Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-06-17

John Slidell Samuel StiIlwell
John K. Townsend Jacob P. Giraud
Andrew Ogden s. Co. John Hone
Thomas Storm John Kane
Amos Butler Amasa Jackson
Ebenezer Burrill William J. Robinson
Isaac Heyer Joseph Strong
Ralph Bulkley Abraham S. Hallet
Samuel Bell Joshua Jones
John F Delaplaine Frederick Graud, IT,
Peter Stage Robert Roberts
David Taylor John Crookes
William Adee Hugh Mccormick
John 7. Lawrence John Depeyster
Joseph w. Totten Gilbert Haight
Isaac Schermerhorn James Lovett
Alexander Ruben LeHert Lefferts
Joseph Otis Augustus Wynkoop
Lewis Hartman John w. Gale
Carrot Storm Thomas Rich
George Bement Samuel Marshall
5. A Rich Elbert Herring
After the same was read, Mr. Taylor said,
- That the responsibility of the subscribers to
a petition presented to this body, and the I'M
porlance of the matter therein contained, had
on various occasions been used as induce
laents to us to give sdch petition respectful
aistoSition in the course OF our proceedings.
He recolccted case in point. 1t was the
case of the petition of an emlaent merchant OF
Massachusetts, presented by an honorable
senator from that state, and which at the sug-
gestion of that honorable gentleman was by
the senate ordered to be printed. He was OF
opinion that the petition just read ought not to
be treated with less attention. That he had
seen the petition, and had enquired Into the
character of its subscribers--and had been in
formed that the dfty-eight signers to it were
among the most respectable, wealthy and in
telligent merchants of the city of New York.
There are to be found IN that list the names OF
presidents Of banks, 3 presidents OF insur-
ance companies, lS directors OF banks, be-
sides other names of preeminent standing
in tie mercantile world. They had all IL
nited in the sentiments contained In the petit
ton, notwithstanding that there existed among
them a difference in political opinions
for he understood that of the petitioners
forty two were federal and sixteen republican,
Mr. I. added, that he considered some of the
sentiments contained in the petition as of the
highest Importance. He hailed il as an aus
picious occurrence, that these honorable
merchants, in praying that the evils of war
might be averted from them and from the ma
ton, had nevertheless held fast to the pripci-
pie of resistance TO the aggressions and unhal-
lowed conduct of Great Britain towards our
nation--and had exercised the candor and firm-
ness to bear testimony to the efficiency of the
restrictive system for obtaining redress Of
our wrongs, and ofcourse to the integrity and
honor of those who had imposed this system
for that purpose. He hoped that the example
OF these petitioners would tend to counterfeit
those strenuous and uHrenitting exertions OF
passion, prejudice and party feeling, which had
attempted to stamp upon the majority in Con-
gress the foul and unjust censure ofbeing enc
mics to commerce. That however unfashion-
able and obstinate it might appear, he still be-
Geyed that the embargo and non-importation
laws, il faithfully executed, were capable of
reaching farther than our cannon. We were
at this very time rendering an urgent argu-
ment, an argumentsto be felt by each city, vii
lage and hamlet in England. This touching
to the quick the vital interests OF that empire,
would demonstrate to the people at least the
folly and absurdity of the Orders in Council
The ordeal Of the 20 weeks of scarcity which
the people ofthat unhappy country are under
going, TO relieve which, but for the madness
and folly of their rulers, every yard of Aneri-
can canvass would be apread to the gales