Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-01-26
GONG r E S S.
Is. Piekeri;na,s Speech concludea.l

l}lF. PiekersnS'S Speech concataeQs5
The conclusions resulting from the facts
and circumstances which I have collected
ard compared, are serious and alarming.
TAcv demonstrate that the representation
IN the presidents message recommending
tie embargo was delusive, calculated
congress to lead into the belief that
the situation Of the United States, III
relation to France and England, was eX-
tremely perilous, requiring the immediate
adoption of the measure recommended
And as congress did adopt it, enacting the
law recommended, It must be. presumed
that they believed an embargo was necessary
to preserve our vessels, our seanen and
merchandise, from great and increasing
dangers, with which the message stated
that they were threatened.
4 It also follows, as no subsequent disclo-
sure HIS been made of other dangers known
at the time the message was communicated,
t1,at tie real cause or motive for tbeemtcr-
60 has been, and yet Is, UeiAd from the eye
Z Of CONGRESS- and the nation.
NJ. Champagny's letterof October z Zone
Of the paperssc communicated with the pre-
sident's message) requires examination.
But should first remark, that during the
wears 1906 and 1907, In order TO reduce
England, By destroying her commerce, the
French emperor, In execution Of, and in
the spirit Of his Berlin decree, ordered all
English merchandise to be seized and con-
fscated, in every place on the European
Scontinent, enemy or neutral, occupied by
the French armies. For this purpose, and
as one instance among many, his troops
took possession of the city of Hamburg,
Ca CITY with which American merchants
carried Oh large. and valuable commerce,
and. which as neutral was entitled to the same
exemption from hostile violence as the ter
ritorrg of the United States and BY the en-
peror's orders, Bolrrienne, his accredited
minister to that free city, addressed a note
TO It's senate, in which, having stated that
every persen who traded on the continent IN
English merchandise, seconded the views
Of England. and ought to be considered as
her accomplice and, that great portion
of the inhabitants of Hamburg were in that
predicament, and notoriously attached to
England The emperor caused possession to
be taken OF their city, and his Berlin decree
TO be carried. into rigorous execution. Ac-
cordinely, that minister, In, obedience to
the empcfor's orders, among other outrag
es, declared, " all English merchandise
that may be found in the city, in the harbor,
or on the territoryof Hamburg, no matter
to zchon they belong, shall be con6scated."
This was done SO early as the 9th of No
vernber, 1906, only three days after the
Berlin decree was, issued.
With equal atrocity the emperor caused
to be seized and sequestered the vessels and
cargoes of neutrals which were brought in
to or voluntarily rssorted to the ports of
France for purposes Of lawful trade. And
ne kr,ozu from source which will not be
questioned, that their liberation was hope
less because tbey 5vere 1vorh eighteen or
twenty millions Of dollars.
Of the vast property thus plundered, a
large portion belongs to citizens of the U.
States. On the 18th January last, the en-
peror's minister, Champagny, wrote to our
minister, general Armstrong, that their pro-
perry would remain sequestered until a
decision should be had thereon and this
decision depended on oar associating or re-
filsing to associate ourselves with him ana
his allied states in their 1Uar with G. Britain.
Indeed the emperor was willing to save us
the trouble of considering and deciding for
ourselves he declared war for us. &C Wan
exists then in fact between England and the
United States are the words of Chanpag.
ny, in the letter just mentioned ! VIVA,
measures ought tobe kept with such pow.
erl. While we are yet independent, he