Conclusion

I feel that a war with Britain would be a bad idea, the lives of the american people would be lost, we would once again be fighting the strongest European navy, nor would this war be worth fighting over when both sides could peacefully handle this problem.

Your argument touched me and I the same way, my fellow merchants and I are being hurt by all these things preventing trade.

The better option to fix your problems with the loss of ships would be to peacefully negotiate yours terms with the British to get your trade route back in order. As a fellow merchant I see no reason to start a war when there are peaceful means to get around it.

To counter your #2 reason, if we as a country handle the blockade with diplomacy and delicately, then we would be able to peacefully disband their blocking of trade. The British navy is much too powerful and are 800 strong versus our 12 vessels that we call a naval force. We don't stand much chance in a sea battle and would only cause more English uproar and make domestic issues worse.

As a New England shop owner, (1) this war will make the trade with Britain a certain impossibility, they will cut trade with the states. 2) The British blockade sitting not far off our shores will make and sea trade to Europe extremely difficult and of high cost to the merchants and the trade ships to leave the ports, causing loss of revenue and/or the innocent lives of these ship owners and their crew. 3) With the southerners not wanting to purchase American made goods the shop owners and factories can’t sell their inventory and are starting to shut down and the country will start to lose money as well and can’t fund our future endeavors.