Newspapers / The Raleigh Minerva (Raleigh, … / Feb. 21, 1811, edition 1 / Page 1
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it ', taJ5.TC ON POREIGN ABLATIONS. ai Britain would Vdong to American ctizcns and not tem tih)ecr pursuiojr. That France, not dc violate the neutral commerce fihetJjiiiedStet v ' - , J Saturday t February 2. j5r, Wri'fitr saU ,he was "hot a little surprised t it'il rin ri4nK,,nProP0ng'a diiect vio 'Jjiti'iA pltglited faith .oUthe- gavemment, 'l;ed 4n"Uie:kwor Ma last ju the face f the toHdi7;Ife'hoptd!-Xhat ;uch i) reach- or gaod , fcitht. 0uJ4- frtOeaTft ?o cpur.tenairce m thfe.H7u.se.; '.Wtot 'fiaWL' fcey 'afif the legislatdre ofthV XJjiitv :'Jj Strte(iiave Jfcgislatfd bq the) "'object, Ving i twflojar:imMebiiwr Miea far acceded vjff pTPI w.wH'f-"H .c w ii-ra. per '-ffe Suf p?d hatftepW8t ah3 Kepresefttatl V? tf't'y'tAil'iiald feel a disositidn, 3in fte ece"ipt"?f a'letter jfrowa Charge de A i(llch h-di? npk txtay tat" he wasx'by thl : ajjQittneutC.the .i Prestdenttand confirmed'1 tiy :'e..patevw'qui.red by law)--ithat any,ni6rnbr Vm44M disposed to slight th. nat'aTn's prqmis'e Vhatldoe? thi gentleman sa,4 That jr fvU '3te')E?9eifT'v.6d m the 5th, and that a mtssen. jr eoi? ashore ivas prevented by the ship's be ,jng hthHiabl "to quarantine and that the ship JJ.--Packet h!id.j)cen seued at Bourdeaux under .;theBtj;haand.'Miian decrees. Sir, said Mr. VV. what formation had the French government then rcceied' of the proclamation of the President' of Jhe Uruted Stales ? None ; it was not till the 1 2th that the proclamation reached Paris, where it was.reccived by thiJieople with great jcy. ! We have n6 expressioa-lof ths opinion of the govern ment subsequent to that time. In relation to the .seizure'oj this vessel, whenever an, agent does an set yiolatfag the- law 01 nations, the government must be called upoiv and refuse to disavow thei act . Itfon"-it ' can!i.ascribed to the government. V?btl then, has been done in this case ? There is fa letter 'written no answer to which had beenve jceived when it Was despatched. We find too that die vessel seized had been to a British port, and "was loaded with articles not the growth of this Utti telling us, jyeryl hastily that he has written a fc'Jttter to the Due de Qadore and 'had not re- xtived-an answer. And before we are informed jrhat "were "the precise facts in this case, we are tp icton a one sided information, and in fact without ; win,matioh at all and to impute to the French lvernmfint an ' tnteutton, without knowing whe JmrMi their' iMamion nr pot, to disregard their promise. - On-, tliis single case, on the "'true tolor of which there tsJno ccitalniv, we are called Upon to lay the foundation of a revocation of that Jlaw. ..In'what a' situation shall We place the coun .try shond we act on the information, and io-mor- TJJeafn that the officer who , seized the vessel glvefi 1 upland tKat the 'government of "France was vell uisposed ; The nation would, be much tlis ; satisfied inde ed? rif aflep- lia ting held jpt ''conditions Both belligerents wjbich are accepted by one, jVithout'he lasVioformation or reason to expect ..Wfiiyn'jrrQmthe'''6h'er power, we yere-to re. trace bur. steps." -a Are we, upon information that :r Kussel bad writteh a long letter to tha Duke W auare, to which.no answer was or could have )eeu received, faithlessly to repeal a law contain ing sq solemn a "pledge I Could any man feel a.dc- votion to lh? best interests of his country, who vroud placejt In ;ihat predicamenlji ' ; ,Mf . W." said be was friendly to peace ; but if we wust have, a collision let, it be with that nation hicfcTConfinues.v'to injure -our-ights. If they wuuiu neicrmuieiorevoKe ineiraci, oetore know . MigwhaFranceha done; consequent on