The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-12-06

No. s.r, this nation never will sGbrnit. n
minister extraordinary had been required to
he sent 10 G.. Britain; this had been done, and.
negotiation had been exhausted. He hoped
the house WAS netnow prepared TO retrosad C
If the embargo, (said Mr.. a. were at
this time a question before the house, would
. ,i,er some reasons in favor ofi;s continuance.
Il might hereafter become a question, and
L. should be willing to take it off whenever
he was persuaded the nation would reap
more advantages from its abrogation than its
existence.
Mr.. Bacon said he had on former coca
sion ref aimed from troubling the house with
any observations concerning the embargo,
because he had considered that the subject
WAS in ADLER h8uds Than his. At such Il cri-
sis as this, he conceived that there ought to
he more of action and less OF argument
move of decision aNd less of defamation.
lie still consilereAthe subject in ab!cr hands,
and he still considered that action and de-
cision would he preferable to argument and
Reclamation, and he thought that those who
amused this house and the people with long
speeches won & not best have suhscrved the
interests of the nation. But althodgh he
condemned the prevailing fashion, he con
sidered himself in some measure excused
for his present intrusion upon the patience Of
subcommittee nasmuch as he had yesterday
been particularly alluded to py his colleague
(Mr. Quincv,) and because he felt j. to be
his duty 10 endeavor to rescue the commit
tee who made the report from the inputati-
on attempted to be cast upon them for the
sentiments which it contained-Ihe speech
of his colleague was evidently prepared with
great care and deliberation--the arguments
selected with skill and arranged with art
and was in truth, such speech, AS ought
not to be ar, ,vered, if he might use the phrase
ORE TENus. Indeed, although he had ia
:::2@sS1, Is.
himself sufficiently prepared, from want of
time for reflection, to unravel and expose it,
His Colleague had said the first resolution
should have his sanction, because it Contain
cd a specific pledge that new measures should
be pursued: why then did he attack that re-
solution IF Ais object was answered by it,
why did he not let it pass without opposition !?
The gentleman rcfuted his own argument,
and on this point he answered himself. He
could only account for his conduct on the sup
position that he thought the game in full view,
and could not be satisfied unless he were in
at the death, and assisted to demoiish So o.
dious moster as the enbargo-or, perhaps
he ha,, t; ensured up in his memcry the choc-
est arguments against that measure, had his
speech ripe and restite for uttcrancc,
and could mot bear the idea that the house
aud the nation should lose the benefit of it.
TO use the language of the day, the gentle
man had taken the embargo off its feet; he
had assailedit before its time. But the rea-
son alledged by his colleague for going so
ia rgely INFO the question was, that the report
which preceded the resolution recommend
ell the continuance of the embargo. This
vas totally mistake. The report made
no specihc recommendation of the embargo.
1t had been drawn with special care TO leave
that point open. Mr.. IS. mignt be mistaken
IN his understanding of the language OF the
report, but he would read paragraph, from
which dcrcrTainate judgment might be
faxmed. (iere Mr.. Bacon read as follows y
=" 1t appears Unnecessary to pursue any
farthcc the examination of propositions,
which the difficult situation of the United
States could alone have suggested, and which
will prove more inadmissible, or impracti-
cable as the subject is more thoroughly in
vestigate,l.--Ihe alternative is painful J;
1t is between continued suspension of Com
nerce and a war with both England and
Francc--but the choice must ultimately be
made between the two, and it is important
that we should be prepared for either the one
or the othcr.'
Was The gentleman authorized from this
language to say, that the emborgoi is recon-
nnended in the report? The report applies
to either alternative and therefore his rea-
son utterly fails him. AS, therefore, the en-
barge was not recommended in the report,
md was not before the house, his colleague
in making his long speech had lcsped before
lac came TO the hcdge-his observations did
not apply. Mr.. Bacon did not wonder that
the gentleman from Kentucky, (Mr. ,yon,)
had strayed in his speech yesterday from the
subject; he was not a professional man, but
his colleague was schooled in nice distmcti-
ons, was acquainted with the whole art of
special pleadings, was a man of divisions
and subdivisions, who made war upon verbs
and adverbs. The gentleman had told us
that the report contained principles loa; h
some to the nation: Mr.. Bacon presumed he
gentleman meant loathsomc to himself He
should be sorry if his colleague spoke fer the
nation bat he had not pointed out wha,
part Of the report was loathsome he had
notput his fiugcr upon any particular pas
sage that was so. Was it this passage, said
Mr.. Il. QIere Mr.. Bacon read as follows y
"For the question for ever citizen now is,
whether he will rally round the governments
OF his choice, or enlist under foreign ban
ners: Whether lie viii be for his country,
or against his country 20
was tits the part OF the report wnIcn
%asloathsome and dsagrecable to the natl
On! Mr.. p. hoped not. AS the gentleman
hnd made no specific reference, it was not
t"r mn to divine What portion of the report
lie aGverted to his colleague had been cau-