Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-06-26


state of war, but which must vanish as
thing of course, on the return Of peace. Pos.
sibly there might have been, on this OCCASION
too much clanor ON the part otthe fnefciis1iil.
NV opinion of that species OF commerce a.
that time, an opinion which no subsequent
event has induced me to change, was thal,
however desirable the enjoyment OF It might
be in itself, provided it could be peace.
ablv retained it was not founded on any Oh
those universally acknowledged rights OF ma
tons which they ought to assert at the haGafa
Of war. This argument appears to me con-
elusive on that head ii. G. supposng neutral
kpation makes a war to enforce her right TO the
CARVING trade, as soon as the war was over
the object commended for would be gone.-----
This was verified in the solitary year Of the
peace of Amiens. The year before this spe-
cies of commerce had risen to the amount OF
/ believe near S40,0oo,ooo, In that solitary
wear it was reduced to about S 100000, and
It is probable that in two or three years more
it would have been annihilnted. The system
then commenced for the protection oil COM
merce, and which has since been pursued
through the whole circle of embargo, non-in
tercourse, importation sc. sc. has tended
only to its destruction. These medicines,
used for the purpose of relieving commerce
from Ianguishing state, and restoring it to
health and yigor, have had an effect similar to
the nostf0ms fof quack upon the human bo-
dy, which frequently instead Of contributing
to the restoration Of health and to invigorate
the constitution, tend to destroy the stamina
of life. AS it respects the southern cotton
planter, perhaps the prosperity whlch attend
ed the cultivation of that article for a teWt
years has rarely eyer had parallel in any
country Both the merchant and the Gotten
planter would without doubt have rejoiced TO
have had this prosperity continued: Sut would
. reDeaI Of the orders in council eisher restore
the colonial trade to the merchant, after it was
in a manner anDihilated, or restore the cotton
planting business TO that prosperous situation
which it enjoyed few years ago However
desirable in itself, and advantageous to the in
terest of commerce and agriculture, repeal
Of the orders in council might be, no person
could anticipate such result. AS it respects
the merchant, the only beneficial effect which
he could expect to result from repeal oftbe
orders in council, provided the repeal was not
followed by adeclaration Of war against Us by
the emperor of France, would be to reduce
the rate reinsurance onvessels boundto French
ports, and thereby afford some additional ad-.
vantaees in sustaining the monstrous burden
laid upon foreign commerce lii consequence
Of the enormous duties imposed by the pre-.
sent French tariff. Although the orders IN
council may be admitted to have had partial
effect in the depression of the price of cotton,
vet the principal causes Of that depression arc
to he traced to other sources. Were to be
questioned on the subject, should answer,
that no one cause has had more powerful
tendency to check this prosperity than the
embargo. This prevented our cotton fron
seeking foreign market and compelled the
European consumers Of that article to explore
other sources of supply, and they have not
explored without success success which
will prevent the cotton business ofthe United
States from legaining its former prosperity,
perhaps forever. Cotton can be produced in
the Brazils and ia many other pats of South
America, of as good quality aud with as
great facility as in the United States. It can
also be procured from the East Indies, from
Sierre Leone in Africa, & from the countries
bordering on the Levant. Nothing but an ex-
tended cultivation is wanting in these coun-
tries, to furnish supply OF that article, ade-
quate to every demand in Europe, should there
never be another bale Of cotton shipped from
the United States and that cultivation is ra-
pidly extending. Great exertions have been
made and are now making to extend the Gull
tiyation Of cotton in Italy and iii the south of
France, and the enormous duies which are
imposed upon American cotton by imperial
authority, would seem to indicate some Aatter-
r>fc
will be in the north of Europe, which will con-
tinue, as that is not country suited to its cul-
ture. But that will be limited, and even now
it is not interrupted By the orders in council.
Whatever interruption it meets with, is by the
French and Danes in the Baltic. A repeal Of
the orders in council, might afford some faci-
lities for the expectation of that article, but
they would be but inconsderabIe and 1t will