the pro wanutiQn,at would be extraordinary. Here was 8 hasty letter of a young man iust inducted : into othce, who m his desire to shew his zeal wiites a letter t give information which when received Wount to nothing. Besides, Mr. VyQuestiontd correctness of the fact stated by him of the itsstx being ordered to qqtvrantine ; because the ffiessenper who Went in het arrived at Paris nrt th and could not have been detained on board K vessel at quarantine. As to recommitting the "41 and waiting for turther ioformation, that there ould he no " hhit-rtmn tn it f htif a tn rpnalini. i . . v r v we law, it was a proposition which ought not' un. Fr5seni circomstasces to De enteriaineci by tne 'HoMse, Mr. Wf said he looked . upon ogr en .gagement with France in the light of a solemn ',2 " VJ "U ?UVll UliliiiHg Ull U9 it .lie cuuiu yvesatised, however, that these things had been Me under the authority ot France, lie should be a ready as any one to denounce the act and go as lit as anv one . to nrorure;rcdress : for he had .?5ei . long t, tired of. aggressions on bur neutral rnShts.?. He would ; go as far- as the gentlemen from Vireihia 1 Mr. Randolohl whose zeal he ad- raircd, but conceived he had really overlooked the toie merits of - this case. Should France flight )er to British subjects. The circumstance was ,evi- pendant commerce, houUl make war on it, was it was, dated from the tithe1 when Frahce' had pro-j dent from the rate of exchange between the two Hot to" be yondered Vt but that . Great -Brrtaiii countries. If the fact was undeniable that, all pro perty imported for some lime to come, would be long to American , citizens, and it was the object op'tne mouon 10 recommu iq relieve our own cui zeus, Mr. B. asked where was the, necessity -of connecting that subject with another which,- wtfuld cbnsume a great deal of . time Sc put dur citizens to great inconvenience; buch, wouiape tne case, because by' the instructions of the Secretary of the Tieasury the colltctors ai-e . directed to consider at the sairittnte ta Irad the sam$ opinion of fhe tne promotuon 01 importation ts commencing tmu day; If Congress did not speedily interfere! the ence and tpe trers ta e witters . , " jr. 1 " i wj y w Ui ! - I V1'. er tUb Uii prwintse of France at the fastf summer, and because knrlii.' nifr.ln nrKir -i;Ur.tht Tjhori and' fcT'that Jrst made, ,w 4 iuj lie wouiu CO a iar us an one iu a- .ge it, and to bring thosenationswho have vi Wated our .lights tocopdigflf punishment. . ' Mr. Eurwsil Suid that . even if he was disposed ,o tepeallhe non intercourse law, he should still be in favor of the tnQt joo of im coHengue, becayise ' Z01! such -provision were not made, at a petjl P artier an a taw to repeal the act canccrnirg .nurcial ititercburse could pa si both Houses, .Cfctrants would-be subjected to great Incon euience, , It had always been his opinion, Mr. v said, that it would be improper to adopt the endtnents proposed tof the inteTCOursebill -H M been rnir1 Ulm nnmliMi tkU hrnn.nv a. I. , , T'MHJ Ilia, Ulltl'riltlUK.tllV v!.J imported into this country from' Great hs was pelfefly '&kwirk ' that "i!wa on; which could not be wxectxtea, to the extent , and w the snn tt contemplated by government ! that U, is a. system wiiU tends to Bimihish the rtvenue( Hnd demoralize the merchants, he j;i)tgh perhapsj say the people, of the Country. '? "But . he ' conceived thai ; at tKe present stage of ihtc business, ? thiai irucsuoa oiu hot p;xpej iy come inio consiaeraii orf.v I'or, alihougb he might hot be able, to satia- ty :any gentleman that the relations .bet ween tne united states and vreat lintaio were ol the na. ture of a contract ;s yet, in his own mind, it was very evident that we,: hadiintered into a stipulati on which we are be-und