Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-03-20
Mathsy Lyons Circular Letter
TO HIS CONSTITUENTS.
WASHINGTON, March 4th, 18(

States having brought their labors to close,
/ have sent to the clerks of each OF the
counties for the first congressional dlstricf'
for your information, a list of the laws pass
ed during its last session. 1t remains now
for me to discharge duty to which have
ever considered myself pledged that IS,
to give to those whom I'have the honor to
represent, an account of the prominent oc-
culrrences of the session, and to place IN
review before them my opinions and my
conduct for their appreciation or censufe'
While / have never sought unnerited aP-
plause which cannot DC gratifying to an no
nest heart, it has been the greatest consola-
ton to me for the thirty years and upwards
have had the honor Of being representa-
tive Of the people ODE always able to elu-
cidate to those who have entrusted me, the
course I have pursued and the motives
which have governed my conduct, SO as to %
meet their appreciation. When | shall tail
to do this, / shall cease to be happy as a
public man.
It is of primary Importance to you to
know that near the close Of the session a
law passed repeating after the 18th Of this
month all the laws laying an EMBARGO
on the expectation OF the produce OF our
country, except SO far as those laws respect
France and England. The same law pro-
yides for cutting off all commercial inter-
course with those nations and their Deepen
denotes after the goth Of May next, two
days before the commencement OF the next
session of Congress. The law itself expires
at the end Of that session, SO that we are to
have full review of all those subjects
which have occupied the attention Of the
tenth Congress, in May and June next. /
will venture to assure you that among all
the projects that may be laid before US at
that period, emborgo viii not be advocated.
This measure has sickened the nation ana
brought shame and confusion on the b0Ltici-
ans who adopted it and have been obliged 10
abandon it, without its answering any one OF
the purposes they assured the nation itwou]d
effect.
1t is also important to you to know that
no nation threatens us with war at present,
and that Notwithstanding all the war speech
es we have had this winter IN Congress
notwithstanding all the assurances the ma
ton has had that they must have war or
embargo-notwithstandlng all the efforts
which have been made by y0atns politicians,
to involve us in war directly or indirect
ly, We have risen without the government
having done any act by which the nation is
pledged to go to war, or the peace OF the
country is committed.
It must be gratifying to you to learn that
after all the jargon about submission which
constitutes the essence Of so many Con
gressional speeches, no act Of submission
has been committed this last session, but
we have risen from the degraded state OF
submitting to retire from the ocean, the use
Of which was the whole matter in contro-
versy.
While legislative addresses, those from
meetings OF the people, and speeches from
the members of Congress and government
al publications Calculating our rights and
the wrongs of the belligerent powers to-
wards US, are tecu1ing SO aJundantly from
the press in newspapers and pamphlets, |
need say no more on those subjects than
that ! feel all that patriotic Indignation that
my fellow citizens express towards those
who invade our rights. feel sufficiently
impatient under these injuries, I scorn use
less complaint, | cherish the spirit Of bold
remonstrance, / look forward with hope,
and complacency to the growing strength
and resources OF this nation. cannot be ar
to see this growth retarded by hopeless
projects.
| opposed the embargo last year for the
following reasons among others. 1t was
calculated to destroy this growth which is
not only our hope for future power and ag-
grandisement, but at present constitutes our
chief irnnnrfance In the euec nf fore on n