Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-03-29
For The .1zeraadria Daily Gazette.
TO ALBERT GALL ATTN, ESQ.

circular IclttI Vi tuS 1Ot4 i'ios' ~
lectors of the different ports IN the United t'S
States, containing your opinion OF the con-
struction that should be given to the ron
intercourse law, ] cannot withhold my leei-
inps and sentiments from nv fellow citizens
on a subject so nomentous ana Sc, material
" interesting to the5welfare OF the cona.llh-
nity in general. In placing my name ana
opinion in opposition toyours, 7 fscl every y,
embarrassment and disadvantage when q
disparity Of station never fails to prodnce
h,t I shall be accused of neither telnerltv
ror vanity when assert that | shall oppose
honesty to cunning and dupicity, selt-evi-
dent truths to whimsical and artihc!a eva
sions Of the plain and obvious meaning q
our language, and liberal American ssntl-
ments to .Genevan subtlety. BIT nave
already depressed toofar& wastel words
in telling that with which every person IS
ACQUAINTED. in asserting what no honest man
rretentls to. dispute, and III explaining
thing ineligible to the meanest capacity
In vour letter YOU mention, that" there Is
ro,bine in the law which forbids the sale OF
American vessels abroad, bat the condition
of the bond, required by the 18th section,
Is, that they shall not proceed to any Sfi-
fish or French port the+condit!on OF THIS
b;n,, will be considered BY TINS department
10 forfeited, and the bonds put IN suit, It,
nr;or to their return to the United States,
and during the continuance of the act, they
shall proceed to anysuch port, whether they
have been sold, or remain ;he property OF
+he same owners Here you positively
prohibit an Americas from makieg q dlspo-
sition Of his property, and sretnse HIM eve
~ advantage he could expect from the re-
moyal of the embargo. This is the section
of your letter upon which ] shall particular
lyinsist, and endeavor to prove, to every
,npreiudiced mind, that YOU have evidently
distorted the law, In order either to CRAFTY
the malignity and perverseness OF your teFa-'
per. or 10 answer some dishonorabie part.y
s purposes. / an confident that the zr'$ed-.
ores froTa whom this puerile law emanated,
and who unuuestionabiy intended to expose.
us to every difficulty, and to infict upon US,
every injury in their power, never conten-
plated So distant amischief, ito operate who'll
IL mon the mercantile interest, nor intended
INV restriction to be enforced that was not.
catcgorically and expressly contained IN the
bill: it was left for your e;eaiteie@sderSta7a-
;uo 70 devise and execute plan OF mischiet,.
ot once as ruinous and destructive II It's
consequences, as it is extensive and unii-.
rnited in It's sphere of operation. The am
rlitude and copiousness of our language is
such, that the neaningof almost every. sen
tence NAV be perverted. The sophistry OF
some. and the stubbornness of Others, may
contribute TO perplex the Judgment o. the
most perspicuous, and render Inefiectualthe
researches of the most profound; but IN
such cases as this, we should receive the
most natural influence, calculated at once, to
alleviate the accumulated privatons&lhcon-
yeniences TO which we are sublect,& to ex-
tract from us, IN the least possible degree,
the privileges and immunities with which
we are favoured.-You undoubtedly know
and if YOU do not this will inform you, that
amaiority Of the merchants, have ordered
their vessels to be disposed OF, on their arrl-
vain the w Indies, supposing thatexorhltant
prices might be obtained, as they will he
necessary in the transportation OF the pro-
duce exported from this country to the con-
tiguous islands and settlements not under
the dominion of neutrals. If this were al
lowed, it would be more conducive to our
interest than can befimagined: for BY diff
fusing our produce throughout the West
Indies, in general, the markets In neutral
islands would be rendered moreregular and
uniform. On the contrary, to shew that it
could not be prejudicial it is sufficient to
say that the English cannot purchase more
than we deposit IN the neutral islands, and
that they muat ultimately become the car
riers from those places-We are thus de-
prived of the profit that would accrue by
4ha-cale oE our reS.elS Xn,, kra,u 4Las Il, q