to respect, provided France fulfilled it with good faith he said with good faith f for - he was determined never to-voe Ibr its continuance unless it, was executed with good faith. He said he" had had never pulliuted her conduct ; he had no idea that we could ever con sent to abandon the property she had seized .with out a" shadtftv of reason-rproperty on the restora tion of which tt appeared to him. government ought to insist with a pertinacity never to be relax ed. Our aftuirs with? France had been iu such a state of incertitr.de from rthe comineucemnnt oficood.tut odet Continued . series of evil. the s;s?ion that he hd not be-nble to make up tlme, Vwith'tj"fese effect? before us, on oneefcideof an opinion onthem. When he lookel to the 'the House feeling jib disposition to embarrass the I correspondence, Mr. B. said he was struck wiih jcppraiioris. the, government, and on the other this view; that instead of procuring from " the .side no disjition to persevere in this fatal, sys- v rencn government a clear cehnitc expression ofjtem, we shofild look at our actual condition to pro trrcir intentions in relsMon to the sequestered pro- f vide a remvdy lor it, party, we are leit almost entirely in.the dark oi; the subject: He wa not disposed to carry the non. ihtcrcourse into effect. -This must be the opinion of every man. No man would continue a mea sure operating against one enly of the bellige rents, when he-was convince! that nothing tit puuic frifb was to be expected from the othcr air. is. begged i gentlemen to permit the origi- should "fojr, kind oi blind fatyous polity unite with Fre m fya totbiction of that system which gives hef s.trengtrh and power, was surprizing, ? Mr'li. .ad: he , was 'mi .in, favor of a non-iri tercourse threat IJrltain, unless th promise of JFr&rftt' tr&it jltdly tahd' fairly executed, 'He" td morecrrtAllf ?jharrt him self the manner in wUicht)UTtstrhsd been seized in France; Sect bwxm'thzt we'had' Wiwjvfid' front, the other bel- tigertn'ti X'flS' thalj 4 iiew to ;jibe,relkt of our mefclpants. Cf'jrfejiw'4exreaed.-hi)i' hope that In the present 7 mrjas.siBd coritibn of pur affairs no njV;posed to argue oh this ques tion I' with i'':tlbin' like 'party fdeling.-Ifeyerhere' was f't;a8e i which it was ivecessary to Jay aside party; feelings, it was at this time. The lew re. marks whici he should submit to the considera tion 6f th bousewould have only foe their object the ptipli cgood and general prosperity of the people jpf l United States. I shall not (said Mr. G.j occupy' Jke atiention cf the house by bringing to their, recoJe'fcUon the ditTeien't01 expedients to which thC(mntry may have had recourse for the purposef curing evils which have afflicted it. It4s-etwuh&say that however honestly intended, ! and howejt;f much gocd has been honestly hoped; Irorrf themihe result expected has not been rje alised. It, is not too much to say that in o one histance has ihe system which has been in ope ration for fofiu' yeAi past been productive of bene ficial consequences to ourselves. It were, easy to detail how, pernicious has been the influence of that sysM;; on ourselves rt has produced no At this irused Uwt thry jihouhl case j 8c as between France and is,; l, have no objection to. the proposition. Butas between lis andGreatBritain to take the Sd of. November) when France was to wjvfrdrw ' her decrees as the timefrom which )o count three moniiiS interval.was Irregular; because; it was . not Jsnd coull "no'l possibly beO kbown wheUinr she-had .'actually revoked themVau . ever Fance had prom'ise'd,' the fact tC relocation , After iherst proposed non-in'jercourse law had failed at theas session ; after the failure of the project of thchiurman of ihe committee of for-, eighrelalpih&lr;Alacon) who