Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-05-21

OF the convention OF oeptelnOer 80, row DC
Ing the treaty which Bonaparte had himself
made with the United States as the incontes-
table principles OF public law Yet Cham
paeny, in his letter to Armstrong; with the
wonted shameless Impotence of French MI
nisters, says, g it has seemed easy to reconcile
these measures with the observance OF trea-
ties
From these details if is evident that Mr.
Jefferson's message stating that the papers he
communicated showed that our commerce
was exposed to GREAT and increasing dam
| gers, was unfounded and false. But VIII
add to YOUR own necessary conclusions, Mr.
| Jeffiersons own authority for my assertion. In
the letter from MIR. Madison to general Arm
strong, dated February s, 1908, concerning
the Berlin decree, & the emperor,s construc-
| ton of it in which he more than once refers
/ to Mr. Jefferson's orders for what ne writes,
and the whole of which letter no one VIII
doubt that he read and approved, and which
he sanctions by his own act, in communicating
| it to congress-in that letter is the following
| passage" The conduct Of the French GO
vernment in giving this extended operation
to the decree, and, indeed, la issuing one with
such an apparent or doubtful import against
l
nary. inasmuch as the inability to enforce it on
that element exhibited the measure in the
Itch, of an emtty menace !" And in his let
ter of March 25, 1903, to the British minister
at Washington. Mir. Madison, writing again
on the subject of the Berlin decree, says, that
France " was without the means to carry it
into effect
Fclow-Citizens
Ibeseech you to reflect on the facts have
now stated-facts recited from Mr.. JeHer sons
own documents By themhs stands convicted
of a base and mischieUous DECEPTION f'ractised
on Congress, announcing dangers (Which he
kae7v did not erist--and which shortly after,
he zyaS NOT ashamed TO avo7v did not erist.
And in withdrawing Immediately the papers
in which the deception was wrapped up, his
only object could be, TO prevent the detection
Of the fraud
Here an important inquiry forces itself on
the mind why--for what reason--irom what
motive-did Mr.. Jefferson practice this fraud
A fraud in its consequences so injurious to
the u States at large, but more especially to
Massachusetts,, the most commercial state lii
the union A fraud which nearly destroyed
YOUR fisheries, and which essentially injured
your navigation and trade Frauds, decep-
tons and lies, are necessary only to effect some
unlawful purpose. Mr.. Jefferson might have
two objects in view, in thus wantonly pros
trating your commerce by his unlimited, TER
ananent embargo. shall at present draw your
attention but to one.
Four DAYS before he recommended the en-
barge, he received dispatches from France
The news by the same vessel was, that the
French emperor had said he would have no
neutrals. And for this we had afterwards ge
neral Armstrong; authority. Another article
of news received then, or about that time, was
that in France it was said there would be an
embargo in the United States, as soon as that
dispatch vessel arrived. These are circum-
stances meriting some notice. We know al
so, that the French emperor expressed his ap-
probation of the embargo. But the certain
conclusion in this case is to be drawn from
MIR. Jeferson's own communication to Con.
gress, which have brought into view ; and
that conclusion is, that Mr.. Jefferson recon-
mended the embargo in concert with the
French emperor-ln order to cooperate with
him in destroying the commerce OF Great
Britain, which the emperor, by unexampled
acts of injustice and violence, was endeayor-
ing to accomplish, as the sure means, In his O.
pinion, of reducing and subjecting her to his
dominion as he had already subjected great
part of the other nations of Europe, and over
all of which he exercised fatal influence
the British nation only excepted. And her
downfall Mr.. Jefferson had at that time pre-
dicted. He expressed " his opinion that she
would not exist six months as free and in
dependent nation put was confident the
weight of her national debt, and the pressure
of the French power would destroy her In the
course of year.--And this pressure, you
have seen, he was eager to increase by the
embargo.
Thus, fellow citizens, you were BETRAY-
ED-thus were your great interests sacrhced