46 CAPTAIN ZACHARY G. LAMSON 



time was in a state of mind where he cared 

 little for the Constitution. His favorite 

 measure, the embargo, had, so far, proved 

 a failure, he believed, through its lax en- 

 forcement, and when Congress met in No- 

 vember, he asked, and obtained, as Henry 

 Adams says, 1 "powers practically unlim- 

 ited, so far as private property was con- 

 cerned, powers, in comparison with which 

 the alien and sedition laws were narrow 

 and jealous in their grants, powers which 

 placed the fortunes of at least half the com- 

 munity directly under his control." 



The Act of Jan. 9, 1809, for the enforce- 

 ment of the embargo, was most drastic in 

 its nature. No vessel could load without 

 having obtained permission from the Cus- 

 tom House, and her bond that she would 

 not sail without a clearance was increased 

 from twice to six times the value of her 

 cargo. The powers of collectors were made 

 so extensive and inquisitory 2 that to carry 



1 Life of GaUatin. 



2 "Freedom of the seas. Yesterday Capt. Farrar of the 



