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

risen, and With old oneSy rad oeoil, ny IilD iiAo
napement of our own government, sufficiently
aggravated TO keep up the bitter irritation OF
American citizens towards G.. Britain SO the
affair of the, attack OH the Chesapeake couia
he dispensed with. It was then an old story
and had grown, stale. B sides, this settlement
MIGHT serve to suggest to the people the idea
that the president was always disposed 70 SCI
tie our.differenses with G. Britain, when her
government offered reasonablc-tclrns. In cum
nine acts to amuse and delude, believe no
government was ever more adrolt than ours
i have introduced the Chesapeake affairs De-
cause. Sit appears to have given rise TO pfocla-
nation of his Britannic-majest dated In Oc-
tober, 1907, peremptelaly disclaiming any
right to~take British deserters from the pub
lie armed ships Of neutral nation requiring
his seafaring subjects in foreign service to re-
turn home to aid in defence of their own coun-
try, and enioining upon his naval officers In
creased care and caution in impresslng bFi-
fish seamen found on board neutral metchant
yessels.-This proclamation, believe, was
considered every where as lawful and right,
and wholly unexceptionable. For Great Brl-
tain still insisting on 1t as her right 10 take
her ozya seamen from neutral merchant yes
sells, it was something gained alter the serl-
Gus affair of the Chesapeake to nave lresl,
solemn and public command from her so'e-
reign to his naval officers to use. such lnereas-
ed care and caution in all future lmpressments'
This proclamation, however, Mr.. Jefferson
pressed into his service, when he entlceo
congress to impose his embargo.
I will now exhibit the HYPOCRISY and decer-
ton practised by Mr. Jefferson in proposing
that embargo, and if you 90 not also discover
treachery at the bottom OF 1t, shall DC oollg-
ed to ascribe it to the strange delusions with
which that arch hypocrite has contriyed TO De-
witch the people.
On the 2sth of December 1907, MI. Jetfer-
son sent to the two houses OF congress'the
following message;
g To the Senate and House of Representa-
tiyes of the United States.
9The communications now made, showing
the great and increasing dangers with which
our vessels, our seamen and merchandise are
threatened on the high seas, and elsewhere,
from the belligerent powers OF Europe; and
it being of the greatest Importance TO keep
in safety these essential resources, deem 1t
nv duty to recommend the subject to the
of congress, who will doubtless
perceive all the. advantage which may De eX.
pected from an inhibition OF the departure OF
our vessels from the ports OF the Y. States.
"Their wisdom will also, see the necessity
of making every preparation tor whatever
events may grow out of the present CRISIS.
@I ask return of the letters OF Messrs.
Armstrong and Champagny, which 1t would
be improper to make public.
TIL. JEFFERSON.
"December ls, 1907"
The communications consisted Of four pa
per.. One the proclamation OF, the king OF
Great Britain, already described. A second
wa. the letter from the grand Judge Regnler,
also before mentioned, containing the empe-
ror's decision upon his Berlin DEGREES. These
two papers, the former entire, and the latter
in whole or in substance, had been published
in our newspapers; and were considered, the
first as at least, harmless--and the last as OF
little consequence the knowledge OF 1t serv-
.inr only to put our merchants more on their
Guard in the destination of their vessels, and
70 get them ensured against their small risk.
OF the other two papers, being Armstrong;
letter of Sept. "a, / 807, and Champagny's an
swer of October 9TH, Mr.. Jefferson, for The
h,srt1ose of public DECEPTION, made great mys-
tery-asking their return, under the pretepce
that it would be improper to publish them
These two wonderful papers zvraflted M f6e
mystery Of The embargo, and like the devices
of iugglers, playing slight-of-hand tricks,
acre TO be keht from IKE sight ct the PEOPLE.
They were returned to the president. Yet he
himself laid them before congress three
months qtterward8-but (mark the mode) he
sent them with large mass OF other docu-
ments; and without any intimation that they
had been ever offered as the ground OF his
embargo. And ia few members OF congress
read and collected those papers, thus huddfed
in, the heo1tle abroad would not know nor sus-
pect the deceitful use which had been made
Of them. They related simply to the Berlin