Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-04-22
DEBATE IN SECRET SESSION,
CONTINUED.
HOUSE or. REPRESENTATIVES.,

. should have less indignant sense otthe IN
Jury, than he felt now, as he deemed 1t
pure, unsophisticated, reinStated Embargo
The limitation Of sixty, or ninety days, gave
little consolation or hope 70 him because he
knew how easily the same power which ORR
ginated could continue this oppressive mea-
sure.
He said that his objection was, that it was
not what it pretended TO be; and was, what it
pretended, not to be-That it was not Embar-
go, preparatory to war-But that It was En-
barge as a substitute for the question of de-
claring war. 1t was true that 1t was advocat-
CT as a step incipient to state of war, and by
way of preparation for it, by gentlemen whose
sincerity he was bound to respect. He could
not however yield the conviction OF his senses.
and reflections, to their asseverations nor
declare in, complaisance to any, let them be as
respectable as they might, that he saw in
this measure, more or less, than its features
indicated.
Is this Embargo what it pretends to be,
preparation for war In the first place, no
sudden attack is expected from Great Britain.
1t is not suggested that we have title of evil
dence, relative 90 any hostility of her temper,
which is not possessed by the whole commu-
nitv The President has not communicated
to us one document or reason for the measure.
His message merely notifies to US his will and
pleasure.
Aa Embargo, aspreparatory to war, pre-
supposes some new and hidden danger, not
known to the mercantile community. Ia such
case, when the government see danger, of
which the merchant is unapprised, it may be
A. 0c
the nature and extent of it can be explained.
But not moment longer. For, let the state
of things be that of war, or of peace, the prin-
ciple is precisely the same,-the interest
which the community has, 10 the property of
individuals, is best preserved by leaving its
managementto the interest OF the immediate
proprietor after he is made acquainted with
all the circumstances OF the time, which have
a tendency to increase its exposure.
The reason Of an Embargo, considered as
an incipient step TO war, is either to save our
property from depreciation abroad, or keep
property which we want at home. Now it
happens that the nature of the great mass of
our exports is such that there is little danger
Of depreciation from the enemy we pretend
10 fear abroad, and little want of the articles,
most likely to be exposed at home. The to-
tai export of the last year amounted, as ap-
pears by the report oil the Secretary of the
Treasury, 10 forty5fv millions Of COLLARS
ii also appears. by that report, that our ex-
ports to Great Britain and her dependencies,
aud also to those OF Spain and Portugal, were
thirty-etght millions foe hundred thousand
dollars-NEARLY SEEEN EIGH9HS in value of
our whole exports have been, and continue to
be TO the dominions Of that very power, from
which so much is pretended to be apprehend-
ed Now, it is well known that these articles
are Of very great necessity and importance to
her, and whether, even in the case of actual
war between our countries G. Britain would
capture them might be questionable. But that
she would capture them, on the mere prepa-
ration, before one really hostile act was CON-
lnitted onour part, is not only unreasonable
but absolutely absurd to expect. This very
commerce, which by the passing OF thlsbiil,
you indicate, it is her intention to prohibit or
destroy, it is her obvious and undeniable po-
Icy to unite and cherish: besides, the articles
are In very great proportion, Perlshable,
which by this embargo are to be prohibited
from going to markek Which IS best To
keep themat home, to certain loss and pro-
bable ruin, or adventure them abroad to a
possible loss and highly probable gain Ask
your merchant Ask common sense.
But it is said I'VE must protect our mer-
chants . Heaven, help our merchants from
embargo projections III is also said that 6 the
present condition of things has been brought
upon the country by the merchants-that it
was their clamor, IN 1905 and 1906, which
FIRST put congress uponthis system of coercive
restriction, (which they now SO much com
plain. "--H is true that IN those years the mer-
chants did petition--nst for embargo-not for
commercial embarrassment aud amihilation,
but for projection. They, al that time, seally
thought, tbat this national government was
formed for nrotectiun; and that il had at