Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1811-06-28
Mr.. Pickering's address
To THE
PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES
NO. XIV.

PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES.
NO. XIV.
FELLOW. CITIZENS,
IN my last number mentioned the de-
claration of Mr.. John @. Adams, while a
Senator in Congress, That the British Or
ders in Council, of Nov. II, 1907, were
not only cause, but principal cause of
the embargo. His words are, that they
"stand in front of the real causes of the
embargo.'* And again he says, "These
or ders, and the subsequent retaliatiug de.
crees of France and Spain Bonaparte's Mi
Ian decree of Dec. II, 1907, and that Of
Spain, its echo, bearing date the Sd Of
January following] have furnished the only
reasons upon which have acquiesced in
its continuance to this day." Here pray
it may be observed, that Mr.. Adams. the
advocate for the embargo, has confirmed
my statement, that the four papers commu-
| nicated by MIR. Jefferson, when he recon-.
mended the embargo, did not furnish suf.
hcient ground for its adoption by Congress:
| or rather, that they furnished no ground at
all. For the British Orders in Council,
| and the Milan decree and the correspond.
| ing decree of Spain, furnished the only
reasons for his acquiescing in the continu.
ance of the embargo. Now as Mr.. Jeffer-
sons four papers remained in force precise
ly as when he communicated them, and
yet furnished no reason for continuing the
embargo, they could have furnished no rea
sons for originally imposing it. For recol.
lect that it was the great and encreasing
| dangers to our vessels, seamen and mer.
| chandize," sho,on in Tho { papers, on which
Mr.. Jefferson profesSed to recommend the
embargo. And those dangers, whatever
| they were, continued the same.
But to return to the British Orders in
Council. If, as Mr.. Adams has asserted,
"they stood in front of the real causes of
the embargo" who that has Witnessed the
premptitude and eagerness with which Mr..
! Jefferson has alw avs selzed on every fact
and circumstance to awaken and aggravate
the public irritations against @. Britain,
| will believe that he would have been silent
respecting those orders? But, says Mr..
| Adams, ''they had not been officially re-
| ceived: :" and this he offers as reason why
| MIR. Jefferson did not mention them. /
| ask, then, why he communicated the Bri.
fish kings proclamation of October 10,
1907? Had that been officially received -
No. Mr.. Jefferson had seen il, as thou
sands of our citizens had seen tin the
common newspapers-from which he cut
| two copies, and sent one to each house of
Congress, with his other Aimsy pretences
for an embargo. If the mind Of Mr.. JEFF.
ferson was impressed with an idea of the
dangerous nature of those orders, though
resting only on newspaper report; if the
apprehension of them really influenced his
mind, as Mr.. Adams says they influenced
his, more than all the communicated causes
of the embargo; why should he, by his
| silence, withhold their influence from Con-
Igress! Was it unlawful or improper that
their minds should be Influenced by con-
sideration which powerfully impressed his
own If the Orders in Council were at all
| in his contemplation, and really constituted
motive for the embargo, what objection
could exist to his informing Congress, that
such were the limitations in his newspa-
pers; and expressing his opinion that they
! furnished an additional reason for laying
an embargo. The truth is, those newspa-
per limitations, if they had even been seen
by the President, were entirely disregard
ed when he recommended the embargo
His attention was arrested by the commu-
| nications he had received four days before
from France and his thoughts were busily
employed in preparing for the adoption of
an embargo--an embargo upon novel
principle--to change temporary detention
of our vessels at home (Which was the uni
versal understanding of the nature of an
embargof) into an unlimited suspension, or
interdict of all foreign commerce! is really
a pe,manea, embargo a thing never before
heard of! but which, under the simple
name of embargo, contributed to deceive
the people into belief that it was but
trtnDorawy uneaeure. and en- RI indnce thrir