Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-06-22
RICHMOND,
TUESDAY MORNING. JUNE d. 1907
MR.. ADAMs-THE EMBARco.


house from which the enemies of Tho RennhI;., -
party, may draw abundant materials to gratifv tho
haiisnity OF party feeling. The malicious memo
~ oil Col Pickering, has omitted to recor, nothin,
wh'cn could crafty the deep dislike with which he
mas ever viewed the greatest mel, of thar en-,
iui party, or winch could present them in humiIi.
atins attitude before the world The wonder +.
mat the extent OF his opportun,ics-the vr,l,nce
OF his n;ilicc-and the fidelity OF a memory ,,,e IN
all the purposes ofhatrcd-have not furnished him,
WIN materials, more abundant and more serviceo
Die To that great end of his literary l,bors-,b.
"esUucuo" oil reputation. In one point of view
we rejoice at the publication of this pa nphlc, I,
places beyond doubt, the fact, that the Federas,s
Oh New England, are as body, Violently iuimical
to the election Of John Quincy Adams It proves
that next to Mr. Jefferson, he the object of their
most unrelentng aud rIeconcilabie b,te-.,ho ncr
son whose political opinions are the most diamc-
tricaly opposed to their own--from whose eeva-
non, thcy nave nothing TO hope or to expect Mr.
Adams has not promised like Mr.. Crawford "a
broad bottomcd administrations" comprehen,up
within ITS ample limits the disciples of every poll.
teal school. They have nothing of the sort to ex
pect from hlm--and they accordingly view the pros-
Pect oil his elevation with the tlcepest anxety-as
AN event which If it occurs, guard the paradis.
OF power impregnably, against their entrance or in
Vasion. Suppose that some of the hatred with
winch they view MIR. Adams, proceeds from their
considering him apostate-ihat very ci.cum-
stance proves the sincerity OF his Rcpublicansm.
From this store house of wrath" Col. Picker
inss pamphlet, several detached incidents have
been extracted for the purpose of infiictug deeper
INJURY on his victims, than could have been effected
oy the limited circulation of the pamphlet itself
Among these, is the following sontin,ent which
Pickering says uttered by J. @. Adams ON the
occasion of Mr.. Jefcrson's Em5arco in December
1871. Mr. Adams may have uttered il, or he
may Motive have other evidence of the fact
than the assertion of Col Pickering "The Presi-
silent mas recommended the mea on his high
responsibility: would not coasidcr-I would not
deliberate would act. Doubtless the President
possesses such further informatlon as will Justify
the measure" Had Mr.. Adams ayowed such n
general declaration this; had he meant that in
any case, where the President recommend. n mca
Surd-"he would not deliberate, but he would act-
then would we join with Col. Pickering in r.,
probatng the sentiment, as scrvilc tra,orous
to his constituents, his oath and his country-ab
horrent 10 republicanism, AMI every WV in
famous, and unworthy of American Senator
But MIR. Adams, even if he used such n declaration
at all, had no such meaning. 1t was employed i'm
reference to particular measure recommend
ed by the President, and that of a nature al
together extra ordinary and smi Scncris. 1t was
a measure or peculiar a character that de-
bate would have defeated the very end it had in
view. To be e.tcctaal, its adoption and execution
must be rapid and instantaneous. The
two Houses ofCOngress were compelled to take it
upon trust-and To rely upon the Presidents supc-
rior information, as guarantee for its necessity
and propricty. Unlike all other measures, the
public good was injured by Debate and Enquiry
the measure itself was completely abortvc, if pre-
coded by publicity Had information that an
Embargo was in agitation reached New York, or
Baltimore l2hours before the law ITSELF every ves-
sci in either port would have been instantly load
sail unfurled, and the law would have
been ridiculous. Ii was this measure so implicitly
demanding CELEBRITY in its passage and execution
tn tEn
the first link of that important System of Non In-
tercourse, resortcd to, to avoid with England
grand national experiment on the eve of being
tested-that Mr.. Adams was resolved to adopt in
part, on the responsibility and reeommenda ton of
the President, Mr. Jefferson, without deiberation.'
BY this course nothing could be lost-and the EN-
barge if delibcration and enquiry, proved it to be
mpolitic, could be repealed the day. IL on the
other hand, enquiry and dcliberation should prove
it to be right, the CELEBRITY its passage would be
best defended by the complete effect which follow
ed.
That other members reasoned and thought in the
same way, if they were not candid or iInprudent G.
nough to avow it, is obvious from the time con- UNI
ed in its passage. MIR. Pickering himself SAYS that
the bill passed in four hours after the reception
oil the Presidents Message, recommending it dcs-
patch unexamped, and only to be accounted for
from the determination of the Senate "not to deli
berate, but to act'-a resolution called for by the
character of the measure, and the cxigency of the
times.
1t is in character for the Fcdcras;s to abuse this
sentiment of Mr.. Adams, they always have done
the measure to which it related and Mr. Jefferson
who recommended it {: but it surely is inconsistent
for tho Republicans to calumniate sentiment, ur-
on which the whole Republican members then in the
Senate, obviously acted. The Embargo may not
now be esteemed a party measure-but it was GER
tainly so considered at that day.
The Embargo was passed by vote of % to g.
The six negatives were all Fedcrasts, with the ex-
ceptiou, if it be one, of Mr.. Crawford, then newly
elected to the Senate of the United States from
Georgia. Those who voted in the negative were,
Messrs. Crawford, Goodrich, Hihouse, Maclay,
Pickering, Whitc.--6.
From this review of the history Of the EMBARGO
the obvious need of its being adopted suddenly,
and before the rtInor of its agitation could reach
the port5-and the short space of four hours
which elapsed between its recommendation and a.
doption, ii is apparent that the sentiment of Mr.
Adams, which Col. Pickering finds rcprcnensiblc,
as applied to the case right and proper, aud a.
dopted in effect, by the majority o. which passed
the law.--We are persuaded that further vind-
cation can be necessary.
We beg of the Enquirer 10 have liberaty enough,
when it re-publisbes such another extract, as that
we have just noticed, to give the proper expanai-
on. Its cause must be desperate, if it will not adj
nit of this degree of fairness.
TO CHATHAM.
come at length, to- try conclusions with Chat
ham Mr.. Randolph's letter-and by proving that
his untcnable, to establish the views which I
have suggested, of the origin Of that passage of the