Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1808-03-18

Canada Is calculated 70 increase OF 0t>
minish their essential resources! Whe.
ther the object which the president pro-
fesScd to have in view is counteraeted by
atrafick OF this kind NO sir. 1t is
not oulv 10 direct hostility to the inter.
ests Of the country, but what some gen.
ilemen, will probable regard quite As
mach, 10 the wishes of the president. I
repeat il; the objects Of the bill, parti-
ruiariy Of the fourth section, and OF the
embargo are totally distinct.
instead Of measures of this deserip.
ton /: instead Of lettering Commerce ;
instead Of putting their ingenuity to the
rack, 10 devising means to paraiize COM
pletely all the commercial activity ofthe
country, I should have been happy to
have perceived in the geN,lemen who
manage matters in this house l should
have been glad to have perceived, in the
administration, adisposition to
age as much commercial activity as could
be possibly consistent with the prafessed
object of the president : the safe keep
ing Of our resources. I should have
been happy to have found them content
with the ruin aud distress their darling
project had already PRODUCED, without
aiming at the utter; the total staguation
Of all the commercial powers Of the Pc.
litical body. But unhappily, instead Of
ameliorating, We 60 on to make worse
and worse the condition Of our devoted
country. Suppose Vermont should send
some Of her produce to Canada or
Georgia to the Floridas: in what are
the interests Of the rest OF the union t
suffer by h? Or are We to go on passing
these laws, jealous in our exertions TO
make bad worse, upon the principle,
which some gentlemen in this house have
very gravely advanced, that we ought
to make the public suffering as equal Gin
other wurds) as universal as possible
to extend it 70 every nook and corner Of
the union that no portion, no section
however remote, however secluded,
should escape from taking its due pro-
portion Of the bitter dTaught; none,
which the fatal gangrene should not
reach? IF we ARE running mad, sir,
we have at least this consolation : We
have " method in our madness"
It is strange, it astonishes me, that
by an embargo, We should be led to the
measures contemplated in this bin. BE.
Cause you wish to preserve your vessels
and seamen, those essential resources
in your seaports, you are therefore I
prohibit all ~trafheking acros your terri
torial lines, though il is evident that by
permitting it. your citizens, Of course
your country, viii be benefited. Sir, I
eanno. express my amazement at the
dreadful infatuation which pervades the
public councils. I e~onjure the mem
bers Of this assembly TO cease for q mo-
ment their exertions-I eonjare them to
sheathe the destroying sword in the
name Of our suffering country I Neptreat
them to save it from these new and accu-
mulating evils. The grea. object of your
president L. secured.-Leaye a little to
your distressed people. Do not, I i'm
{ plore you, permit yourselves to be per-
suaded, that the, public interest cannot
be subserssd, unless every body is de-
Stroyed.
Ioouot whetner experience mas proved
that the original Law was for the public
interest. Htthsrro o ships might have
navigated tn. ocean in safety. But at
any raseis il wise to hazard every thing
upon the experiment /: for at best it IS
but an experiment. iii shall be proved
ultimately to have been a good measure,
II will also prove to have been strong
enough to produce good enough to sat-
isfy every rational theorisI. IF a bad
one, il will have produced calamity
enough. full as much as our country can
s.agger under. y. r.
Ihave in view no objec, but my couu-
try's good-and when I see il threaten
ed on every side, tits my duty to speak
outboidly aud earnestly to this house
and to this nation. And I will again
entreat gentlemen t reflect whether the
continual extension Of the uon.lnter.
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