Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1808-05-20

degraded Us to the condition OF colonies.
II resisted, would have fattened the
wolves Of pluuder with Our spoi!s. The
embargo was the only shelter from thes
tempest. Thelast refuge Of our violated
peace. ..
have Indeed been myself of opinion
that the embargo must in its nature be
temporary exPedient, aud that prePara.
tons rhAn'festing determination Of re-
si,ta"ce against these outrageous viola
,'nus OF our neutral rights ought at least
to have been made subject Of serious
elaboration in congress. have be-
Geved, and do still believe, that our in
ternal resources are competent to the
establishment aud maintenance of naval
force public and private, if not fully ade-
qaate to the protection and defence Of
our commerce., at least sufficient to in.
duce retreat from those hostilities and
better from areaewal of them, by either
Of the warning parties and that system
to that effect might be formed, ultimate.
ly far more economical, and certainly
more energetic than a three years EN-.
barge. Very soon after the closure Of
our P"r;s, did submit to the conside-
ration Of the senate, a proposition for
the appointment ola committee to IN
stitute an enquiry to this end.-But nv
resolution met no encour agement. A.
tempts of a similar nature have been
made in the house Of representatives,
but have been equally discountenanced,
and IRON these determinations BY de-
cided maioritics Of both houses, am
not sufficiently confident in the superiori-
ty OF nv own wisdom to appeal, by a
topical application to the congenial feel
ing OF any oCe-nHt even Of my own ma
tive section of the union.
The eMsasg', however, is a restric-
ton al~A> under our own controul. 1t,
was measure altogether Of defence, and
cfexPeF:msn,. lin was mi ldiciously
and overhastily laid, it has been every
day since its adoption open to a repeal
lift should prove Intellectual for the pur-
poses which It was meant to secure. a
single day will suffice to unbar the doors.
Still believing it measure justified BY
the circumstances of time am ready to
admit that those who thought otherwise
may have had wiser foresight Of events,
and sounder Judgment of the then ex-
listing state o. things than the majority
Ct the national |, gislasure, and the prsi-
dent. 1t has been approved by several
Of the state legislatures, and among the
rest BY our own. Yet of all its effects;
~e arc SKILL unable to judge with certain
". It must still abide the test Of futuri-
". l shalt add that there were other
motives which had their operation in
contributing TO the passage Of the act,
nnnoticed by Mr.. Pickering, and which
having now ceased will also be left un.
noticed bv me. The Gorders of coun-
Gil OF lIth Nov. still subsist in all their
force i; and are now confirmed, with the
addition of taxa ion, by act of parlia-
msnE.
As they stand in front of the real
Causes f"r the embargo, so they are en-
titled 20 the same pre- eminence in emu
nnerat;ng the causes Of hostility, which
the British ministers are accommodating
on our storbe ~rance. They strike at the
root o'onr Independence. They assume
rtst VIC shall have no commerce 10 time
ofwar, but with her dominions, and as
tributaries t6her. The exclusive con-
6Osmen, Of commerce to the mother
country is the great principle of the mo-
dern colonial system; and should we by
= dereliction of our right, at. this mo-
mentions stride Of encroachment surren.
def our commercial freedom without
struggle. Britain has but single step
more to take, and she brings US back to
the Stamp dct aud die Tea Tar!
Yet these orders-thus fatal to the. Ii.
berries FOR which the sages and heroes
"f our revolution toiled and bled-thus
&tud'ously concealed until the moment
when they burst upon our heads-thus
issued at the very instan, whoa mission
OF atonement was professedlv sent-in