Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1812-01-27
MONDAY, JANUARY p, 1912.

IRE equal 10 81 tile national cNiSnciSS. In ms
last report, he saws. in Substance there can he
no doubt oftlc ability end the Will of the natsn
to furnish al ;hc necessary supplies. n, then,
reliance can be pkccd on his splendid financial
talent; only piyc thciA scope For ac,on; APP
ply them to the national abitysand will let
them perform the simple task ofpointingto the
true noatss oper0H4i and what reason have We
! 10 despair OF the republic What reason have
we 10 DOUBT Of the abundance OF the treasury
sappics Unti. now, the honorable Sccrrtari.
has had scope for the demonstration OF his
| spcn,lid financial talents OF all the revenues
receivable NJ the treasury, he knew of but one
| furd for which we are indebted TO the sugges-
lion az that gentleman. That is what IS called
| the Mediterranean Fund and that is ANNUALLY
! presented 10 us IN very awkard and crooked
! fern. rat osy,ins. this may be placed thc re-
| peal of tic salt tax of the most IMPROVE
| Gcnt me asVrcs ever adopted by this or ans other
| government Sic presumed the Secretary at
! least Welded his assent TO that measure. Mr.
G.-sail, he was extremely opposed to THIS r.,ea-
sure 1t thc Cine Of its adoptiSn had twice re,
fportcd against -, ms the ehliTincb OF a commit
tor, 20 whom tie subject WAS rcterreSis md he
believed, it was twice re jectctl by this honora-
| bic body.-His single vote, he believed, turned
the ScsJc: He shoald have pcrscvcrcd ia his of,-
posi;io.', Notwithstanding. the popular cry rails
cd at the time but he Welded 1T length to all
imposing claim urged on him by many members
| Of representatives was peculiarly entrusted by
the constitution with the power of raising rcvc-
n;Ic; and it could hardly be considered rs cor
rect IN single individual of the other branch
Of the Legislature, TO put his veto 70 measure
IN relation 20 revenue, which WAS recommended
BY solargc q majority OF that branch, to whose
discretion all subjects of revenue were entrust-
ed in peculiar manner. To this claim, and
the very high respect he entertained for the
| house 0ircprcseutatives, he Welded reluctant
consent, upoE condition that the repeal should
he postponed until one month after The meeting
OF the next session of congress and that the
house Of representatives would again review
and cons tcr the subject. The month elapsed
without re-cnactinG the Law. and the tax ceased.
Mr.. G. said. he.rcvcr gave a vDtc more against
the convictions ofhis own Judgment than lie did
| on that occasion, although the motive was one
which he conceived ought to exempt him from
ccnsurc. IL gentlemen will now multiply the
product of that tax, by the number of years since
it was taken off, they would fnd it would have
produced all the Suns which have since been
called for b. loans, provided no greater cxpcn-
diiurcs had been incurred by the government
than have taken place. Resides, tie diminu-
ton of treasury funds it has had the most Eahe-
| fpl influence upon tie salt works, which had
been established under It's protection, and
which would, under the influence of the same
projection, iii very short time, have rendered
US independent Of foreign nations FOR the sup
| ply ofthis article of the first necessity. He was
| not disposed, however, on these accounts, 10
! distrust the splendid financial talents Of the
honorable Secretary; although candOur COM
PEELED him to acknowledge, that lie Should feel
| more confidence i'll them, if it were not tor the
unwillingncss evidently manifested by that gen
tlernan himself, during the last three years, in
| afording their usefulness to the government in
! times which mperiously demanded their full
and prompt cxcrtions.
Mr.. q. said, the recession of Che treasury de-
partmcnt, from the trying difficulties OF the ma
tion during that period, NUT be evident to eve
~ impartial observer and lie believed he was
acquainted with circumstances, which a
! mounted TO 4 knowledge, that all the measures
which have dishonoured the nation during the
same time, are in great dcgree, attributable
to the indisPosition Of the late and present adj
mini9tration to press on the treasury depart
ment, and to disturb the popularity and reposc'
Of the gentleman at the head of il. That the
inexecution ofthe embargo, is properly attri
butahle 70 that cause, he bad no doubt; and
notwithstanding all the Glamour upon that sub
ject, its inexecution produced its repeal. The
executive refused 10 incur the expense, and &c
cebt TIC means necessary for its effectual exc
cution-which, hc believed, would have been
readily and zeaIously granted by congress upon
the executive request, at any moment. When
We were driven from that measure by the in
execution Of the law, this honorable body pro-
posed substitute, i'll his Judgment, infinitely
better calculated to retrieve the honour and
promote the interests of the nation, than the
embargo itself II was done too against the
known and anxious opposition ef the executive,
acting, he believed, under the same unfortunate
| influence This measure consisted in present
! ing 20 the aggreSsing belligcrcnts an impartial
| and honorable proposition for accommodation
and in the event of its rejection, 20 issue lei
| tiers OF marque and reprisai against the refusing
| nation This measure was SO strongly and OBJ
viousiy recommended by the peculiar circum-
stances under which we were cocrcivcly placed
| bv both the belligerenls, that he was astonish-
ed at the anxious opposition 1t received, 9nd to
| the success OF that opposition, after the embar-
| go was abandoned, may clearly be traced all
/ our present sufcrings and dcgradations. Both
the belligerents had determined that we should
| be no longer neutral and had adopted the
most injurious measures in relation TO us, to
| cOerce us into the war-each urging TO war
\ against its enemy. What was the proper and
manly reply to these aggressing nations Here
| is proposition Of accommodation to each of
| you'll either accepts, We pledge ourselves 20
! issue letters of marque and reprisal against the
| other, it refusing the accommodation. This
| was the very situation III which each wished to
| place us against its enemy-and of course both
! would probably have pied the proposition
| --one or other certainly woodland If the ac-
| ceptance of one before the other, would have
| produced state ofhostilities against that other
| 1t would have been Of very short continuance
| bccatsc neither Of them would find any interest
| IN q war against us--and each wished us 20 take
/ part Nv the war, not against its encmy-and
| perhaps the accommodation would not be tic Lrss
durable for having been sealed with blood
| This measure was not opposed upon is utrin-
sic merits nor dererits-but it required to be
4 81 Hl.