STATE PAPERS. 



665 



gress. By these, the very pretext 

 of the illegal edicts was removed, 

 and it is evident that a revocation 

 by either nation on the ground on 

 which it was asked, either must 

 have produced, what both pretend- 

 ed to have in view, a restoration of 

 the freedom of commerce, and of 

 the acknowledged principles of the 

 law of nations ; or in case of re- 

 fusal by the other belligerent, 

 would have carried into effect, in 

 the most efficient manner, the os- 

 tensible cbject of the edicts, and 

 made the United States a party in 

 the war against him. The effort 

 has been ineffectual. 



The propositions have been actu- 

 ally rejected by one of the bellige- 

 rent powers, and remain unanswer- 

 ed by the other. In that state of 

 things, what course ought the Unit- 

 ed States to pursue? Your commit- 

 tee can perceive no other alterna- 

 tive, but abject and degrading sub- 

 mission ; war with both nations ; or 

 a continuance and enforcement of 

 the present suspension of com- 

 merce. 



The first cannot require any dis- 

 cussion. But the pressure of the 

 embargo, so sensibly felt, and the 

 calamities inseparable from a state 

 of war, naturally create a wish that 

 some middle course might be disco- 

 vered, which should avoid the evils 

 of both, and not be inconsistent 

 with national honourand independ- 

 ance. That illusion must be dissi- 

 pated ; and it is necessary that the 

 people of the United States should 

 fully understand the situation in 

 which they are placed. 



There is no other alternative, but 

 war with both nations, or a continu- 

 ance of the present system. For war 

 with one of the belligerents only, 

 would be submission to the edicts 



and will of the other ; and a repeal 

 in whole or in part of the embargo 

 must necessarily be war or submis- 

 sion. 



A general repeal without arming, 

 would be submission to both na- 

 tions. 



A general repeal and arming of 

 our merchant vessels, would be war 

 with both, and war of the worst 

 kind, suffering the enemies to plun- 

 der us without retaliation upon 

 them. 



A partial repeal must, from the 

 situation of Europe, necessarily be 

 actual submission to one of the ag- 

 gressors, and war with the other. 



The last position, is the only one 

 on which there can be any doubt ; 

 and it will bemost satisfactorily de- 

 monstrated by selecting amongst 

 the several modifications, which 

 might be suggested, such as may 

 on first view appear the least ex- 

 ceptionable ; a proposition to re- 

 peal the embargo, so far only as re-» 

 lates to those powers, which have 

 not or do not execute any decrees 

 injurious to the neutral rights of the 

 United States. 



It is said that the adoption of 

 that proposition would restore our 

 commerce with the native powers 

 of Asia and Africa and with Spain, 

 Portugal, Sweden, and Russia. Let 

 this be taken for granted, although 

 the precise line of conduct now 

 pursued by most of those nations, 

 in relation to the United States, is 

 not correctly ascertained. So far 

 as relates to any advantages which 

 would result from that measure, if 

 confined to its ostensible object, it 

 willbesufficient to observe, that the 

 exports of articles of the domestic 

 produce of the United States, dur- 

 ing the year ending the 30th Sept. 

 1807, amounted to 1.3,700,000,. 



and 



