Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-04-29

for the better.
D-::::---O---::::0 --
There is at this moment a singular contro-
versy existing between the government ana
the people Of the q. States, particularly the
commercial part of them. The merchants
complain that Notwithstanding the encourage
monts held out by the government from Tune
to fine, thcy have found but one UNMARRIED
fate fer ali the property seut to France or ner
dependencies. The government rePhes that
thev have no cause for such murmurs; that
Fnrlant!, indeed, has in force certain edicts
violating our neutral commerce, In conse-
ouence of which, all importations from Great
Britain are prohibited but that those OF
France were revoked, and an unfcstrainea
commerce opened with that country: Inc
merchants say that they will not presume to
contradict the government; but they feel con-
6dert that they have received 10 compensa-
ton for the plumber committed upon them
wears arc, and that every Ship now sent to a
French port is sent to a long home, from
which there seems to be TO return. Inc
government considers all this kind OF reason
ing as impairment and even contunaclous.
The emperor Of France has SAID thai his de-
crccs are revoked; the president OF the Y.
States has said that they arc revoked the
American congress have made the same de-
claration and have backed it by law adapted to
and grounded upon, such state oil things;
and does it now become few merchants 10
urge facts against oil those high authorities
II the Official declaration Of two distinct 60
vcrnments concuring in the same thing are
not to be accredited, merely because jaefs
are found to be inconsistent with them, mat
tiers have come 20 fine pass Indeed
The proper Wy of settling such questions
IN such circumstances, is that adopted by
Lord Peter. with his brothers Martin s. Jack.
He off red - nep them TO mutton. lhey SAD
If vYae.::; ching bi.t brown bread. He assured
them it was IN excellent shoulder OF mutton.
6 can olIy saw replied Ole ofthem, that
to my eyes, ana nagevS, and tecta, ana nose,
il seems 10 % -1,a.nE bat a ernst OF bread
The other declared that in all his life ne never
before saw shoulder of 1nu ton louS so like
twelve penny brown loaf. $ Look We, gentle
men, replied Peter, " 70 convince you what
couple OF blind, positive, ignorant, wiiiul
puppies you'are, l will use but this plain ar
gument; by George, it is true, good, nstu-
raj mutton as any in LcadcahalI market; and
confound YOU both eternaily, if you offer to
believe otherwise" This awed the ga,nsay-
ers, as well it might, into acquiescence, and
they afterwards very quietly accepted * ssal- =
lowed a crust apiece 81 a bumper Of wine,
{" true, natural juice of the grape" 1t IS TO
be hoped that our merchants and uadcrwrit-
ers will prudently take the hint and nor 1ur-
ther attempt to urge the evidence Of their own
plebeian senses against the high behests OF the
government * of Napoleon himself, thus wan
tonly bringing down upon themselves additi-
onal Remuneration and prescription. No doubt
it seems to them that they have lost their pro-
perry and that the? are continuing to lose 1t
as often as they trust it within the reach of the
emperor; but does this furnish any apology
for INDUCING in their matter-of-fact conceits,
in the very tee ii OF the official declarations of
our own government as well as that of our
friend the emperor? Nothing can be more
unreasonable and absurd---U. States Gaz.
FRENCH COMMERCE AND MiNUFAc7UREs,
The Argus Ertose abounds with interest
Inc, matter. We could find in it appropriate
texts for a great number Of political and COM
mercial sermons.
In II we read as follows