American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1824-09-03


enclosing two documents, one oil which was re-
/ cent proclamation of the king of Great Britain,
authorizing, and commanding the impressment by
his naval officers, of British seamen, from neutral
merchant vessels and the other correspondence
between General Armstrong, then our minister In
France and the French minister Of foreign affairs,
Champsgny, showing that the emperor Napoleon
had finally determined to carry into full execution,
without regard to the treaty between the United
States and France, his Berlin decree of 2lst No
vember, so6, which had for some months after it
was issued, been suspended with regard to the yes
sells OF the United States.
The attack by British squadron upon our fri
gate Chesapeake, had very recently occurred, IN
consequence of which all British armed vessels had
been interdicted from entering the ports of the
United States. The British Orders in Council oil
lth November, SOY, professedy retaatory upon
the French decree Of Berlin, had issued, and were
already announced in the newspapers Of the United
States, though not yet officially authenticated. The
general state Of our commercial affairs was mo.
mentous and full OF alarm. The British govern
ment had disayowed the attack upon the Chesa
peake but instead of giving immediate satisfaction
for it, had appointed Mr.. Rose to come out upon a
mission OF subteriuge and prevarcslion concerning
il, and at the same moment had issued without
notification either TO the government of the United
States, or to their minister in London, the orders
in council which but for the embargo, would, while
Mr., Rose was amusing us with the fragrance Of
his diplomacy, have swept hree-fourths of the
tonnage OF the United States into the ports of
Great Britain for con6scaon
# was in this state OF things that the message
recommending the embargo was received and dis
cussed, in secret session. by the senate The only
motive for debating it with closed doors was the
necessity, II the measure recommended was deem
ed proper, OF adopting it Immediately. Every hour
of debate tended to defeat the object Of the mes
sage. For the instant it should be known in the
commercial cities that an embargo was impending,
the spir of desperate adventure would have rushedl
to sea- with every plank thai could have been made
to float and the delay Of a week in deliberatlon,
instead of sheltering the property Of our merchants
from depreciation, would have only cast it forth
upon the waters to be intercepted by the crulzers
OF both the combating nations
The message was referred, in senate, 10 com |
mttee of FIVE, Of which general Samuel Smith |
himself an eminent merchant, brother to the secIe
tary OF the navy, and in the full confidence OF Mr..
Jefferson, was chairman, and OF which was a
member. he chairman proposed TO the com.
nhtee, to report bill ia compliance with The re.
OF the message. | objected that
he TWO documents with the message were not suf
icien TO Justify SO strong and severe measure as
an embargo; and enquired, whether besides the
general notorety OF the dangers, mentioned in the
message, the executive had other reasons for The
Measure, which il might not be convenient to as
ign. The chairman said, it was expected and
loped that the act would have favorable effect,
o aid the executive IN the negotiation with MIR
Rose; and also that ii was intended as a substitu
ion for the non-imporation act which had pas l.
ed Oh the 18th OF April 1905, but pending the L
negotiation had been suspended unt the l4th of c
december, 1907, only four days before the mes
age This act was itself nearly equivalen, 10 a
otal commercial Don-intercourse with Great Bri II
ain; and TO have repealed longer suspended il a
i that time would have been surrender at discre
ION upon all the subjects Of controversy, then in '
% high state OF aggravaoR, with that power T
10 these reasons yielded, end the bill for laying
he embargo reported to the Senate with The L
unanimous assent Of the committee. Il
The bill was opposed in the Senate, very feeby
lpon its merits, and exclusively by The federal
members, then only four in number The principal i
Hort made by them was 10 obtain delay, which
WOULD as has been shown, have defeated in great
measure the object of the bill They obtained
gainst the bill only the vote Of MIR Maclay of T
pennsylvania. and Of Mr.. Crawford, then new a
member, but who afterwards constantly supported t
he adherence OF the administration TO the act as ,
ong as It was continued.
In assigning to the Senate, very briefly myIv
easons Tor asserting TO the bill, and for the beleft
hat It ought to pass without delay, admitted that
he two documents transmitted with the message, 10
you'd not have been Of themselves, to my mind Il
uhcent to warrant the measure recommended in I
!; but referring to the existing state of lhings offs
ubllc notorieiy, and denomhated in the message a
the present crisis" l observed that the execu. !
i've, having recommended the measure upon his P
responsibility, had doubtless other reasons for il ?
1hich was persuaded were satisfactory that with
his view, convinced Of the expediency of the bill,
was also impressed with the necessity Of its i'm a
Mediate adoption that it was time, not for de- 10
Iteration but for action and that wished the BILL t
instead OF lingering through the dilaory process q
ordinary legislation, might pass through all the Ii
lagos Of its enactment in single day. Wtblt