Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1808-12-16
and ue act under none. The insinuatiof,
!. r - r14rererha,. IN -.,rtAntcd.

We are asked By the gentleman IA the
common language Of the day, whether any
man thinks that the people ct NeW-Engiand
are to be inds6nitely prohibited from the
use of the ocean, and commerce Psrpetaally
abandoned The very words OF the report
which he so much reprobates furnishes the
best answer to this suggestion. i IS there
stated
The aggressions Of England & France.
collectively, affecting almost the whole OF
our commerce, and persisted in, notwitil-
standing repeated remonstEances,s explana-
tions and propositions the llr,st candid and
une.ceptionable, are 10 all illtenfs and pur-
poses, maritime war waged By both natl
ons against the United States. Iscannot be
denied that the ultimate and only cfectua
| nlo,..s Of resisting that warfare, if persisted
in, is war. A permanent Suspension Of
commerce, after repeated and unavailing
efforts to obtain peace, would not properly
be resistance it would be Withdrawing
from the contest and abandoning our indis-
putable rights freely to navigate the ocean.
The present unsettled state Of the world,
! the very extraordinary situation in wi.ith
the United States are placed, and the ab
so!ute necessity, if war larst be resorted to,
Of making it at the same time against bo.i.
, nations. srd these the two most power
iul of the world are the principal causes Of
I hesitation. There would be none in resort
! In, TO that remedy, however calam;tous, if
a selection could bemade on any principle
OF jurisdiction, CT without sacrifice ol9.
tional independence"
The idea OF tbs perpetual abandonment
| Of the ocean, SO often held up as the catch
| word of parry, IS expressly nesat.ved bv tic
| report, aEa exsats no where Bill. III tic il.aa
! ginatioa OF those WGc SQUAD il. Z we. can
si!timstely lasi.e our way upon slie ocean by
10 othsr means, we must tight it .l.ere, he
| otlly question Is, when Is tie proper time 10
| adopt it
II his remarks upon some observations
! which fell from me in the course. CT our Sc
cret session, my colleague asks trinn,phant-
| ", what arc the means which I possess oi
! knowing Tie actual situation CT the various
! CLASSES O; peoj,ie in Massachusetts, under
the operation o. tie embargo! have ira
! yelled more than once during the summer
F! past from TIE sea-boart to the western from.
.ier Q! that stage. lias the gel.l4lnan kim
/, self dos.e IS muche But Ii,.. { been in the
/! cities, seen the general desel.:on o. their
streets, and t,e4aics rottitg at the wIlarves?
| Yes, SIR, ! have been more tll.in once in
! more than enc CT our principal cities, hut
| haze not seen that to,a. descrtion of our
streets which is spoken Of; l have seen N
deed s.,eas contrast % the pictures exhibit
, ed il thoas tinlcs q Pro5oale! peace and IN
| par&asicd prosperity which Immediately
| preceded the present stagnation O. business.
But have SOIL seen lAuch occupation and
pretty general cnsploymsnt Of son.e sort or
other, Tor most classes Of the citizens, bgt
have Heard ct no Ole starving IN those
streets. But I.a.ve I conve,xed viii. Iller-
chants Yes, sir, I nave. ever. converssd
With merchants, have been 10 this oracle OF
all wisdom, as the gentleman seems 70 lool,
upon shen. have conversed freely with
more than ono merchant, who had himself
as MANY o., his ships rottiig at his Hllarves
rs mess y.ei.s .ilts OF ouf. country, and have
found many Of th.aa,, though suffering their
full proportion Of the general pressure Of
the times, satisfied, that nothing better could
have been done, convinced that BY the a I
doption Of any other alternative they could
not have expected immediate relief, and
wiling otorego their immediate interest for
the general good Of our country; with a full
confidence that government had done the
best that was ii their power for their relief.
It's far from my intention TO be understood
that the state Of our national affairs has not
been sensibly felt, and the industry Of our
citizens much paraiized ii that part Of our