Evening star., 1935-12-08
EMBARCOES In l794-l8l4
EXPENSIVE FOR AMERICA
Young Nation Torn Asunder by Fateful
Experiment-SuppOrt of Policy
Costly for Jefferson.

blows Of England and Napoleon, end.
ing in the formers orders in council
Of November II and the latter's Milan
decree of December 7, 1907, made prac-
tically every neutral vessel good prize
to one or the other. Even more in
tolerant were the rights of search and
impreSSment claimed by Great Britain,
which swept several hundred American
sailors every year into the British
fleets, and in one massacre (Chesa-
peake and Leopard outraged and
Inundated this country beyond for
giveness.
But aside from the reasons given
above. few landsmen believed till the
victory of Old Ironsides that Amer
ican ships could fight English on equal
terms, and it was the general convic-
ton that in case Of war our entire
feet would at once be Copenhagen
ized' (that is, captured bodily and
added to the British fleet, as was the
Danish).
"At Jefferson's recommendation,
therefore, the embargo was passed
December %, 1907, forbidding all for
eign commerce till the obnoxious de-
creeS we're repealed.
Interior Havoc Terrific.
THE havoc not only in trade but
in the interior life of the people was
terrific. Exports fell from Sll0,0S4,207
in 1907 to $22, ,430 $50 in 1908. The
farming sections were dismayed to
find that commerce meant part Of
their daily bread as well as the car
rier's profits and that they raised and
sold much of that S87 900 900; but
they clung all the more stubbornly to
their anti-war recipe, though England
and France approved it highly
Napoleon was glad to see his enemy
drifting into war with a Western
power; England was glad to regain her
carrying trade and see Canada and
Nova Scotia receive American capital.
Meantime, New England fought it
with the fierceness of a struggle for
life, evaded it largely by sea and sent
armies of smugglers overland to
Canada. Congress then extended the
act to rivers, lakes and bays, and al
lowed collectors to seize on suspicion,
and the next Congress, January 9,
1909, passed a savage enforcing act
with all the fury Of baffled doctrin-
aires, imposing enormous fines, for
FIXTURES and bonds and making the
collectors supreme deSpotS of their
districts. New England was nearly
in insurrection; the collectors were
in danger of the fate of those under
the stamp act, some resigned, others
were sued in the State courts; the
judges would give no findings against
smugglers; finally the States threat
ened notification and John Quincy
Adams, a victim to its support, de-
clared that they had resolved to with
draw from the Union at least tenn
porarily, if force were used, and had
opened negotiations with Great Brit
ain. A Federalist declared in the
Senate that blood would flow. The
Democrats were frightened and
hastily fixed March 4 for its dis
continuance. But the next month
they had regained courage and passed
a on-intercourse act to take its place,
still prohibiting intercourse with
France or Great Britain but restoring
it with other countries and allowing
free coasting trade. This policy was
| continued till the War of 1912 opened.
The hostility Of New England to the
war. only less destructive than the
embargo and against her political feel
| ings, induced the British government
80 -
| from the blockade, to SOW discord and
make a base of naval supplies, and
on December II, 1913, a new embargo
was laid to January l, 1915, which.
however, was repealed April II, 1914.
Jefferson always asserted that the
policy was the best and the embargo
would have accomplished its object If
New England would only have helped.
1t is now pretty generally agreed that
the laying Of the embargo was great
/ political and economic mistake"
Jefferson Paid for Folly.
But long before subsequent genera
tions rendered their verdict Jefferson
personally had paid for his folly"
His punishment is sketched by Phil
lips Russell as follows: Unable to
fight either England or France, JEFF
ferson as President was so foolish as
to lay on an embargo act which for
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