Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-02-20

MGQy1nT any COul)1stlHt AnC 1einSf"t -
all distractions on her operations. MIR.
Quincy therefore recommended the reno
val of the embargo, the repeal of the non
importation act and the abandonment OF the
non-intereourse SYSTEM. He wished peace
if possible if war, union in that war -
for this reason his wished a negotiation to
be opened unshackied with those impede
ments to it which now existed. As long
as they renamed, the people in the portion
of the country whence he came, would not
deem an unsuccessful attempt at negocla-
ton to be cause for war if they were re-
moved, and an earnest attempt at negocla-
ton was made unimpeded with these re-.
strietions, and should not meet with sue
cess, they would join heartily in a war
They would not however go to war to con-
test the rights of Great Britain to search
American vessels for British seamen tor
it was geneial opinion with them, that II
American seanen were encouraged, there
would be no secession for the employment
of foreign seanen. A removal OF the en-
barge withoutadopting any other measure
until the eventof negotiation had been trl-
ed, Mr.. QuinFy said would, first prevent
any collision With the belligeTents which
| might tend to enbarrass negotiation ana
secondly, would give an opportunity to the
country to ascertain what would be the prac-
teal operation Of these orders and DEGREES
on our commerce; and give an opportun'-
| ty to the next Congress to shape It's mea-
sures according to their actual effect. II
! commerce did not suffer, tie knowledge OF
this fact would supercede the necessity OF
any other measure, and peace would follow
of course if on the contrary, a general
sweep was made of all the property ailoat
| it would unite all parties in a war. MI
Quincy concluded speech of two hours IN
length, by lamenting the state OF the coun-
try, and invoking the spirit which rides
the whirlwind and directs the storm" to
guide the nation to happy result.
Mr.. Nicholas replied to the observations
of Mr.. Quincy on the subject Of the legal
opposition to the embargo laws IN Massa-
chusetts. He said if the laws of the nation
were to beresisted in the manner in which
he lamented to say he saw ii contemplated
in one part OF the community, ii became the
duty OF this legislature to meet it; 1t was
not compatible with their duty to shrink
from 1t. He could not consent that Is or
ID states should submit to one. AS men
vested with certain powers by the constl-
tuition, Congress could not transfer the
powers to any state legislature or to any
town. Inrelation to negotiating with inea-
sures of coercion in existence, Mr.. Nicho-
las asked when did the violations Of our
rights commence ? SO long ago that the
precise time could not be fixed. When
did our coercive measures commence? In
1906. MIR. n. noticed the negociators du-
ring whose ministry abroad these injuries
had commenced and continued. Mr.. King,
Mr.. Monroe, and Mr.. Pinknev, all honor
able men, had succes@iye'y represented the
!. United States in Great Britain. And could
any thing be gathered from any thing they
had ever written or said, to induce a belief
that this government had not acted with
sincerity There was the most conclusive
evidence to the contrary. MIR. n. said he
would ask nothing Of G. Britain or France
that would tend to sacrifice their honor -
and he wished when gentlemen dwelt SO
much on the regard of foreign nations for
their national character that they would re-
spect little the character Of our own
country.
Mr.. d. r. WILLIAMS said he had been
decidedly voroflssuingletters Of marque
and reprisal at once; he believed it would
have cut off all that fungous matter now de-
teriorating the body politic-for the people
of New England were as patriotic as any,
and when the choice was between their own
and a foreign country they would stick to
their own. 1t was the hot-bed politicians
who stirred them UP and it was necessary