Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1818-04-28
REMARKS OF MIR. BARBOUR,
n TIE SENATE, APRIL 3,

| MRBARBOtK OF Virginia, said as the Or
gun OF the committee who reported the bill, il
was expected Of him by the Senate that lie
should disclose the views of the committee on
, this Interesting subject.
| IL crftainiy beloved the Senate 10 give this
subject most serious attention, and TO act Only
upon the most mature deliberations for re
member, when once adopted, IL must he adj.
| hered te. To recsdc, would be to ensure an
endless duration IL the serious evils OF which
we complain, and, what is still OF more conse-
quence, il must be attended with diminution
| of character. Any policy, adopted by the una
| n;mouS consent of the nation, founded IN JUS
tice and wisdom, aud sustained by perseve-
rance, must finally be felt and yielded to by
| any ard every nation on which il operates.
| The object of the bill under consideration. is
to relieve from the effects of measures adopted
/ by Great Britain in relation TO our commercial
! intercourse with her North American colonies
and West indies measures eXclusIv eiy agaiDst
/ us. as inlnricHs to our navigating Interest as
| they are offensive TO our dignity. The invidi-
| Gus policy OF which we complain, and which
! is attended with such unpleasant effects, MAY
| be summed up i'll a few words. She has shut
| her ports in the possessions formerly alluded
| TO, against American vessels aud American
property. Not cock-boat, not an atom of
any thing that is American, does she permit TO
enter, while she modestly insists to bring every
thing that she pleaSes from these possessions
| to the Uuted States, and to purchase, and eX.
clusively to carry the produce and manrtac-
| lures OF the United States. IN return that is,
! she insists upon, s. we have been tame enough
to submit To II, TO enloy exclusively the whole
81 this valuable intercourse.
The evil has been OF long standing il COM
menced upon our becoming AN independent
people. She was not generous enough TO for
get thai we had been enemies, nor wise enough
10 profit by liberal policy. She would have
found IN the same language, the same habits,
the same feelings; and iii the Kind affections
inSeparably attending two people of u common
origin, except when depressed by injustice or
oppression, she would have found ia these cir
cnnsiauces sure guarantees TO AN upinieTrupt-
ed, friendly, and, TO her, highly beneficial; in
tercouTse. But other counseis prevailed, and
displayed n new proof OF the moriifyng truth
tina. small, indeed. is the portion of wisdom
that directs the government OF human at
FAIRS. Hence, the moment she acknowledged
our independence, she Immediately denounc.
ed against the United States all the rgor
OF her colonial system-depa from II
only IN such parts as would promote her in
tereSt, and render il more I'M urious and humi-
hating To us. She superciliOusly rejected all Of
fers at negotiation. The United States, with
out common head, and pursuing among
themselves an insulated, and frequently a sci
FISH and an unwise policy, became the foot.
balls OF Great Britain. who, watching, as she
always does, with a Sleepless eye, whatever is
TO affect her commerce, seized instantly upon
her defenceiess prey, aud pushed her exclu-
sIve system 10 the uttermost of endurance. In
THIS spirit, instead of being content with eA.
forcing towatds us the real colonial system
which was that the trade should be exclusive
Y.
mitted the produce of her dependencies to he
brought directly TO this country, and the pro-
duce oithis country To be carried back direct
~ to them, hut botn operations TO be effected
exclusively by British shipping. TO the conse.
qnent exclusion of the American slIipDine from
the transportation of The produce even of A. |
mer!ca. so injurious were the effects result. |
ing from Our commercial intercourse. and so
entirely unable were the UHited States to cem- |
leract these effects ntheir then disiointed con.
ditlon. that our Sauguine anticipatOns from
the successful result of orr revolution, began
fast TO dissiPate, and no little sOllciude TO be
experienced III regard To the future IhIs |
state Of things produced conventie of the |
states, aud finally resulted in our presenthap- |
Ply constitution. am authorized TO say, from |
the best authority, that IL is TO this chief.
Iy, 1t not entirely, that we are indebted for |
this greatest blessing of heaven. In looking |
through the history of mankind, and tracing |
the causes which contribute to the rise and |
dswnfdl of nations. IL frequently becomes IA |
subject OF curious speculation, when We see |
the most prOpltIOus results flowing from ap. |
PdTeDtly injurious causes, aud the worst pas
sIOns OF mankind converted into the means oil |
furthering some beuefcent purpose of provi- |
dence. Little did the statesman OF Great BTi |
tain think, when indulg,ng his thirst for cupid. |
ity OF revenge, that he was to become tile ill., |
voluntary benefefactor OfAmerica, by essenti |
atty contributing to the order of thugs which |
now exists, and which, under Providence, !
Will ensure MS all endless succession of power, |
OF prosperity, and of happiness.
The new government being organized, il |
turned its attention to the particular subject
entrusted TO its care. Unfortunately, howe
yer, other objects, both foreign and domestic,
interpoSed beiOreits deliberations ripened into
action. Europe was agitated by CONFUSION
the most important in the annals of the world,
whether we regard its dnratlon, lis extent, OF
Its effects. During this troubled state OF the
world, the policy now under consideration, en-
gagged tie attention OF Congress. The result
Ut the effort at that time isknOwn TO the Senate
-the causes leading thereto lie out of the pro-
per sphere OF the present discussion. MIR
Jay was sent to England-he negotiated a
trenty--sO much otit as relates to the trade in
question. eventuated III nothing but such was
tue condition OF the nations Of Europe, that we
enjoyed, from the necessities Of England what
we had right to expect from her justice. A.
nerica became The carrier of the world aud
her commerce, her shipping, aud her wealth,
Increased in the most astonishing ratio, tillat
length America, ~ hertunl, felt the effects of
war, and IFS consequent pTivafious. Peace
was no sooner established, than Great Britain
TesoTted to her colonial system, with all it's
abuse. The more iDtOlerable as IL is exclusive.
~ directed against US, inasmnch as slieindulyes
to the vessels OF other nations an intercourse
withheld from us /; course aggrS vated by the
consideration that she stands alone in this DO
licy. American vessels being admitted into
the French, Spanish, Dutch, and Swedish colo
mics. This course, SO injurious TO our interest
and so offensive TO just pride, claimed the
Immediate attention of the government and
efforts were made to obtain redress by tTea.
ty the result is known. Mr.. b. begged leave
TO read so much OF President MadnOn's mes
sage at the last session OF Congress, rs regards
, this subject. Herc you perceive tic d .Or of
| negotiation is closed: all hope OF redress in
thai way is desperate, and he calls upon Con-
gress 10 interpose. independently Of the re.
| spsct due TO the recommendation Of % presi-
Dent of the United States, there were other
considerations which would give a weight 10
this opinion of Mr.. Madison. Whenit is reco.
lected that he devoted the whole Of his most
life to his country, with motives ALWAYS