New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-07-04

met with the cordial ADDrOD1tiOn inc
bors And 50 imperieotly had the principles inyoyed
in this arrangement been considered even by the NORTH
members that the bill was carried through ss ia
the very last stage by their votes Inc opposislon
TO the forfeiture clause was grounded on the incon'
sistenoy OF the United states engaging N inc very
ness which 1t had Just prohibited under ho0Vy pen
allies to its citizens ana on the reSosnit,oa ~ haS
awfulness OF savehoding which the Constitution hsu
so carefully avoided. Even Mr.. Quincy opposed the
striking out of the clause Oh the ground. however ina,
il did not follow that these unfortunate creatures WOuu
he sod because forfeited He held that its effect was
10 put tho responsibility OF taking charge Of them on inc
General Government instead OF tlr0wIngh upon the
several States all Of which might ana some OF .wmch
would retain them in Slavery. He denied that forfeit
IRE recognized title Ia the thing forfeited Dnt ~
taking all title out of the importer 1t placed inc Untcu
States in the best possible position Tor giving ecehcy
To the rights of Inan in tho Of the persons imported,
+" H. said he when We have tho power We fail 70 So
cure ourselves the means OF giving freedom to them
under proper ications have agency IN making
them slaves" These views influenced majority OF tho
Northern members up u the time when the question
of its final passage came Up when the force OF
the suggestion that the forfeiture OF the imported
negroes and permission 10 the Government TO sell
them gave sanction TO Slavery and disgraccd the
national character appeared to be felt at last The bill
was recOmmited. Mr. Quincy urging such action. to
Committee o; Seventeen, by an almost strict Northern
and Southern vote The Committee proposed that all
such negroes should be sent to such States had abo
ishcd Slavery and there apprcuccd for term o. years
and then freed. This gave rise 10 furious opposition
on the part Of tho Shareholders in debate in which
Mr. Eery OF Georgia declared that the South would re-
SSt u Win flQlr ives. before inc HOUSE hNbiOH
on their own bill TO which this amendment was pro-
posed the Senate bill down which. after long
and violent debate various amendments dsagrcements
and a conference passed and became the law OF the
land This was so devised "a TO leave the actual dis
position Of thS imported negroes 10 the States where
they were seized but evedcd the recognition OF tho
principle Of property in man. and the sanction OF The
sale OF slaves by the Government much 10 the disgust
Of the Southern extremists.
The great European war in which BonapHrto and
Great Britain were the chief cOmbGtants, inevitably
ests OF the United States The actual injury arising
from these complications pecunlary and personal zen
upon the commercial cities and the SoaD0arh Statcs
New England suffered more IN proportion. perhaps from
the injustice and violence OF the DegerontS thnn any
part OF the country The Southern and Western States
the cotton trade and that in broadstus being yc. IN
great degree undeycOpcd were scarcely at all Affected
Ii was Northern and Eastern seaIncn who were liable
to impressment and il the merchants OF those NJ
gions who suffered from tho violations OF neutral rights
inflicted by both parties The neutral trade Of the com
mercia cities during the FIRST years OF the century was
very great and greatly lucrative All the productions
Of the colonies nearly were first shipped IN Amer
lean bottoms 10 American ports and thence eshiPed
TO Franco Holland and Spain. afiording double freghis
10 tho shpOwners. About 1893 however, the BIitinh
Courts of admiralty refused 20 recognize the protection
OF the American Alg in the OF several valuable car
goes the ground that il was more cover 20 fraud
uent transaction the property never having been really
vested in the American merchant but merely smpped
the American port for the purpose OF transhlpment
the hostile one. In 1896 from the battle field VI jena
Bonaparte issued his famous Berlin decree. winch de-
cared the British Islands bockadcd and pronouncing
ali British merchandiss lawful prize This decree
which struck fita blow at neutral commerce was
followed soon by the British Orders in Council prohibit
ing any neutral commerce with France or her colonies
excepting certain COndtiOns and these PROVOKED
the Milan DEGREES, which made foriei. every neatIh
vessel that should submit to the conditions required ny
tho Orders. In consequence Of these arbitrary acts
cruel distress and sudden ruin were brought upon nn
titues Of Eastern merchants and the whole industry OF
the commercial section of the country thrown INTO
consOn and Of these disasters the district represented
by Mr. Quincy suffered moro than its share IN conso
qnonce Of its largo commercial enterprise then ITS cmei
source Of prosperity 1t became his duty tcreOro IN
an especial manner to watch tho action Of the Adusnis
trutiOn and TO protest at least against what he could
not rosist.
