Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1812-12-21

rican market was ike ah iHeh ms upon thei
looI,, and their anyiis. The instant The mar
ket in the United states was supposed to b.
open, the warehouses of England pouiet
forth their millions worth of goods, The SHUT.
Gle few, the hammer resounied. and peace
and tranquility was restored . The nanufac-
turing towns. Thus have these importers
sireng hened the arm OF the adversary, and
IN ali probability heightened tie duration .!
| he war
And whit is it proposed by government
to do? TO exact the 7vh5le Gmouat of
the lmportatious9 No such thing. TO ex-
act the whole of the bonds? No. but
| merely to subtract from the profits of the
| merchant the difference between an Ordila-
'y and an extraordinary price. and is tins
not juSt9
1'eli mo, Mr., Chcves, bcseech you, zyAy
these importers should reap an e.GccsSive
profit! Is it because they have mfractsd
the law! Isit because they have oeen here
tofore so h5erR in camrg their money to
government? wiil not perplex you WIKI
queStIpns But answer ne this interroga-
tori
Ihc non-importation law being the soie.
cause of the high price of British gods in
tue American market, viii not ihat law if
| nave been merely law for their Denent
And by cnntendug FOR the reiaxation. are
you not the advUcd o. an odiOes H,cu0hoiu ?
in reaiiiy, Sir, governmenC are disposed
10 ALLOW tnc g.erchsnt his jar profit, s..cn
as he would have made il the non i'm ol,a-
tion law had never existed. Il that not e.
nough.
The merchants, and you too, complain Of
the operation OF jle law. Il IS rom is ope-
ration that government wishes To relieve
| you both. Bat, mark the pCJbity OF the ar
gumenl YOU want al the extra profit
mat accrnes from The existcuce Of the law,
but meme of the toss. You require that CO.
vernment shall take nothing from you 0ut
ask 1t tn give you something. Ny project
is a little different. Ii the law is MT TO be
enforced egGinsf the otiendi' merchant,
let it not be enforced fsr.hm. Those who
vote to nuiify the law, and yet insist that
| the merchants shall retain tne cara profit
which the law OCCASIONS, do actually vote
| for tegaGzing a m5noboiy,
| tell you distinctly, Sir that YOU are in
favor of taking from the people ut large, a
| considerable sum of money, over and above
| the common gains If trade not tor the be-
neht o the merchants generally, but for the
exciu i've benefit Of few dealers in British
manufa, turesi
You do this, you usinuate. for the sake of
copcAotion. You draw frightful picture
of national affairs, and want to cement the
fragments of orr policy by conci'iatiof -
the country is ts be copcitiIted into energct-
ic action; every violation Of the law is to be
iegisated into good hnmor by solemn sane
ton OF his crime; every commercial spec
usator is to be gratilied for the sake ofhar-
nony. And do you seriously believe, sir,
! that the political violin will play better bv
ii total relaxation of the strings? Have we
not tried that wretched expediert long e
nough? After c0Hciiafi7g ourselves out of
che embargo: after having c0nci(iqfea our
selves into situation To be contemDtuous,y
isSulted by the English ministry after ha-
wing COncidafcd dome sic indictments till
they have raised within one mile 0i the cap
ito, Itself nay in the capitol itself the voice
of treason; after having conciliused Massa
chusetts and Connecticut into 1Qs5iUe, if
not dctiOc rebellion; do You sfW talk OF
coacifaii9n ? Fatal experience has too well
proven that all attempts of the kind are
truitless. Change your ground ; expand
the federal constitution enforce the laws ;
drive from your presence the mercena.
ry InEractors OF Your statutes teach des-
perate adventures and avaricinus spec
ulators that the impertinence of inportuni-
ty is not to be gratiied do justice to the
people without robbing the merchant con
fide in the virtue of the nation; push on the
war, listen 10 no whining speechs of despair
or cowardice, or treachery; rally the gal
liant spirits of America: Then vii disaffec-
ton vanish confidence will be restored, the
| Union viii be strengthened, the war will
| flourish, peace will return, honor and glory
Sesr upon the brow of the hero, and prospe-
rity attend the labors of the citizen.
CAMILLUS.