repprted the bill which every pijiriobody was for, we adopted the htytf tbilil4y,-r-T.he 'PresideWt has acted fn UJ liV li. hfe riubted the law, to shew the ifhy;tbe;piwIaiaiibtti9;iiot issued to both. Did not .Vr Iviuyi also promlsei if France fulfil-: lel lier.ngagcineti, that she would .also, revoke , her edicts, decJaripgihtxhwbuld wait until that fact was ascertained Uerje'sin is nromtso for mise? i;; if France, point of fact halieased to violate thencbiral cOmi merceof the United, States, so ,had Great Britain:-' He 'eontended, at japme . length,' with great ability;" a'ndjngeuuity, that JG Britain had fcrven "WWi" of repeal equivalent to that glven by France ; and that offensive measures should be delayed until it H was seen whether an actu4levoca.tio by theonc ' would not be followed bv an actual revocation. ,- the part of the pthlr. Our present limttslhowever compel us to curtail thef delate.' ,Mr. was, a- gainst a delav of the Question. -Our'oresentsvs. v tem has pot produced any good', (said he) horcan ' ; it ; and if France shouhl, revoke her edicts, wc vi ,cui re-enact he,'tioh-intercourse. 1 ' V7 .vt To cbnclude', sir Iput the qtiestionjn this jpWm" palpable farm, Both f belligerent for aught we knots' continue in force their unjust edictsv But we " are in a state of intercourse with' the, one, and of f non-intercourse and inhosphality with the other ' Shall this state of things Jcontinae I Genjlemen must say no. If; so, the next' question .isVlhow ' shall we put an end tofhis unreasonable 'stnte of things I Only by it pealing Wis act,Vnd leaving ourselves at Ubeityb.evis'.tucK ntyt ipxim'Wjt shall be best suited to our circumstance and ihe'r present state of. the wbHcl. 'u I T .'YtJ ' Mr. i'sAr gavQ a detail of," the provisions of. th,'' act of May, last, and of the propositions made.to the two belligerents, which he said had been c- cepied by France and rejected by fngland., ' In the U. States, wliich had toever heretofore been ' nal question to be taken on recommitment, and jCongi evs, the Fiench " government notified this let the present motion lie over for a day or two. govtrnmetit that the. unlawful edtcts of France If the non-intercourse could not --now be repealed ! wouU cease on t!ie first dav of November then without a disregard of our faith, why take a sttp ; next ensuing ; and on the ?d day of November, the W-KSfN IVrttllrl .11 . t ' .l-: !r, ! 1 . ' .. I I ' . , , . ' . . I ...v.. iiuuiu, jcuaiuiic an uui prujjcrij' in uic t i csiueiu iiue.r ri piuciJiiiauuu, iioi in llie ports ot, the continent f This coiiTTKiemioJvde. served reQection. He-feared, do as thev would. luture tf. its provisions. -Durine the recss ofi violated, as pledeed to the Dartr acremin ;ili""1 t- I . . t ... l . 1 . ' . 1 a ; 'i .; . ; y terms proposea. Ann ratner man that ' govern words of the act, as I-ufidti stand it, that France lad s revorked or motlifitd her edicts as that that-tlipoperty -wa3 por sqtWeT" He"cehtcssd,lt!ity had ceased to Iviolattbe; neutrai commerce if ne were engaged in commerce, under present!)!' the United Stales ; hot ''"as fact existing in circumstances, he should lie on his ocrs. At the : his knowledgerfeuttjiat it had htn officially made same time no measure ought to be adopted which known 'to him that on a certain day they vould was likely tu produte a loss of property abroad. be revoked. I am not, sir, ciisposed -to fnd fault In the present state of the country it 'iniist be-E:t; witli this proteedirSg. '; -Perhaps it may be cons, object with everygentleraan in the Hov,e, that j dere!, the i.ntchricn . being made; known to him, tna the was, trom the - courtesy between nations, bound to believe the fact He was to take fop fact that th-e imlswful edicts were revoked, because it was proUMStd lhat on a tertain day they should cease. But, sir, I submit it to the cool judgment of the House whether, although, from Ibis sort of comtesy necessary, and; pi-ojer 10 be - exercised in a negociaiion between the" U. Spates and France, the President wasbcHiiid to believe that these edicts w'eren?c)(tifiVd as to ceae ; whether the British goyerhriierit was bcund to believe it ? To the British; gpverrimeMt was given by the law three months to abandon , her orders in couneilafter 'wbat?