Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-02-28

be satisfied Of the destructive effects of the
} orders i'm council upon their commerce, by
any ,ipferehcas drawn from the obvious
lmeaning of those orders, but insis'Aupon a
practical experiment upon them. Their
vessels may be put in motion, and trade to
all cosntries where they can trade without
. lcompromitting theirown and their country's
honor. II will demonstrate the necessity of
lputting the nation in better state of de-
fence, whilst it will postpone for time,
4 the resort - war in my Judgment, the
ultimate ami only reason, now left us
4 gainst belligt rent aggressions. 1t will leave
no chasm in our protest against the belli-
Igerent orders and edicts, and thus far save
US from the disgrace and submission.
i am bound in charity to presume,
| Mr. President, that gentlemen must
tdiHer essentially with me in opinion
Prospecting the causes of war, or it is
not possible that we should differ SO
i much as to the propriety and necessity
TOT resortingtp it. therefore propose
to state with openness and candor the
real causes of our suferings, the
real causes of war. These may, priu-
lcipally be summed up in the mon
4 strous and ex travagant claim set pby
i Great Britain to the despatism of the
4 ocean. The 4espotism claimed upon
the land by France, although equally
|reprehsnsible, is less Injurious to us.
tits felt, no doubt, with great severi-
jty by those nations whose situation
has subjected them to its influence
4 but it has pleased kind and bencli-
lcent ProvidenCe to place US beyond the
sphere of lis. destructive influence,
whilst the im potency ofFrance upon
the ocean, relieves US from any great
and serious injuries from her upon
4 that element.
j Great Britain has assumed the prin
lciple of the conquest Of the ocean, and
as reward OF that conquest, asserts
| and maintain, the right to carry on
herself the co mmerce of the world, or
4 20 prescribe r,hles for conducting it by
jother nations, and thus renderit sub
: |servient to her own views, and her
own interests. This claim of exclu.
sive dominiona ipon the ocean by Great
Britain, is hos. ility against the rights
} of all other nations upon that element.
| 1t is m fact wa against all nations ha-
!. wing equal rights with herself to navi-
gate the OCEAN. 1t compels all other
. nations either to surrender to Great
: Britain the monopoly of the commerce
ofthe world, on: to submit to such rules
as she shall prescribe for conducting
it. This cxtravagaut, was con
: lceived by the British jurists as early
/, as the commerce. ment OF the French
\ revolutions and since the destruction
: of the French feet at Toulon,
) the gsvcrnme emit has made several
y attempts to Introduce it into prac,
|: tice; someti mes with more, some
. times with less restraint or dis
!; guise. 1t is impossible for me to re-
! fer to all the Instances of this kind
must, therefore, turn the recollection
/, OF the senate generally to the various
, orders issued since that time restrain
, ing neutral commerce inutter contempt
{ OF all public aw, and acknowledged
neutral rights. During the latter part
of Mr. Pitts administration this doc
trihe had become popular, and it was
lresolvcd to put II into practice. 1t
y was however deemed proper to pre-
pare the world for the reception of the
monstrous pre- tension: accordingly a
pamphlet was written as the precursor
Of the system proposed to be introdu-
ced for the government of the CONNER
cial world. / pay but little respect to
pamphlets in general, and should not
now, but the pamphlet alluded to has
always been re presented as written un-
der the directi on of the then British
ministry, aud intended to prepare the
world for this iaew system of CONNER
cial warfare and in this point Of view
it is entitled to the most serious con
federation, and he rather, as the course
of policy recon mended by it, has since
been strictly pursued by the British
ministry, and they have even extended
the system since, beyond the utmost
limit prescribed in that work.
The pamphlet alluded TO, is entitled
War in Disguise" beg to call the
attention of the senate to two or three