Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-06-25

We. "a, l. which ought 10 silence incredullty It
selfin the repeated blaze OF cur Ships outiit OF,
the HIGH seas; an outrage the fepe.tioh ~
,yb;cb we have evidences almost daiiy,& III tue
cant,,re and condemnation OF our vessels, tax
en- - the Baltic, and carried into Copenhagen
bnt condemned by the tribunals OF Paris, as
mel as ia the yexatious proceedings in Naples
and cher places might appeal to the gooo
sense of every member OF this house "hethef
VIC have not proofs enough on this SUBJECT
Todeed any arguments which can, at this tllne
be brought TO prove repeal OF these decreeS'
nret,v much resemble those put Into the
n,o,tf, Of Peter in SwiH's celebrated tales OF
nh. to nreye a brown loaf to be shoulder OF
mutton. I have already observed that 90
not urge there observations with we" el'her
to iuxtify or palliate the orders In councll' Dut
merely TO shew that, on the foundation on
which we have chosen to place the controvef-
GU nv our law of May lst 1910, they are no
ecauce either of war or OF non-lmportstion'
France has never in good talth complleo Win
the PROPOSAL held out by the United States I'D
that law. The moose which has been placed
round our necks by any supposed pledge to
France in that law is no farther olnalbS THAN
we choose to make it by our own voluntary
act, There is no need OF sword to cot inc
gordian knot which we cannot unite W sup
posing there was slender thread t"lhed ID
round US which ! do not admit, 1t must nave
been long since consumed IN the flame Oh ou'
burning ships. Indeed had 1t been equaliy
strong with the new ropes, or the green "ltls
yberewith Samson was bound 1t must have,
before this time, given way before there hres'
IF we have right TO demand repeat OF the
orders in council, agreeable to The principles
&c n,,t,]ic law, a point which am by no means
aieD,s>l - controyert, we have neither
ri,ht :, demand, ner is Great Britain under a.
ny o1,li,garion 10 grant that repeal, on the
acouna on which we have seen tit to place the
noint in dispute, ie. onthe plea OF hef PhSntou
filth, to repeal them on prior repeal Oh 'n0
Derlin and Milan decrocS. No SIT. IL she
withdraw. her orders in council 1t must be on
other and very different considerations, and OF
these the number is probably sufficient, and
not that she is pledged to 90 II ny any prior
AFT of France. By placing the controversy on
this footing, the y States lay themselves uH-
der much greater disadvantages IN dl'cuSSloh'
than they would by considering the oracFS ID
council on tue!r own merits without having re-
ference to any act Of France | shall not al
nresent attempt to take comparative view OF
the degree of injury and vexatlon winch we
receive in our lawful commerce, from the
DEGREES and orders. | viii admit that the or
6ers he We been more vexatious, and more H.
or 1s n1ofts, and mat tqdHGtAa the isss ~
| have been both more numerous and more va
/ liable than for the same space OF time preyi-
Gus 10 that period. One cause Of this may be
| found in the attitude which we have assumed.
! So long as we placed both the beligerents up
on an equal footing, the orders in Council were
not very Vigorously carried into effect. BY
! our non-importation law We have departed
! from our neGtral ground, and have no logger
/ considered the different beiiigerents as on an
equal footing. The consequence has been
| that the orders in council have been more RI
gorously carried into effect, Oh the part OF u.
Britain. And since the additional hostile attl-
tude assumed during the present session OF
| Congress, has been known IN Great Britain,
unierst nd from The public prints, that orders
have been given tog their still more rigid exc
cution. Unless she saw fit to re6cind them,
this was naturally to be expected. In proper
ton as We assume a more hostile attitude to-
. " artls her, and show disposition to embrace
] her enemy in the arms of friendship and affec
| ton; it was to be expected that she would
either relax and acCede 10 our demands, or
adhere more vigorously to her own system.
she has chosen the latter.
AS it respects the impressment OF seamen
this is a delicate and difficult subject, and if
| it is ever adjusted to mutual satisfaction it
must be by treaty and not by war, and whene
+. yer there is mutually disposition to accom-
| modate it will be found necessary to concede
something on both sides. With respect to
the practice Of impressments generally, as it
respects the citizens or subjects Of the coun-
try adopting that method oFmanning her ships
I it may pc, and doubtless is, in many instances,
! attended with circumstances of real hardship