The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-06-03
sHE EJvDUTRFR.
sRfCfIMoEp. JUNE. s.lsos.
ON TEE EMBARGO.
No. 1. ~

There IS no measure OF the present ad-
lmnlserat!oa, which has excited so much OPP
position and abuse as--the Embargo
1t was immediately forescen, on the mas
sage OF this law, that the Federaiists would
not let Slip so fine an opportunity, ofdisplav-
ing their ingenuity and reviling the admini-
stration. They had been falsely led to be-
ileve that interest was the moving spring Of
a Republic; and that the ministry which
once touched the pockets efthe people, was
gone Tor ever. Amidst the confusion of their
IDEAS, they had ridiculously ascri5ed to the
e%clse laws, the complete downfall Of the
Adams Administration forgetting that the
standing army, the Alien and the Scdition
laws of that motley ministry were sinry s,,f-
lcient to atchieve its ruin in the minds of :,
iiee ami independent people. Here then,
tney supposed, was the desired opportunity
OF retaliating upon their opponents bv thc
same means. The Embargo was to be their
Lever OF Archimedes-These gentlemen
:" remembered TO forget" that their excise
law was onl; the creature of visionary fear.
The invasion OF a French army whereas tho
orders OF council and the decree of Milan.
were gigantic monsters Of real flesh anf. blood.
ihey forget too, that though the Embargo
might touch The pockets of the people. it
would protect their vessels, their produce,
and the honor OF the nation from the hands
of freebooters
IT'S hence, that the opponents Of the Ad-
minlstration have set every engine to work.
which was calculated to stir up the fears
and indignation of the people. They lave
drawn the most affecting pictures of nation
al distress and bankruptcy. The Embargo
IS represented as a permanent measure int
Is forever to blight the harvests Of the coun-
try; while the more liberal, assign to it a
duration Give or seven wears at least Oui,
poor Fishermen are to perish for want os
employment while quintals of Cod are TO
be stiewed over the face OF our soil for.
want OF better market.
he jealnusics and envy ofthe North have,
ocen raised against the South; The South,
sly Cog is represented as snug in his
paft OF the she'll, while the commercial sim
news OF the North are whitening up under
their want of e&ertion. Men who had been
seen calmly acquiescing in the British prac-
tee OF lmpressment, are now Strewng their
crocodile tears over our % starving seamen's
Ana amidst all these horrible images of dis
tress, against which it could scarcely be sup
posed that any nation could bear up for a
t"el|emcnth, the most disgraceful misrepre-
sentatloEs Of fact have been ntcrwcven--
rardnier, Pickering and Hilihouse have
hghtened IN the front; Federal Editors and
British merchants arc now laundering in tho
III
influence; 2Ii;i DIZZY end win striking the
deep iocsin Of a violated constitution. Hca-
ven preserve rs from such outrageous indim-
nation ! And may no federal hot water iusuT-
rcction, or riot, disturb the tranq< iity q t,:s
country
Men, who could thus indulge such ma
tilated and partial Representa- .;ot,s, mrst
have completely lost SIGHT Of every prir
PIE Oh common sense and human experience.
he 81. =
not choice IF benefits, but of evils; that
government ''even in its best state IS ne
cessaiy evil - that al It's me- sires arc the
result OF calcplalioz. ;and that happy is thlr
statesman, who IS competent to weigh all the
Huctuating consequences of opposite mea-
sures, and 10 strike the balance of national
qOrGAh and national hoa,5r. That State
man who can doit amidst these time. heu
the infiiriated struggles # the benge reu5s
threaten to inguiph all the rights of n,v-
trails, mustbe peculiarly fortunate indeed. E
he best of his measures arc not prod;.,..sv re
OF considerable evil. II is beyond alidiS-tte
that the Embargo is IN ITSELF greas evil.
But amidst all tho regrets arising from the
spectacle of its mischiefs, no statesmen can
WISH tor any higher consolation TRAN that
1t was a measure forced upon him by inevi-
table events; and that of all the expedients
within his reach, it was precisely the ono,
which united the balance Of national h6n0J-
and national wealth in its favour
Bat these efforts Of It's opponents must be
unavaiiing. q few selfish men may be led
away for the moment by the transient suf-
| terance o. their interests, and few honest
ones may be deceived by the numberess i'm
positions which are played eff upon them.
Yetthe dawn of light must soon break upon
their understandings. As to the great BODY
OF the people, they stand firm and stedfaSt
TO the interests of their country. They will
not fail to compare the charge with the accu-
sers, and with those whom they arrain. -.
The opposition of these men to the bestand
most brilliant measures Of the administrati-
on !; their mistaken pertinacity in submitting,
to all the avowed encroachments ofthe Bri-
fish government the de- p despair into
which they arc plunged, and from which no.
! thing but somc bold and desperate cast can
relieve them--are at once sufficient to arouse
the Cautious suspicion of the nation. But
that nation needs only 70 consider shs e.;vo,i-
ty of the charge itself, which is bazome6l
forth in such hideous colours they needon-
, ly compare the evils produced by the en-.
embargo with thosefrom which it has res
cued the country, to convert these SUSPECT
o'ls into Indignation, and to nerve their spirits
! with reslstless resolution,
| What could have been expected from the,
most distinguished men in this opposition ,
| k,Oul1 any man axppc+ tI,at u Y III.