5996. NON-IMPORTATION, Efficacy of.—[further continued].
The idea seems to gain
credit that the naval powers, combined against
France, will prohibit supplies even of provisions
to that country. Should this be formally
notified, I should suppose Congress would be
called, because it is a justifiable cause of war,
and as the Executive cannot decide the question
of war on the affirmative side, neither
ought it to do so on the negative side, by preventing
the competent body from deliberating
on the question. But I should hope that war
would not be their choice. I think it will furnish
us a happy opportunity of setting another
example to the world, by showing that nations
may be brought to justice by appeals to their
interests as well as by appeals to arms. I
should hope that Congress, instead of a denunciation
of war, would instantly exclude from
our ports all the manufactures, produce, vessels,
and subjects of the nations committing this aggression,
during the continuance of the aggression,
and till full satisfaction is made for it.
This would work well in many ways, safely
in all, and introduce between nations another
umpire than arms. It would relieve us, too,
from the risks and the horrors of cutting
throats.—
To James Madison. Washington ed. iii, 519.
Ford ed., vi, 192.
(March. 1793)
