It is the vital spirit of trade itself; nor can it be reconciled to the nature of man or to the primary laws of human society that any traffic should long be willingly pursued of which all the advantages are on one side and all the burdens on the other.
Adams argues that trade must be mutually beneficial, as one-sided advantages are unsustainable.
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I communicate a report from the Secretary of the Navy, with documents, containing the information desired by the resolution.
I now transmit to Congress copies of communications received from the governor of Georgia relating to that subject.
The delay in the transmission of this communication is attributable to the earnest desire which I have entertained of acceding to the opinions and complying with the wishes of the Senate.
These papers were prepared at the close of the last session of Congress, at too late a period to be then acted upon.
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