he petitioners, who
imagines that they have nothing to offer that will counterbalance a
delay of two days, and must entertain an elevated idea of the vigilance
and activity of our enemies, enemies never before eminent for
expedition, if he believes that they can gain great advantages in so
short a time.

The chief reason of the opposition appears, indeed, not to be either the
irregularity or inexpediency of hearing them, but the offence which some
have received from an irreverent mention of the power of impressing, a
power which never can be mentioned without complaint or detestation.

It is not, indeed, impossible that they may intend to represent to the
house, how much the sailors are oppressed, how much our commerce is
impeded, and how much the power of the nation is exhausted, by this
cruel method. They may propose to show that sailors, not having the
choice of their voyages, are often hurried through a sudden change of
climates, from one extreme to another, and that nothing can be expected
from such vicissitudes, but sickness, lameness, and death. They may
propose, that to have just arrived from the south may be pleaded as an
exemption from an immediate voyage to the north, and that the seaman may
have some time to prepare himself for so great an alteration, by a
residence of a few months in a temperate climate.

If this should be their intention, it cannot, in my opinion, sir, be
called either unreasonable or disrespectful, nor will their allegations
be easily disproved.

But it is insinuated, that their grievances are probably such as affect
them only as distinct from the rest of the community, and that they have
nothing to complain of but a temporary interruption of their private
advantage.

I have, indeed, no idea of the _private advantage_ of a legal trader:
for unless, sir, we neglect our duty of providing that no commerce shall
be carried on to the detriment of the publick, the merchant's profit
must be the profit of the nation, and their interests inseparably
combined.

It may, however, be possible, that the merchants may, like other men,
prefer their immediate to their greater advantage, and may be impatient
of a painful remedy, though necessary to prevent a more grievous evil.
But let us not censure them by suspicion, and punish them for a crime
which it is only possible they may commit; let us, sir, at least have
all the certainty that can be obtained, and allow them an audience; let
us neither b