Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-06-24
RESPECTFULLY sHEwErH,

meeting conUeue6,
RESPECTFULLY sHEwETH,
That :our petitioners are in general either
directly engaged in mercantile pursuits, or in
the occupations connected with them in
those pursuits they have embarked their for
tunes, & from them they have not only deriv-
ed subsistence for themselves & families, but
have furnished employment TO- great numbers
of persons; TO the Mechanic they have opened
market for the productions Of his labour and
skill to the Farmer for the products of his
fields and at the same time they have es-
sentially aided the public revenue by duties
paid on their importations.
The foreign commerce in which your peti-
toners are engaged is principally with the
British w. India islands in conformity to the
laws of their country by which that trade was
sanctioned, and without any suspicion that
it would suddenly DE prohibited, they shipped
during the last Summer and Autumn as they
have always been accustomed to do, nurncr-
Gus cargoes which have been sold on credit
IN the islands on an engagement to receive
payment in produce when the crops come in,
which they usually do in the months of
March and April--The property thus recei-
we'd, they have been in consequence Of the
non-importation law prevented from bringing
home /; and your Petitioners have now from
this and other causes large amount of pro-
perty in the British West India Islands, which
must remain there greatly to their loss and
disadvantage until that law is repealed in
the mean time their vessels will be useless to
them, their seamen unemployed, and COM
merce once profitable and Furnishing, aban-
doned.
Your petitioners while engaged in lawful
commerce have thus suddenly, without time
being allowed them TO escape, been oyertaken
by these calamities. Under such circum-
stances Of suffering, they very naturally en-
quire from whence they proceeded, and who
Their they were inflicted by constitutional
authority In making this enquiry they can
not forget that one important grievance COM
planned ofin the declaration of Independence
was "cutting off our trade" & that to "esta-
blish commerce" was one Of the great objects
proposed in that memorable instrument nor
can they bring themselves TO believe that in
the national compact BY the power "to re-
gulate commerce" the States intendedto grant
a power 70 destroy il.
Your petitioners are far from imputing 70
the general Legislature any but the most cor
rect motives in passing the non-;mportaticn
law, but the.consequences Of that law, arc Pc
culiarly destructive 70 their interests, Il pla-
ces them in a state Of uncommon crnbarrass-
ment, it ruins their property, it dries up the
sources Of their property, and they perceive
no relief except from its repeal.
If the operation Of The non-irnportationiaw,
thus severe and oppressive not only 70 your
petitioners, but TO all persons concerned IN
foreign commerce, does not present one Of
those " extraordinary occasions" which au-
thorises the President 20 convene congress :;
your petitioners respectfully suggest, that
such "occasion" may be found in the change
which has taken place in cur foreign relati-
ons. The Presidents Proclamation, and the
law in question, were founded on an engage
ment Of the French government 70 revoke
the Milan ard Berlin DEGREES. Those de-
crces, IT now appears, have in fact not been
revoked. That power has not ceased 70 vio-
late our rights. She sequesters our proper
ty in her ports; she burns or sinks our YES
sells on the ocean sand what is still more diih-
cult 10 comprehend, after such acts, the au-
thors Of these injuries and insults receive by
lava hospitable reception in our harbors.
Your petitioners, therefore, respectfully so
iicit the president Of the United States to con-