The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-02-24


Impressed our seamen-exc!udcd from
market seventy millions of dollars of our ex-
ports-and subjected to tribute to the follow
ing amount, the great staples of our country
viz +: tobncco 5 dollars per lO0lb.--cottoa
Is cents per lb.-Corn 10 cents per bushel-
flour two dollars per bbi.-tish 90 cents per
1o0ib.-pork6 dollars Sc cents per barrel
beef3 dollars SS cents per barrel.
.. That France has violated her treaty
committed enormous depredatioiis ON our
commerce-burnt our vessels on the high
scas-subje ctsd them tocapture for causes
over which We have no control. and subject
ed TO capture oar commerce with Great BIZ
tain, its islands and dependencies, amounting
to IS millions of dollars.
5. That both these power have attempt
rd to mark out the course which the United
States ought to pursue towards it's enemy ;
and under the pretcXt ct retaiiating on US,
for supposed submission, have carried their
injustice and violence so far as to leave to
he u. States no commerce which can be
pursued with safety or honor.
4. That negotiation has been tried with
both these powers i'll every possible form, 8,
has failed.
Niu any gentleman come forward and de-
ny any one OF these Positionss He cannot.
Documents on the table demonstrate their
truth These injuries canaot be submitted
to. They must. must be resisted. Thu last ap-
peal to the justice If these nations has been
made. Whenever. the embargo is removed,
we must fight. Whether we fight or the
triangle, the square, or the form called
rough, roll and tlmbie, ! care not-6ght we
must, unless we are destitute of principle
and OF courage.
] will not submit, without a struggle. to the
uninst pretensicnS of either of these powers.
The causes which produced the American
revelation were trif!ng, compared with the
present monstrous Pretensions of the belli-
gerents.
VIII the people who spurned a paltry tax
ON tea. when united under the same govern
mcnt with Great Britain, submit to a tax on
the most valuable staples of their country,
and hold the right TO carry them to market
at the will of foreign poyere 1t is impos-
sible our ancestors gave up a country af-
fording every thing to crafty avarice and
pride They placed themselves under the
goddess of liberty, in a forest filed with
bowling siyagcs and destitute of the COM
forts at life. Shall we, the descendants of
that people, shrink fropi maintaining our in
dependencef Shall we, TO avoid the evil of
war, take the greatest of all evils, a base
submission IL foreign powerf
We are told that the alien and sedition
laws, which called forth all the energies of
Virginia were nero sauce compared with
the embargo. They were bitter pills, never
to be swaliowe ed thev were clear, open and
manifest violations OF the constitution, and
the reasoning of the committee of the Nir-
ginia Legislature against these laws, remains
unanswered to this day. Whenever the peo-
pie OF Massachusetts, or any other state,
shall come forward and shew me that a law
is unconstitutional. and in the same firm and
CONSTITUTIONAL form, and that I have violated
their rights, l am WI .liDg to retrace my steps
But when they tell me that they cannot live
but by a base submission to a foreign power,
/ will say to then Z" starvc." Whenever
the people of this country cannot live with
out Crouching to a foreign power, let then
starve. cannot consent to surrender as q
dessert OF for q Whole dinner the rights Of
this country.
We are told we cannot maintain our rights
that we must grow before we fight. We
cannot grow under base submission to foreign
despotisn. Look at the history of tae world,
and see whether any nation has grown M
under oppression. Its tyranny which pro-
duces i'll formed and ricketty children, and
not an adherence to the rights of men. Blu,
the gentleman from New-York has told us,
that this attempt to assert the rights uf the
nation by war, is worse than insult ihave
shewn you, sir, that the people are exclud-
ed from the ocean by the DEGREES Of G. Bri-
tain. and France: asaI II we -aise the embar-
10, war must be the consequence. Why. sir,
ii we take off from the list of places 10
which we usually trade, those place. affected
by the DEGREES and orders, we have, as has
been repeatedly shewn, but a of
seven millions and a half. VIII ycu take
this ? Il you do and prohibit intercourse IF
fected by the DEGREES, it is Submission.
Take the second project which has been
offered, viz. TO arm our merchant vessels,
and allow them to trade. If our differences
were with France alone, this would be an
eff ctuaI and honorable provision. We could
force a trade against France. Oursituation
would permit it. But will any gentleman
say that we can carry tobacco, or rice, or
cotton or fish 70 market on the continent Of
Europe, aud protect it with cannon against
G.. Britain ? No, sir, arming the merchant
vessels will give only a with G.
Britain. IT is consignihg 10 individuals the
destinies Of the Misunderstanding letters oil
Tarque and reprisal is a fair. manly and O.
pen resistance on the part of the nation. 1t
viii afford Is our citizens a chance to gel
bsck some of the property of which they
have been plundered. 1t will give neither
power a monopoly Of our mmerc We
can assail both beIligerents and fight then
BOTH AT triangles, squares or obiongs, or in
evcty possible form in which we can meet
with tiem. If orr arms can be employed
win effect on water, our vessels must not be