Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-02-28
TUES DAr, FER q AR n

ITO substitute the embargo, whenever il
Should be ascertained that it had failed
Ioi its coercive objects. I was, not
Understanding, willing at the com
lmencement of the present session tc
fpersevere in the system until the e.
vents which anticipated should take
place in Spain, and become known in
IGreat Britain, and until the early pro.
i ceedin9s of congress should also bs
known there. 1t appeared to me that
III a relaxation on the part of G.. Bri-
tain, should not be coerced by the in
fuence OF these events combined upon
their FIRST impression in Great Britain,
!. all hope OF relaxation from the EN-
barge alone would, then be at an end,
and that no other alternative would be
LETT US but war, My. sincere love of
peace, and the l;ttie remaining hope oil
avoiding war induced me at that time
sternly to set my face against the re
tpeal OF the embargo but I then
thought, and still think, that at some
ipcriod OF this session some other msa-
sures ought to be resorted to either
with or without the embargo. Thar
|pefiod IS now arrived, submission can.
not tor moment be taken into eonsi-
deration. The decisive course Of mea.
sures which 1 conceived were i'm eri.
ously demanded bY the existing cir
cunstances OF the country, are still
Inore strongly called FOR bv the con.
tents of Mr.. Canuing's letter Of the
l22d OF November last, to Mr.. Pink
lrev. This letter have heard repre-
sented as wholly unimportaat. view
ITS coatents IN a very different light.
| deem them highly Important. They
4 go to take away my last hope of peace
fhey go to satisfy my mind, that we
have now no alternative, but war. Sub.
OMISSION is cut OF the gnesti3l. Permit
me to read an extract or two from
Ithas letter, Upon which my opinion is
ioan led. They will be sound in pa
ges 3, IA, of the last printed n,.ssagc
Ioi the president: 49,
"gfhe purpose Of this letter is not to
lrenew the discussion upon the subject
| .! your proposal, bsir mer<ly to clear
lnp any Misunderstanding which had
existed between us in the course OF tina,
ldiscussion. cannot conclude il how.
ever, without adverting very shortly &c
that part ofyour letter, In which YOU
I.argne that the failure Of France, in the
attempt to realize her gigantic project
of the annihilation of the commerce
of this country, removes all pretext fol
the continuance Of the retaliatory sys,
tenn OF 6. Britain"
i Again,
"Ifthe foundation ofthe retaliatinc
I system of Great Britain was, Gas we
contend it to have becn) original,
Just, that system will be justihably
continued in force, not SO long only, as
the DEGREES which produced it are mis-,
chievously operative, blu, IN il they ar,
I (unequivocally abandoned, and, ifit be
thus consistent with Justice 10 persever,
lin that system, it is surely no mean
motive ofpolicy for such perseverance
THAT premature departure from it
while the enemy's original provocatiof
remains unrepealed, might lead tt
false conclusions, as to the efficacy o
| the DEGREES Of France, and might hold
out a dangerous temptation to that
lpower to resort TO the same system on
any future OCCASION"
\ Here we find Mr. Canning, although in a
ltone somewhat different, not only confirm
ling his rejection Of the just aud honorable
Overture made by Mr. Pinkney, for the re-
vocation of the hostile orders, sc. contain
ed in his letter to Mr. Pinkuey of the 23l
Of Sept. preceding, but we find him INTRO
ducing the subject apparently for the pur.
pose or preventing any similar overture
under any circumstances, and expressly
declaring that the orders shall continus IN
force, not only so long as the French de-
lcrees shalt be mischievously operative, but
until they shalt be unequivocally abandon
ed, and leaves strong inference on my
mind, that they are not be abandoned OIL
any terms and, believe, are intended to
become the permanent law of the land. If
this point were clearly ascertained, surely
lel America would eagerlyp0ite in the war
But, sir. / shall have occasion, again, In
the course of the observations presume to
make, to remark further upon the contents
ri this letter. Although this resolution Is
not the one OF my choice, and IS, as gentle
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