent
the expectation of produce, in foreign vessels,
while our own are detained in port by the en-
Sargo. That the reason for such q course was
nor evident, nor strong. 10 me, sl1, the ne
cessity aud policy ofthe restriction Is evident.
zIf congress lad not inhibited the expectation
of American. produce, carte blanche would
have been given 10 Great Britain. BY sacha
act she would have secured the object OF all
her wishes with our appreciation, an object for
: which, since 1898, the numerous and iniquit-
Gus orders of. her cabinet, hare been issuedto
obtain. 5fsin retiring from the ocean, IN con-
sequence of the illiberal and exccrable policy
of the belIigerent nations, ne had thrown our
ports open 10 them for the expectation Of pro-
ducc, Great Britain would have been reapinS
the whole harvest; she would have enjoyed a
monopoly Of commerce. BY sach an act she
would have been rewarded for her injustice &
insults, and ], soo, 900 tons of shipping would
have been sacrificed to her inordinate lust for
maritime domination and commsrcia mono
poly.