Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-06-12

while Independent men will DC siocsea at
tho answer of my colleague to those re-
ouests.-.'Thc President (sald ne mas re-
nommendcd the measure on ms hish re-
soonsibility l would mot cons,asrII
vouldroi Ieli5erate-iw would act.-Donot-
loss The President possesses sucil fu'ther
inflammation as vii! justify the measure
On this extraordinary declaration made
the following remarks: 50 Need give 10
your ExcelIeney any other proof (thouSh
other proof abounds) Of blind confidence
in our rulers? Need l give further cyl
dence Of the dangerous extent OF executive
influence /? When the people Of Massa-
chusetts sec man Of Mr.. Adams ac-
knowledgcd abilities and learning adj
yancing such sentiments when they see
man OF his knowledge of the nature OF all
governments, and Of his intimate acauaint-
anee with our own free republican govern
ment. and of the rights and duties OF the
legislature especially OF their right and
d,itu to consider, to deliberate, and accord
inc to their o7cn judgment, independently
Of executive pleasure, to decide on every
public measure When. Isay. the people
of Massachusetts, sec this, will they won
der if majority in Congress should be O.
per1chelned by the authority Of ereeutire
recommendation 2 And had l not reason
to be alarmed at the dangerous extent OF
executive influence, which to me appeared
to be leading the public mind, by its blind
confidence, to public ruin -
Such were my reflections in April SOS:
The subject now requires some additional
observations.
Universal experience, as we'll as the
highest authority, assures us, that " out
of the abundance Of the heart the mouth
speaketh." If, as Mr.. Adams represents,
the removed British Orders in Council
! were so strongly impressed on his mind as
to constitute the most powerful motive Tor
| the embargo, is it conceivable-can any
man belieye-that HE Gas we'll as the pre-
sident and every other member Of the Sc
nate) would have been absolutely silent
concerning them When the embargo
advocates in the Senate were urged tocOn-
sent to a little delay for the purpose Of
obtaining further information" how could
they, with Mr.. Adams at their head. with
hold their strong impressions, it they ex-
listed, respecting the orders in council /?
The orders rested, it is true, merely on
newspaper reports, or other unauthorized
statements; vet Mr.. Adams says, the facts
respecting them zOere Of all the most ma
terial. upon fair and impartial examina-
ton of the expediency of the embargo act
zcten it passed.* Still, however, not one
word was uttered concerning them. OBJ
serve, moreover, that Mr.. Adams was so
far from offering the reports concerning
the orders in council as grounds Tor pas
sing the embargo bill, that he even dis
claimed the knowledge of any facts other
than those which the President had COM
municated; resting the decision on his re-
con,mendation and the further information
, which, Mr.. Adams suggested, the president
might possess. The inevitable conclusion
/ from these details is, that the British or
ders in council were not even in the CON
temptation of Mr.. Adams himself, when
h. gave his Jealous assent to the embargo.
Aud without imputins to him palpable
violation Of truth, his contrary assertion
may be accounted for, by subsequent actu-
al appearance of the orders in council
which the administration and its partizans
artfully blended with the original pretence
for imposing the embargo: and the wafmth
Of Mr.. Adams's passions, and his preJu-
dices, rcsentments and hatred towards u.
Britain, lead him also to coniound them
with his original motives for advocating
and voting for the embargo.
But must again recur to the extraor-
binary declaration of Mr.. Adams, of the
ground On which he voted for the embargo.
.:The President (says he) has recommend
ed the measure on his high responsibility ::
/ would not consider-I would not delihc-
rate; would act. Doubtless the Presi-
dent possesses such further information
as will Justify the measurc.-The French
Emperor has lesislat;ce body but they
frame no laws; these arc prepared by his
ministers, according to his will and his