STATE PAPERS. 



667 



at the same time against both nati- 

 ons, and these the two most power- 

 ful of the world, are the principal 

 causes of hesitation. There would 

 be none in resorting to that reme- 

 dy, however calamitous, if a selec- 

 tion could be made on any princi- 

 ple of justice, or without a sacrifice 

 of national independence. On a 

 question of such difficulty, involv- 

 ing the most important interests of 

 the Union, and which has not, per- 

 haps, until lately been sufficiently 

 considered, your committee think 

 the house alone competent to pro- 

 nounce a decisive opinion ; and they 

 have, in this report, confined them- 

 selves to an exposition of che subject, 

 and to such introductory resolu- 

 tions, as will be equally applicable 

 to either alternative. Tlie first of 

 these being merely declaratory of a 

 determination not to submit to fo- 

 reign aggressions, may, perhaps at a 

 first view, appear superfluous. It 

 is, however, believed by the com- 

 mittee, that a pledge by the repre- 

 sentatives of the nation, that they 

 will not abandon its essential rights, 

 will not at this critical moment be 

 unacceptable. 



The misapprehensionswhichseera 

 to have existed, and the misrepie- 

 pentations which have been circu- 

 lated, respecting the state of our fo- 

 reign relations, render also such de- 

 claration expedient. And it may 

 not be useless that every foreign na- 

 tion should understand that its ag- 

 gressions never will be justified or 

 encouraged by any description of 

 American citizens. Forthe question 

 for every citizen now is, whether 

 he will rally round the government 

 of his choice, or enlist under foreign 

 banners ? Whether he will be for 

 his country, or against his coun- 

 try > 



Report of a Committee of the House 

 of Representatives of Massachu- 

 setts, upon the subject of the 

 Embargo, dated \5th Nov, 

 1808. 



The committee appointed to con- 

 sider " Whether it will be expedi- 

 ent for this legislature to adopt any 

 measure with a view to procure a 

 repeal of the laws of the United 

 States, interdicting to the citizens 

 all foreign commerce and imposing 

 vexatious embarrassments on the 

 coasting trade ; to relieve the peo- 

 ple of the commonwealth from 

 their present distressed state, and to 

 arrest the progress of that ruin 

 which threatens to involve all classes 

 of the community," beg leave to re- 

 port : That the committee per- 

 ceive with the most serious regret, 

 that the distresses occasioned by the 

 several laws imposing an embargo, 

 have bornewithextremeand increas- 

 ing pressure upon the people ; and 

 everyday's experience justifies abe- 

 lief that a continuance of these laws 

 must soon become intolerable. As 

 measures of coercion, they are now 

 acknowledged to be altogether im- 

 potent. They afford satisfaction to 

 France, and are regarded as ineffec- 

 tual demonstrations of a hostile dis- 

 position by Great Britain. Upon 

 cur own country, their effects are 

 becoming daily and palpably more 

 injurious. The produce of our ag- 

 griculture, of our forests, and our 

 fisheries, is excluded altogether 

 from every foreign market; our 

 merchants and mechanics are de- 

 prived of employment ; our coast- 

 ing trade is interrupted and haras- 

 sed by the most grievous embarrass- 

 ments ; and our foreign trade is be- 

 coming diverted into channels><rom 

 which there is no prosi'tctof its re- 

 turn; 



