Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-01-02
he said, which. every man possessing the feel

! the orders and DEGREES, TO submit To WHICH
4 the House had declared would DC an abandon
| ment of our rights, had closed every aysnu
| OF commerce. America was not destined {,
| depend lorthe exercise of her MARITIME lighi
/ Oh the smiles or frowns of any foreign nation
She was destined to enjoy free commerce
| and not to take, az boon, a license to pursue
that trade, which she claimed as right o
nature; and the second section OF this bill
was to prevent few, who had forfeited all ii.
tie to the honorable name Aof Americans, By
| accepting foreign licences to trade, from dis
grazing the character of the United States
He could wish that the first section should be
negatiyed, that Congress- might rot appear tt
have legislated on al exising fact ;s,ha! no
thing might be Lei; on record to hard dowr
to,posterity the fact that in the short period O
tnisty years from the declaration of our indie,
pendenc~, theirs had been Americans willing
10 surrender it. He wished the principle o.
the second section to be permanent and co.
existent with the constitution.
Mr.. S. considered the embargo as having
been wise measure; that it had answered
all the purposes Of preeauton; but the time
would soon arrive when it must either be eft.
fectual or when lis effect as coercive mea.
sure might be doubted. lie wished to do no.
shinr which should hold out an idea tina. the
embargo would be continued for any great
length of time longer. The language made
use Of for party purposes, which had pSne.
trated into every howell and been repeated al
every hreside in the country, in relation to
the embargo was, that it was intended to put
the northern states at the feet OF the southern,
that the north was TO be crushed and render
ed subseryieat to the interests OF the south
Mr.. Story did not believe word of it. lie
had always found the southern gentlemen
friends to oar commercial rights and their
friendship was On record ON the journals oil
the House What was the embargo? A
stand for commerce; a measure arising from
desire that our merchants might enjoy the
benefits and the northern section Of the union
pursue the fair commerce designed for them
by Providence that it might not be exposed
70 gradual consumption and wasting away
by the beEigerent edicts. And it was because
ne believed this that he did not wish the fist
sectian to afford ground for renewal Of this
elamor.
Mr.. TTay'9r declared ais opinion to be IN
perfect consonance with that of the gentle
mas from aiasaacniisetts in regard to the
continuance off The embargo. He said that
before the expiration Of IS months ne also
should be prepared to engage in open and
honorable warfare, ifthc embargo did not
IN a reasonable time procure areeress OF our
grievances. a period long short OF i8
months would have exhausted the patience
&C the nation and tested the efficacy OF the
measure. ar. i. said that there were now
no vessels OF the Z. S. abroad which hSi
not already incurred the penalties OF this act
by taking out license. Ii they had not
they would soon fall into the clutches OF the
bellieerents. So that in fact the first section
was a york OF supererogation. The second
sect;on should be adopted independently OF
the embargo or any Other measure. indeed
nan,leme en- VINO had voted IN favour OF the
resolution expressive Of a determination to
r,.;st the beiiigerent elicts, could not con-
sistent,v vote against this section tor 1t went
TO resist one Of the most odlous parts OF an
ekIict OF one of the belligerents-that part
which Requires. OH vessels to take out IL
censes in order 70 pursue their TAR com
merce. -, :,
MI. DurM expressed himself decidedly
n favour OF the principle, but did not like
legislating By piece-ineal, passing section
TO-DAY and section tomorrow, law to-
day and a lav tomorrow. lie wished to see
it connected wish general plan OF resist
ance.
Mr.. Nevto,s had 10 idea By the tlrst sec
ton of this bill to pledge the house 70 sh7
continuance of the enbargo for IS monens.
s ,r aI: :. or, ,,laf,u ore 10 continue II iOr