The Enquirer

From the Georgia Argus.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE GEORGIA ARGUS.

WASHINGTON,

DEAR SIR,

I enclose a paper of to day—you will find Congress has done nothing; what it has attempted in relation to the belligerents, is a measure almost exclusively subservient to the navigation policy of very England, as is almost every one now adopted in relation to commerce—the voice of agriculture is drowned in the clamor of the merchant—from the repeal of the embargo to this moment, a system has been patched up by which the merchant with trick and fraud and cunning has been driving a profitable trade, not only whilst every other species of industry in our country has been at intervals depressed, but at the expense of that species of it, which has been and must ever continue to be most valuable to us, the cotton cultivation. During and since the embargo our cotton has sunk 100 per cent in value—this depreciation has been so uniform, that a single gleam of hope has not at any time broken in upon us, to cheer and console us. The grower of tobacco under the non-intercourse and temporary suspension of it, has been in receipt of his customary war price, because the northern ports of Europe were open to him—because in the north of Europe there is a great consumption of that article, because under the partial suspensions Great Britain herself gave every facility to the trade. The grower of wheat has in like manner received his customary price—the great wheat markets have been constantly, directly or indirectly open to him—the West Indies, Spain and Portugal, South America, G. Britain and Ireland, &c. but to the southern cotton planter, every market which could afford an adequate demand has been shut, except that of England, which monopolized the article at a song, and is only waiting a return of Peace, which she may command at any time, to anticipate us in the French & Dutch markets, at 2 or three hundred per cent. profit—it is and has been our interest to open the French and Dutch markets. Every measure of the government has had a tendency to keep them shut, and especially the last adopted by the House of Representatives. All this is the consequence of the New England navigation and mercantile spirit, which is ascendant in our councils—a spirit too which forcing the repeal of the embargo protracted our misfortunes, and which permits itself to think of no remedy for national wrongs incompatible with the love of gain. Thus we must go on to suffer whilst other states grow fat, until we learn to sacrifice every generous passion to the lust of avarice. I think, sir, it is better to live and die houseless, naked and hungry with our dear bought reputation of patriotism full blown, than to throw ourselves into the arms of this impure spirit. It is certain the tobacco and wheat planters and lumber cutters have been doing well, and that we have been doing nothing—things will go on so—there is no remedy—the cotton interest in Congress is not strong enough to open the French and Dutch ports—we must wait patiently for events, they may be propitious to the disinterested, when they happen, our turn will come, and we may make up in the day what we lost in the year—I write thus to you, sir, because I believe you are disposed to keep your people content with their condition—you can only do so by telling them the truth.

I am respectfully, your fellow citizen,

G. M. TROUP.