-;After thfe-French "Jgbvemient had inti mated atrihtehlion"to rescind its decrees ? No ; afier the Iench decrees had been so revoked our farmers, if it were praetiC'3blc.sIiou!d eniov the benefits of the Continental market ; for it was well, known that tobacco and almost' every article we exported found n extensive'sule on the con tinent of EuropeThe export to England of cot ton and u.bacco; except of the finest quality of the latter, .fc id been attended wiih serious. loss to the merchants engaged in it ; vand many of the fail ures faking place in the United States arose from the. return of bills drawn on the faith of these shipments. Every gentleman must be convinced that our trade, if confined to Great Britain, would afford very little encouragement to agriculturalists. It must therefore be an object with every mah by all honorable means to secure a trade with the continent ; though, much as the individual inter est of Mr. B. and of the country jitf large would be promoted ty it, property on the continent was and would be in such a state of insecurity that he did nor anticipate stny Very important advantage irom Keeping tnat trade open As to the protection of our merchants. Mr. B. said Jie did belxve that they must ultimately be permitted to run their own rkkj and, if they en countered Vunv abroad, to take the consequences. If suchywaohe "state of XuwpeflMtencouTd make no impression there, we must submit to this unpleasant- state of things. Mr. B' alluded to a remark made by Mr. Macbn at the last ses sion, that the belligerents appeared to be fighting every one but themselves. Did we not now get French silks,' wines and brandies, through 5 Eng land I And was not our tobacco sent to the con tinent in the- same way ? Whilst we had been interdicUd-Jiy each fqm tradjngwiththei othe"f they had been carry mglTon' art" ext'ensiyeicom merce with each Tbther. Mr. B. said' he looked forward to the total extinction of commerce. He safd it could not exist under such a system of ra-., jrfne as had been pursued. " We must wait for sorne change inuroejn w hie h canhpi be m st ru mental, to enable us to'act ; unti) w hich it would not be proper to take any step in relation- to either pf the belligerents :'; r .::':''- vi Mr. B took another view of the subject. . He said he had not the smallest doubt, i f the French decrees were found to be practically . repealed, that the British would repeal the ' orders in cotm til. 1 He had no doubt in his own opinion that the British government was perfectly sick of the sys- or modified as to cease to operate on the neutral commerce of the United States. The same rea son of courtehy which was obligatory von the Pre sident would not operate on her rivarbelligereni, ijrrt-atBiitainxaxiblige her to believe it -It may then ofr out slioncu whether tharstiite of things existitf which- Congress had ebntemplated three months after wVich the si' nintercourse with G. Britain jvas to commence. The actual intention of . Congress Was this : F.ach nation taking the ground - that her edicts w'ere consequent Von the unlawful edicts of theother, and each asserting so stoutly,;that it was realW difficult to know wheth er either ws in the vvrong, and, if either pi them, which ;;the Jaw, was parsed to psccrtain