Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1822-02-04

public declaration OF their opinion IN reia-
| lion 10 the essential interests involved -
Earnestly disposed to leave the admins
tration of the national government 10 Inc
| responsible departments marked out oy
| the constitution, and entertaining nrfn
reliance in the vigilance OF the people, 10
provide fit agents for these departments,
| they 1isclaim all intention TO assume I'M
due control over the legitimate authorities
| of the Union yet their sacred right to re-
sist entertainments OF Federal power, the
| General Assembly are satisfied, will not
| be questioned nor will their solemn pros
| Test against whatsoever public grievances
| NAV in their deliberate judgment, now
| from the exercise oil that power, be deem
| Cd Incompatible with the just confidence
and respect they owe to those. VINO are
made the repositories OF the general well
fare The manifest and daily increasing
injuries proceeding from the acts IN ques-
ton, the audible snlferlngs of the people
of Virginia, under the severity OF their
pressure, render such protest, by the de-
neral Assembly, a positive and lndispen-
sable duty.
1t is not the purpose of the General AS
sembIy to go into history OF the above
mentioned acts Of Congress; nor to dis
| close the multiplied facts which demon
strate their fatal operation en- the best IN
terests of Virginia, and the contiguous
states. The ground upon which they are
sustained, and their disastrous tendency,
seen in the alarming effects already pro-
1 duced and the still more alarming IN pros
pect have been already exposed by aigu-
ment and proofs, 100 abundant 10 need re-
iteration. The General Assembly view
the restrictive system they establish, as
palpably at variance with the obvious sPI-
rit OF our federal compact "A settled Pc
icy of the government, to foster by boun-
ties, or restrictive regulations any indivi-
dual or partial interest OF the union, IneVi-
tably subjects other interests to burdens
mere or less onerous; and which to be en-
dured with patience, or in any manner To-
lerated, should either by their direct ope-
ration, or remote and certain results, not
only restore the losses incurred by the tet-
! tered interests, but hold out a far prospect
4 of permanent and accommodating gain to all
The measures adopted by the U. States,
with the avowed object OF coercing Great
Britain into REIMBURSEMENT OF her colo
NAL system, operate exclusively TOR the De
ne6t (if any benefit accrues) OF the snip
ping and manufacturing interests: whist
| the whole weight and cost OF the effort IS
thrown upon agriculture alone, and me O.
| Their branches of productive industry I'M
! mediately connected with that main artery
| OF public wealth and national power. This
ii not directly opposed to the cardinal pfin-
ciples of the compact, is unques'loDably
calculated to weaken the great ties which
bind together the several members oil our
! contederaCy.
! In the present state of the commerce o.
the world. this restrictive system OF our
government, IN relation 10 the BRITISH
West Indies, amounts almost 10 total eX.
clusion of all foreign demand, tor many OF
our most valuable productions both OF a.
grcuIture, and the forest. Indian corn,
| lumber and many other articles composing
| the principal resources Of the eastern sec
ton of the state, are entirely shut out
| from market; and, in fact, the whole OF our
export produce is most heavily burdened
by its operation. 1t thus lays large por-
tion of the country under oppressive exsc-
ton, and deprives thousands OF their Or
| binary, and indeed only means OF Coutor-
! table subsistence. Aud was there any
substantial ground to hope its ultimate
success, in attaining the objects aimed at,
F., is there any thing in the advantages which
may accrue 10 the navigating and other ia
| vored interests TO remunerate either direct
| ly, or remotely, the suffering portion OF the
! union, Tor the immense sacrifices incurred!
| Were the utmost hopes OF our government
realized, by forcing Great Britain to a
bandon her colonial system; the General
Assembly would still be unable to discern,
in that success, any thing approaching an
equivalent,t TO recompense the injuries sus-
tanned by Virginia and some OF her sister
states. If this system operates either to
cut of altogether from the British colonies
the supply Of articles, for which, in free
intercourse, they look to the u. States; or
by the circuitous channels through which
they are procured, to render the charges
upon them exorbilantly high, the proba.
BILE, and almost certain effect will be, 10
cur,ail in future the demand for such arti.
cles, as well by suppressing, in some de-
gree, the wants that create it, as by open
ing new, and perhaps for many articles)
more liberal sources of supply. This re-
suit would, voidablv, inAict incurable
injury upon all that portion of the union
which, il is admitted, supports the whole
burden of the system. And the profit Sc
cured 10 other portions whatever it might
be- could not furnish adequate indemnity
for such injury.
But the hope entertained that Great
Britain will he forced, by the pressure
of our restrictive laws, to abandon her
colonial system, is believed to be entire.