Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-06-12
ADDRESS
To TUE People OF THE UNITED STATES.
No. XIV.
ADDRESS

81. ,r prop1y OF THE UNITED STATES.
No. XIV.
FELLOW CITIZENS, ...
IN nv last number mentioned the de-
c,arat;on of MIR, John Quincy Adams,
while senator in Congress, that the
British Orders in Council OF November
II. 1897, were not only a cause, but a
principal cause Of the embargo: Ills !
words are. that they IS stand In front OF
the real causes of the embargo" (a) Ana
again he says, I" These orders aTic the
subsequent retaliating DEGREES OF France
end Spain TBonaparte's Milan decree OF
nee. ~. 1907. and that OF Spain, It's
echo. bearing date the Sd of January fol-
lowingl have furnished the only reasons
upon Which have acquiesced IN IT'S con-
tinuance to this day" Here pray 1t may
he observed. that Mr.. Adams, the advo-
cate for the embargo, has confirmed my
statement. that the four papers commit
n;eated by Mr.. Jefferson, when ne re-.
commended the embargo, did not furnish
sufficient ground for its adoption by Con
eress-or rather, that they furnished no
ground at all. For the British Orders In
Counc;l. aud the Milan decree and the
corresuonains decree of Spain, furnished
the oaIy reasons for his aequiescing in the
continuance Of the embargo. Now as Mr..
Jeffapson's four papers remained in force
precisely as when he communicated them'
and vet furnished no reason for continuing
the embargo, they could have furnished no
reason for originally imposing 1t. For
reeol;eet that it was " the great and en-
eieasins dsa.scrs to our vessels, seamen
and merchandise" sho1cn In those papers,
on which Mr.. Jefferson professed to re-
commend the embargo. And those dan
gers, whatever they were, continued the
same.
But to return to the British Orders in
Council. IF. as Mr.. Adams has asserted,
Is they stoci in front of the real causes OF
the embargo who that has witnessed
the pro,nptitude and eagerness with which
Mr.. Jefferson has always seized on every
fact and circumstance to awaken and ag-
sravate the public irritations against u.
Britain, will believe that he would have
been silent respecting those orders But,
saws Mr.. Adams, {" they had not hecn Of
iicially received - and this he offers as
reason why Mr.. Jefferson did not mention
them. ask, then, why he communicat-
ed the British kings proclamation OF Dc
tober 16. 1907? Had that been officially
received mo. MIR. Jefferson had seen
1t, as thousands Of our citizens had seen
tin the common newspapers--from
which he cut two copies. and sent ono to
each house of Congress. with his other
fimsy pretences for an embargo. 1t the
mind Of Mr.. Jefferson was impressed with
an idea of the dangerous nature OF those
orders, though resting only on newspaper
report; if the apprehension ofthem real
" influenced his mind, as Mr.. Adams says
thew Influenced has, more than all the
communicated causes Of the embargo .
WHY should he, by his silence, withhold
their influence from Congress Was it
unlawful Or improper that their minds
should be influenced by consideration
which powerfully impressed his o1cH? Ii
the Orders in Counel were at all in his
contemplation, and really constituted a
motive for the embargo, what objection
could exist to his informing Congress,
that such were the intimations in his news
papers; and expressing his opinion that
thew furnished an additional reason for
LAYING an embargo. The truth is, those
newspaper intimations. il they had even
been seen by the President, were entirely
dis,egarded when he recommended the
embargo. His attention was arrested by
the communications he had received four
DAYS before from France; Il his thoughts
were basily employed in preparing for the
adoption Of an embargo-an embargo up
on a novel principle-to change tempo
rarv detention of our vessels at home
(which was the universal understanding
of the nature Of an embargo, D into an
unlimited suspension. or interdict OF all
f,reign commerce is really pernancnt
embargo! thing never before heard of!
hut which, under the simple name OF en-
Sg..o contributed to deceive the people