Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-04-10
CIRCULAR,
OF THE
HON. DANIEL SHEFFEY,
TO HIS CONSTITUENTS.

TO HIS CONSTITUENTS.
CI7r OF WASHING TON, Fe6 1918.
DEAR SIR,
AS the twelfth congress will
close their last session in a few days,
cannot resist the desire which the critl-
Cal situation of the country, * sense OF
duty strongly press ON me, to give to nay
constituents such Information en- public
affairs as my limited information fu' nish.
es And to explain to them the motives
of my conduct connected with the aio-
mentous questions which have agitated
the councii of this nation, during their
last aud present session.
On the 9Th of June last, this country
after having since the close Of the revo-
lutionary struggle for near thirty years
enjoyed the blessings of peace, was plac-
ed in a state oil war In relation 10 Great
Britain, by declaration Of the Congress
of The United States. To this highly i'm.
portant measure and all connected with
it, gave my most decided opposition,
not because we had not we'll founded
grounds of complaint against the 60
vernment of that nation, which it ought
to have redrcssed: But because Icould
not see how such war as we could pro
secute, could obtain to us the desired
end And because did see strong
probability that the evils attendant on the
war were iRcomparably greater than a.
nv VIC then suffered. That we were
hazarding too much, to obtain that which
was comparatively OF inferior impor-
lance, and which there was no hope we
could obtain by war
1t has been my opinion ever since
have been capable to form any upon the
subject, that we ought to have no con.
Germ with foreign of;nsiDr wars in any
event whatever, particularly not untilour
resources would enable us to maintain
(without burthening the people) a sufi
cieDt naval armament This opinion is
not peculiar to myself, it zuas the pre-.
vailing republican sentiment in the days
of Nj. Adams. Viewing the state of
this country, separated from the conflicts
of Europe by an ocean oithree thousand
miles-blest by providence with every
thing which can make this life happy
ard esirable-and contrasting our stu
alton with the destiny of the many mil
lions in other portions Of the globe whom
way has dragged into misery and slave
ry, | could not give my consent to
course of measures which put to hazard
all the advantages that constituted our
pre-enincnce. deemed it better for
eime to submit to the partial inconve-
hiences, which circumstancesoverw which
we had no control had brought upon US,
than by attempting to rid ourselves of
them, encounter others of much greater
magnitude. Human life often presents
a choice of evils; and happy is that ma
ton, or individual who makes prudent
selection.
When the war was declared last sum-
mer against Great Britain, our govern
ment stated three grievances as the lcad-
ing causes sf,that measure. lst. The
orders in council-2nd The impress.
ments OF our seamen, and Sd, the illegal
blockades.
0pont these subjects there has been
TOT some years past great deal said;
but tear Notwithstanding that, they are
not generally we'll understood. AS far
as the subject can be comprised in a
communication such as the present, |
will present to your view their hrinei-