which, would persist. So far it was a Wtll iudired law; so far lis it provK'ed that if one ceased to violate our rights, and the other did not follow her t xanv plei". we shouliLbe jn u t ate of Hon iutercoirrse with thattber. ;iBuTwe ; should have Viven that umcr . imr aim. jrensonaoie time- to Know Wheth er she would, abandon her system or not. if she did not, it would i then appear Hhat that power, supposing it Ui be Great Britain j was most seri. ously intent OB -injuring us.. Therefore in - that event there would have been but onej , voice Jii the nation; Fortius S reason;. althouirh I had no agency in j it, ; I w as.aUvay pleased w ith this fea ture of the ia?.;v:? - V- fr-'A J-Ar4 But I miist sav, sir, that, it does appear to me th4t. the ccur,e pursued has not preduied the! state of tilings w hich must have been the obiect of the Jaw.ar.d of congress for ihsteud bH datino the ment should by any act merit the imputation 3 ' would ee one half of the American properly aV'r? ' crificed. Mr. F. then fontinued t y-. ,vi'" The on. gentleman from Virginia hastold 'us I j that this Jaw our own ; that it is & ruieof con duct'., ;I admit the definition to he correct., All : taws, pvpii tht laws of rrravif nfinn: am hU aVa i t I . - . -v. v uV. VI Ul." lion. But this law js not a mere municipal reWii. 1 lalion to govern the conduct of the 'American peo ple in relation 'ta me asyrf s confinecj to themselves, without, regard to others. The ruleof onduct prescribed by thii act, is more extenshe .it con nettsa course : of . pblicy wp have promised to pur sue, with the interest and policy of another 1 vernment. 'There are now two parties 'te go. x- ' veined bythis lulej arid "cannorconsistcnt i wit h 'gooid. faith, as one of ihe parties say that we v.:il.not regard this rule" of conduct which,1 9.1 J; 1 the i hajipcfwii. Of certain contingencies w are ' 1 pledged ,to observe. -Jlas it not,; been s ofrtcialiy , announced to us by (h& French 'gpverrimenl tKat their-tdiets would, on the Jst .dayi of November " cease to have their tfiect ? Has not this modifiVa. tion been made known by the president's proclama tion Yes, sir, these etents have happened, and we are boundjn good faith to .cany into effect t he act prohibiting importations .frorr Great Britain, unless indeed the British orders; shall-have been also modified or revoked on; this day i because, w e have" by a kgUlativeCt decIareJhat, on the happening of .these '.events',' all' Importations of British goods into this efantry-should cease. But it is contended by some 'geiiOemerr that the Frenctiedictr ae ndt-fevokedand lheTserzutT? the JeW Orleans Packed at Bordeaux in Novem n beiSiis .rri:e('on: -eridef.bevtha the; Berlin aril m nan aecrees wi re men, ana in that instance, . e. forced ag1nst:Americ3tr.pnpe tion- contained In ;theessig iot the ; , president commuriicated to;th?is House te daji belbreiylstvr- " day in rlatlojriio this sejrzMrerenders itdubtfuli yation;orth5riMitai some other cause r and weThave' no evidence-' tKv V; this seizure ws made,. by the orde of jhei Frevdhif goveriirehti VVen the despatch -of jlrJ Ryssvl ' - v to tuts act;- were, unknown to our a&enf'ln'i i,::'.. certain upon vhargTOundiHhe,scij And hi this state, of uncferiaincv. shin W M I line the; tr-rounda Imnrt tvhiK V - H vuKeot-.waei inc.; -.ncj;i mvaj imayrbVintii formation thahe'F avowed this act. of;tfeeHstom-umTitti , T' ' . i t v v" rw.v, v,vuun- mis ect. Soppose,that.w and: repeal otm Mavt time thii rtnea.fy art Ww .'' 7i- Vi l" r-c - .7 - wf mior ;i:;b m-Jm the ts edicts censed to ,'.. ."f -v I 1 t'.. .i A i.i in.
The Raleigh Minerva (Raleigh, N.C.)
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Feb. 21, 1811, edition 1
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