Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1810-03-06

r
w bile the DEGREES and orders remain in
full force, whilst as planter am cut off
from a market for my produce-snd altho'
the merchant under British licence may
sail where he pleases, the expence of that
licence comes out of my pocketr=an amend.
ment comes from the Senate going to the
surrender of'every thing for which the u.
s. have commended for the last five years.
If it had come from a quarter where mo-
tives could be suspected,I would not hest.
tate to say, 1t was traitorous abandon !
ment' Of the rights ofthe country. i believe
that body, however, TO be purtas ourselves,
and can only regret that on this occasion
their views appear to differ so widely from
mine. Whilst the British DEGREES against
cur commerce were in force in 1898, they
were demonstrated against In language as
strong as possible by man who has been
represented as hostile to commerce and to
commercial tights, and under the inspecti..
on of Washington at a time when he pos
sessed not only the confidence of gentle.
men on the other side. of the House but
the undiyided confidence Of the American
people. Mr. E. quoted letter from Mr.
Jefferson then Secretary of State to Mr.
Hammond, demonstrating against the inva..
sion of neutral rights. Here. sthen, said
Mr. Eppes, is the principle contested which
has been scourgc to our commerce for
the last Ave years. Whether the course
hitherto pursued by the U. S.has been.
the course best obe adopted am not pre-
pared to say. 1t was period in which
the aolest aud best men might and did
differ as to the course proper to be pursued.
1t seems at present to be conceded that
the on.intercourse, after we have been
swindl.d out of all the provisions calculat.
ed to enforce it (for Unjust continue to call
the disavowal of the arrangement of April
swindIing transaction) is of little use,
ask gentlemen will they abandon my rights |!
Will they not afford me road to market
VIII they shrink from me and leave me to
force Thy way ash Can2 For what purpose
was this government established! Why did
these seventeen distinct coniederacies unite
under one head To the state governments
belong all that affects life or property; and
the general government was designed to
oppose to the entertainments Of foreign GO.
vernments the united arm of the seventeen
states. Are we then 20 fold our arms, to
be driven from the ocean without strug.
gle; TO strike our flag and surrender those
rights the people have entrusted to our
protection! This, / trust in God. is not
tue spirit of Congress. If it be, 1t is not
the spirit OF the people. If the present
majority are incapable of protecting the
rights OF the nation, let them declare that
they feel incompetent to their duty. and
let their places be supplied by successors
OF more hrmness.==Mr +. said he for one
was not disposed to abandon the ocean
altogether; he believed that the nation had
rights which it was essential to defead !;
that the people were disposed TO deIeno
these rights and thai 1t there was want
OF energy any where, il was in their go
vernment. Influenced by these. considera-
tiCBs, he had risen TO offer tine following a..
mendmeHr lie said ne hadedrayn a sc.
parate SECTION as TO each power, that the
people might see'who were disposed to de.
teau the rights OF the nation against either
France or q. Britaini and Who against bolh.
ke was himseitsot the latter description
and, although ne did not teel the pressure
OF the French DEGREES, he considered them
equally odious IN principle and tending to
destroy those rights tor which he ever
slfould conlend.
MIR L.. thou offered an amendment pro.
vding tor the conveying trade and arming
merchant vessels bound 10 the ports of bei-
. lgerents, &c. which being afterwards with
drawn and substituted by another esscntI-
ally the same, is not here inserteds =
Mr. Muiniord reJoiced at the proposition
OF the amendment. tnoagh he aud not en-.
vt,reiy asree,in the views of the gentleman
as to permitting merchant vessels to arm
he had no objection 70 the convoy sy stem
we had the best of the argument long e
Eou5h, aud he wanted something stronger.
lie could not however consent that mer-
Chant vessels should carry a single gun,
because 1t would Putthe peace OF the coun-
try IN tne,r powsr, and there were many
naturaiised IneTchaots who might not be
extremely scrupuious as to their conduct
la tnat respect. Mr. M. explained has
ideas as TO lne- convoy system. If resis-
tanCe to the interruption of a lawful trade
brought ON war, what would be the Con-
sequence Would not the nation support
Congress IN II! No doubt OF it, for ii
they would not defend the trade in the
produce of the, land, the agrieulturalisi
might as well stop his plough and shut up
ms Darn.
4 A1r Dana was also very glad that the
gentleman from Virginia had brought for
WARD this proposition. He admitted thai
il was one object OF the Establishment OF
general government to protect trade /; and
tnat u u failed ia this duty, At failed in the
principal object OF It's institution. He az
breed also that If the directors Of the pub.
lac Affairs weuld not attend 10 the bu siness
of the national protection, it was proper for
them 70 acknowledge that they were una
bic TO guide the relns Of empire, and that