Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-06-21

recognize the act, inasmuch as il was one
Of the highest importance. Therefore I say
that the case is not precedent.
Several other reasons have been mention
ed in favor of the resolutions. which have
been so ably answered by the gentleman
from New York, that shall not notice
them. Here might be an end to the discus
sion, was it not for the manner in which the
sabiect has been discussed by the gentleman
from Virginia, and Think it fair to answer
him in his own way. He seems to contend
for the credit ofthe late negociation--wth
whom? / have misunderstood that the re-
publican party have claimed any merit from
it. No such claim, as far as / have any
knowledge, has been setup in this country.
1t will then be fair to examine, on this sub
iect, whether the gentleman's right to the
credit which he claims is fairly made out.
We are told that it is owing tn the passage
of the non intercourse law that the overtures
were made by Great Britain. The gentle
man from Virginia has told you that he was
opposed to the passage Of that law, not from
any dislike to it, but because he supposed
that he might get clear Of the embargo Who'll
ly. Suppose the gentleman had have sue
ceeded in his vote upon the nom intercourse,
and thu repealed the embargo, there would
then have been existing no measure of re-
sistance to British oppression. The orders
in council would have been acquiesced in by
this government. Suppose that the dispo
sition of the British government to accom-
MEDIATE with America be ascribed to her
misfortunes in Spain ask whether she
would have had any inducement 10 with
draw her orders i'll council in this state of
things? The reverse in Spain having produ-
ced disposition to accommodate, vet. no
measure of hostility being presented to the
orders in council, why would Great Britain
have Withdrawn them Is it to be supposed
that the British government is so very ipno-
rant of the situation in which she was plac.
ed by the orders in council, that she would
have withdrawn them 1t cannot be attri-
buted to this motive. If not, to what p
Will you suppose, sir, that she has feelings
of such sympathy towards America that she
would have done it !? need only call to
my aid the history of that nation from 1874
to the present day, for proof of contrary
disposition; for she could not Withdraw a
law In relation to this country, much less
advantageous to her than her orders in
council, till It's fields were stained with the
best blood of the country. 1t is then to be
ascribed to the non-intercourse. 1.-THE en-
barge had been repealed, without the lat
ter, we should to this day have been groan-
ing under the orders in council, and per
haps our situation would have presented as
mournful an aspect at the meeting of Con.
gress, as the gentleman SO feelingly describ-
ed US, voting supplies, marching to Cana
da, &c. For, sir, what would then have
been our situation, if we had at the last ses-
sion repealed the embargo wholly: We |
should have been retracing our steps, or
plunging the nation into war, hesitating be-
tween the one and the other, exhibiting |
stain on the American character. which |
years could not have efaeed. Is this pic |
ture too highly colored Is not the conse-
quence which Ihave portrayed fairly re-
sulting? Or will this visionary phantom
which have raised, vanish into air at the I
slightest examination Did not the gen
tleman vote against the embargo, against
non-intercourse, against every thing -
What measure did he advocate to resist |
taxation? TMr. Notwithstanding our
merchantmen.1 Aiming our merchantmen
I ask that gentleman and this house, sir, to
determine whether that was not measure |
Of hostility fraught with greater inconveni-
ence than any other and whethe, it would
not have produced the voting Of supplies
for the bombardment Of New York, as GER
tainly as any other mode of warfare 1t
is to my mind as clear that arming these
merchantmen would have produced war, as