The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-02-17
mo. 91.

- '''N NtO'' iitil III llS DTDEOSN~
tion, | shall also vote Tor drawing the sword
but if l should be IN the minority Gu that.
when the s,ibJcctc comes iutothc house, / shall
vote against Every pare OF the proposition.
Mr.. G0rdeRicr said 1T seemed ti,at .IS'
house WAS Ui the eve of cammencinwi new
experiment tii.t they bad declined the ia.
Vofitc one, which was promised 10 be 50 te-
~ eiectual, the efficiency of which it had.
al one time been considered stupid for any,
man 10 doubt that they were about to lay
th&t by-amd FOR once, he said, it seemed
that he was liLG!y 10 be in the In aioritv.. de
was happy to compliment tic wisdom of the
iioisc on the occasion. He was, however,
unfortunately, one of those whose conf
cence IN tie author of experiments in Ahis
country had not been az all iIicreasedby yhe
ISSUE otthat Experiment which had been ID
months a coming To AN issue. He said he
must therefore be permitted to doubt or auy
proposed experiment. In respect to the
present proposition. sir, said he, l feel nv
sell, as it were, walking in the dark. win
a blind tulic. Therefore ] Must exercise
the humble privilege ut Judging Tor myself,
or endeavoring t6feel ont for myself NV ownL
way, to the great conclusion. l have, how
ever, made one reflection. on what / have
heard on this subjcct-tiat on this occasion
we are not overwhelmed with a profusion
OF promises of any good effect to be derived
$3.50 7" PfOPOScu.
1t appears to me, and | take it as a happy
omen, that no gentleman has vcntured 20
say that war would obtain the objects for
which alone war ought to be waged. re-
collect, Sir, that you were told, when the
embargo was laid, that it would have the
best effect There were many who believed
1t a majority of this House believed it
And for myself. when I looked at the sour
ces whence this encouragement, this prophe,
cy proceeded, / was myself almost inclined
to doubt whether it would not work well.
But now no one appears to believe that the
proposed measure viii bring us TO any ISSUE
whatever, to any termination Of the distress
cs ct the country and yet, because it is
spirited, brave and manly, we are to rlnnge
the nation into a war, and sacrifice ALI that
the embargo has left us. No one tsils YOU
that such a course would be productive Of
any advantage, l cannot go into a measure,
sir, from which even the friends Of it do
not hope any good. I 90 not like fighting
merely for the sake Of lighting, when there
is 10 object in view. 1t is eXhausting the
nation when it is growing TO be power
full. | will engage III no Quixotic expedi-
%,ions. will go to fight 20 wird-milis. +
will, asEwas said by a gentleman from Ken
lucky, (Air. Lyon who says many very SEN
slble things in this House, sir, let the nation
grow. The nation has not arrived 10 that
state OF manhood i'll which it can claim
superiority. = the policy of tl.e present
Gay be pursued, it willie a rickettv infant
it may be a spunky spitcful child. but will
have no strength, and will never
respect. ! therefore say again with the.
gentleman from Kentucky, let the nation.
grow let that be the policy Of the govern
ment, and we shall be respectable for that
policy. Every thing which ~derogates from
: our strength, tends to render US unimport-
ant as a nation.
1t is wSh sensations Of the deepest regret
that l have heard gentlemen ON this Iioor
make use so frequently of the term rebelli-
on, and apply 1t TO a portion OF the country
In which, | venture TO say, no spirit of re-
bellion exists. If n Consciousness of their
rights, and, among those rights if the right
OF pursuing their own happiness, be robe H.
on, you have rebellion enough in that coun-
try, sir. Have we Come to tllis already,
that when n people are groand down INTO
dust, when al their fair prospect of pros
perify is Blasted, when they have 30 hope
even for existence, when the C%ornforis of
lite arc even taken away from t5c.u, when
they experience iyithing but sificring-wlen
such Il people, convinced (as | lhmksall rea-
sonablc people must be ccnvinced) that this
IS to produce 40 G00d purpose, rise up and
say that they Cannot Consent to be martvrctk
thnS, that IL Sl III be called rebellion : # 10
too much ioH human nature; .hcy haze
borne sNiicrings of a most uncxampicd
character for months, but, in hopes that the
SpeculdtI0ns OF oar political theorists might
be realized, they have submitted ~ them.
and vented their dispositions only in memo
rails to the President before the Commence
ment of Congress, for they conceived that
when Congress met. there could bcuo doubt
of their being relieved. When Congress.
met nothing was done. What would Won.
have of frcemen? They have Intelligence ,
the We y form OF our government supDoses
that u'ey have intelligence, aud that they
are capable Of judging of their own iiitcrcst.
This people, so Intelligent, 50 wise (and al
ter this ut least ] hope / shall be consider
Ell al Il good republican, see with a great
many others, that this embarg,, hoWoyc.
1t may operate o, one Of the bei,igerents-
l believe it is NOT pretended That it operates
on the otler-Cannot possibly operatc. to-
such an cEtcnt on the former as' - bring
that nation to terms. Then, say tiev. al
this excessive suffering to which we are sub
jectcd, IS 10 no purpose; we must still 20
on supporting tiIis state Of things, without
being encouraged by the Sigh es: giimnter-
ing of hope. Can you ask 1t, sir? Can Won
expect it? Rec,Ilcct that Il on the one
band the government is entitled to resuccy
. II