The National Register.
London, England, 1816-08-05 00:00:00

EXPEDITION TO ALGIERS.

THE importance of the Expedition which has lately
sailed for Algiers will, we hope, be a sufficient excuse for
our indulging a few speculations closely connected with
that event. The wars of the present nations of Europe
are conducted in a matter much more conformed to
the dictates of humnnity, than those whose records comp
ose the annals of Judea, Greece, and Rome.

Though there are instance.; among the Romans of mag-
nanimity towards their fallen enemies, which perhaps
were never equalled—and though they sometimes ap-
peared to glory in the character " lenis in jacentem," yet
in general we cannot give them .the praise of leaving their
ferocity in the field; they looked upon their captive foes
rather as guilty than unfortunate.
For the truth of this we need only to appeal to the
brutal horrors of their triumphal games, to the deaths of
Pcrses and Jugurtba.
These inhumanities were not the crimes of a few ; the
civil laws bear witness that they were the acts of the
tvhole nation. The doctrine of their lawyers was, that
the lives of the vanquished having been preserved by the
victor, he had an undoubted right to that which he had
spared, and that consequently the conquered were at the
absolute disposal of the conqueror. This fallacious rea-
soning condemned the captive to a perpetual and merci-
less slavery. But, owing to the mild influence of Chris-
tianity, and the gradual extension of a well-directed phi-
.losaphy, this doctrine is exploded by all the States of the
civilized world. Certain writers of the most extended
views, building on the foundations of common reason and
justice, have erected a system ofjurisprudence relating to
the rights and duties and intercourse of individual States.
The intrinsic merits of these works have gained for them
the appellation of " The Laws of Nations." By these
it is ordained, that a proclamation of war should pre-
cede hostility: that prisoners should be treated with
kindness, and, at the end of the. war, should be restored
to their country—if not previously ransomed, &c. Two
of the nations professing to observe these laws are as
much bound by them, as two individuals of the same
country are bound by its municipal constitutions : but
for one of these States to observe them, in its relations
with another which disclaims them, is as ridiculous, as for
an English merchant to expect his insolvent creditor in
France to submit to the bankrupt Laws. This is the
relation in which we stand with the Algerines ; and, if
we act towards them in this way, our Expedition will be
of little use. To attempt to treat with them is absurd .
we should distinguish between a civilized nation and a
horde of Pirates. _

The Algerines, without any of the virtues, are tainted
with all the vices of barbarians.

The American Indians, though n 9 savages, are more
unpitying and relcanlcss. Though in war they have no
discrimination either of age or :ea—yet they are bound
by treaties; nay, they respect them with a punctuality
which may shame a people of far higher pretensions. But
Algerines arc both cruel anti treaelicrons. They appear
to consider treaties merely in the light of pit-falls for
those States who are so simple as to think they have
any obligation.
It by a hi-lad' of the most solemn compacts, they are
al,le to to!ce.advantage of some unsuspecting nation which
observes them, they count the infringement not a viola-
tion of good faith, criminal in the highest degree; but a
kind of ?use de perm not only justitiable but praise-
m unity. Such is the nation (if it deserve the name)
with which we are at war ; or rather, such are the rub-
bers whom we are to punil:ll. We hope their punish-
merit will be such as absolutely to incapacitate them, for
some time at least, to do further mischief. No reason of
commercial policy should any longer induce us to permit
these daring corsairs to prowl along the shores of the
Mediterranean, to destroy or interrupt the intercourse of
nations. They should 110 longer be permitted to .cuuti-