If we permit
corn to be sent to Great Britain and her friends, we are equally bound
to permit it to France. To restrain it would be a partiality which
might lead to war with France; and between restraining it ourselves, and
permitting her enemies to restrain it unrightfully, is no difference.
She would consider this as a mere pretext, of which she would not be the
dupe; and on what honorable ground could we otherwise explain it?
Thus we should see ourselves plunged by this unauthorized act of Great
Britain into a war with which we meddle not, and which we wish to avoid,
if justice to all parties and from all parties will enable us to avoid
it. In the case where we found ourselves obliged by treaty to withhold
from the enemies of France the right of arming in our ports, we thought
ourselves in justice bound to withhold the same right from France also,
and we did it. Were we to withhold from her supplies of provisions, we
should in like manner be bound to withhold them from her enemies also;
and thus shut to ourselves all the ports of Europe where corn is in
demand, or make ourselves parties in the war. This is a dilemma which
Great Britain has no right to force upon us, and for which no pretext
can be found in any part of our conduct. She may indeed feel the desire
of starving an enemy nation: but she can have no right of doing it at
our loss, nor of making us the instruments of it.
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