Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1810-04-03
FOR THE VIRGINIA ARGUS
10 the House of Representatives of
the United States.
Gentlemen.

= iLfn your power to save your coun-
try from Palpabic submission to the de-
cr@es ana orders of the nations of En-
rops. Whilst the non intercourse re-.
MANS, there still exists barrier be-
tween the United States and dishonor
remove tie non-intercoarse, with
Out substitute, and you debase the
American community in the eyes OF
thv Universe.
lhere Is very considerable mistake
prevailing In relation to great natl
onal question, to which solicit your
atteniion Its this; that the nan. in
teTc0urse iaJO is injurious to the pres.
ferify of the United States, by dlniin-
RING the quantity Of our exb9rts.
ms proposition is not true. The
nDn Mtereourse law does nos operate
10 tbss prevention of exports il only
goes to the introduction OF imborts,
and~So-far is beneficial to the country.
The essential advantage to be deri-
we'd from trade, is the balance Of broff
which one party makes out of his
trade with another. If Ihe United
States tor example) carry on trade
with England, aud in that trade sell
20 England greater amount of Ams-
rican produce than England sells to
them OF British manufactures, it is
clear that the balance of trade is in
tavor OF the Uniled States. The non
intercourse law produces this efrec, 1;
Tor whilst 1T prohibits tie importation
of English goods into American ports,
1t Substantially aathorises the ex6orta.
ti0n or the produces OF the u. States
to heNBrlish dominions. At the
same time, the citizens of the United
States have not been IN want of ne
cessary supplies of foreign manuiac.
lures, from the circumstance of there
having been previously anassed in
the country immense quantities Of
them.
Rus some persons object, that the
'cirehitoas c0aoeyance by which Anne
ricanproduee goss to Europe, is dis.
graceful TO this nation; because it is
permission by law to do that i,adir ectIy
which il is refused TO be permitted 20
do directly. Let those who make the
objection reject, that the existence Of
the iG50 is cstenSibIe resistance to Euro-
bean aggression; and that whilst we
enjoy the balance of trade under that
ostensibIe remittance, it operates, in
point OF interest, at least. as real re.
sistance, and saves the reputation o.
the American government from the
stain of abject submission.
One portion of our citizens, the
growers of tobacco, (aud the growers
of cotton, to a certain extenO have
been led to believe, in many instances,
that the non-intercourse law is the
cause of there being no market
9or he gross product of their ar
article. The fact is, that the continent
of Europe IS the great market for to-
bacco, and If the non-intercourse law
61d NOT exist, the British navy would
not permit trade between the Unite d
States and the ports Of that continent.
4 That the balance of trade, under the
law in question, is in favor of the u.
nited States, is proved not only by the
actual amount Of exports, which great
w exceed in value the amount of i'm
.porfS, but is oouclusively established
by the rate OF foreign exchange, which
Is at ihis time about FIVE per cent. be-
low par In favor of the United States
aud this is particularly the case with
resDect to Great Britain.
Having taken a commercial view o
the subject, and shewn that nothing
could be exported from the Unite,
States by repeating the non-intercours'
law which cannot be exported whilst i
is in force, l viii take glance at thu
subject In boLticailight Just remar
king, en- PEASANT, that the circuitou
route OF our products to the Europeai
markets does not dImiAish the price o
the produce to the seller, but compel
ahe consumer on the other side Of tn
Atlantic to pay more for it, which, j
effect, is a tax upon our enemy.
The non Intercourse law was enact
ed as mean between embargo aud uu
conditional submission to foreign az
qressious. II was placed under the di
Tectioo Of the president as an iastru
0,euf oCneg1ciatjon Tor, in case Franc
~ ii -.er;,led fbeir ordera =,