In December 1907 Mr. Jefferson communicated these
proceedings Of the French and English Governments to
Congress inviting It's wisdom 90 do what The emergency
demanded As great majority OF both Houses were
his unquesiOnng partisans their wisdom was very sure
10 reflect his ideas and opinions. Accordingly.
both Houses passed with small elaboration aud short
debate. by large votes the Embargo act by which AL
American vessels were forbidden 10 leave port. Mr.
Quincy in vain endeavored ~ procure the exemption OF
fishing vessels from its operation ON their giving bonds
most violent party disputes The people Of Massachu
sets and Of the Suffolk District especially felt most
severely the arrangement Of their enterprise and indus
try Notwithstanding is apparent Importantly the
Embargo was regarded virtual assistance given 10
France against England the trade with the latter being
so much greater than with the former. most oxag'
the Democratic part Of the population. IA TO The
importance of the trade OF the United Statos To
Europe anu particularly 10 Englanu. Al was
supposed that widespread suffering and almost
national bankruptcy would ensue from the with
drawal Of commerce. The result showed how
much these political economists mistakcn. "a Mr.
Quincy told them at tho outset they would be Ho main
tanned that IL precisely ths policy which British
merchants would wish the United States 10 pursue
But whether this not no maintained that the
commerce Of the United States could not be Of sufficient
Importance to either England or France 70 Induce them
TO change policy adopted by the Inter 10 crush the
only obstacle the way of her march to universal EN-
NH and Inv fOrrner "a
National existence at is 20 BIO feare said he that
having grown gddy with good fortunes attrib1ting the
greatness OF our prosperity TO wisdom, rather
than TO Of events which we have had no
influence entering that school Of adversely
the first blessing Of which Is 20 chastso our overween
ing concet of ourselves nation mistakes its relative
importance in thinking that its coGnteDance its
stcnce is all important TO the rest OF mankind" His
warnings Justified by events but were unavaing
TO change the preudices or the legislation Of the ma
The c1citation Of the public mind continued in faI
violence from the enactment OF the Embargo in Decen
Der. 1907 TO It's repeal IN 1919 ms Is not the place IN
which 10 recte that passage Of hstOrybo evasons OF
the first act the futile attempts TO enforce 1t by most
despoc intrusious into private Affairs the spirit Of re-
sistance which the whole policy provoked and the final
repeal under strong apprehension Of civil and viz
tual confession Of its utter failure as measure OF coer
cion In all the agitation, in Congress and ont OF IT. OF
this matter Mr.. Quincy took his full share. and had
the satisfaction at least OF seeing his political wisdom
proved by the logic OF events Thcrepea Of the Embargo
did not take place until Mr. Jefferson had given place to
Mr.. Madison but IL great modification 10 him as
confession Of the failure of bis ayore policy and the
manner in which ii was effected not such as was
well pleasing 10 his successor VINO had devised ways
and means for covering hs retreat from his untenabe
position which the impotence even OF his own party
defeated. Just before Mr.. Jefferson loft the Pres
dency passage occurred which deserves a place in any
sketch Of Mr. Quncys public life, the rather that it s
been much misunderstood and m.srepresented. We re
fer his motion for the Impeachment OF the President
or, properly for inquiry preliminary to such
impeachment The facts were these: Gen. Lncoln of
the Revolution was appointed Collector Of Boston BY