Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1799-01-18

o. the crime committed.
Eher Is, laid he, suoiher 6ilhcnlty in
this relolution. In the general man:-er m
which i; is brought before the houic, 1t Is
uui c novel iubjea of legiilation. A ga
tions punifh citizens who carry on corei-
pond .uccs Of criminal nature with foreign
governments OF this nature would be an
ias,tatiou of foreign power to Invade
couatry. Thus, to add one inHance more
10 ,hole adduced by the gentleman from
S. Caiol;,a, he would mention the cafe OF
Switzerland, where the armies Of France
wer1 called in by certain individuals 10 over
turn the country.----Thc relolution ought,
therefore, 20 pe made general, aud confined
to cafes OF criminal nature. He did not /
know that any nation ever paNed law to !
puriih perfons for holding correspondence /
with Foreign governments. He believed,
ii certain htua,ion,, fuch correfpondencc
would BE- highly improper n our 6tuati-
or, Cor ialane aid he, it would be eE-
trensl, improper for member of th.s houie
60 cutter iato correspondence with the
French Republic, becaufc this country is
al preient in apecuiiar lituation.; for, though
as we are aot ut war with France, an offence
OF Jhis kind would not be high ,resfon, yet
II would he as criminal an at, as il we were
at war but, as he had already itated, the
n2;ure ot the c0rreipondence NUT con itute
the crime, and NOT the act Of correfpond-
ence. Thus, our Contribution has iaid, to
adhere . the enemies Of the United States
apd t. aisord them aid and comfor., is trea.
Ion; bat as we are not 1T war with France
an act Of this kind could not be treaion. II
might therefore, De declared, thar though :
CRIME OF This kind cannot DC conGdered a
trea!on, 1t ihould nevertheless be confidere,
as nigh crime. Not that he was convince,
It vas proper to legillate upon the iubleG
at all; but il at all, il cugn to be upon til
nature ct the crime.
But WIKI retpect to the conduit OF an in
G;v'dnal, he agreed with the gentleman fror
Virginia, that il a man Of his own accord
Cat Of pure love for ms country, cut Q
hncere dehie for peace, or out Of his ka
tired for war, were to go over 10 France {
ute his cndeavors to prevail upon the Gc
TeTnment not to undertake The frbiugati
ct our country, and TO exert his eadeavor,
however weak they might be, to prevail ur
on that government 10 put an end 10 thei
de?redatlons upon our commerce or to pre-
vail upon pcrio9s in power there 10 ofle
iuch Terms Of accommodation to our Cc
vernment, as lac is per iladed wonid be &C
cePte9b he iaw nothing either criminal 0
improper ia luch : conduct, but the coat 2
.ry. Whether fuch man had exiaed, b
could not at preient fay, as he wanted INTO,
nation cppa the lubjett bat If ihcIc had
he od y s s shed en thfe o. was g@,ao
lie was willing, however, to fl[plrj =,
lfaf.r ltt,f I, r, Ill l.
the cxpect-a information before him. VIII
re'2ect to the Recitation, if it was properl
modified, he did not know that he ihonl
have much Objection to il but he cou
by no means agree to It ia its prele..
form
M Dana could not fubGcribe to the OBI
Dion OF the gentleman from Pennlylyanis
ihat thcrciolutio0 before the homie IS cithr
inaeguTat1Iy og improperly ezpreacd. Tha
gentleman DID not ieem fully to undcraan,
iae mPer OF the words uied. RE obir!a
70 the word rirrPai,er, though no other wor
conid have been ufed with 70 much proDri
ETY.. 1t was not intended, by this refolu,i
on, 70 provide againh al correipondcnce will
foreign governments, but agant fuch OIL,
rs onght 70 be carried on BY the Executive
and wien an individual undertakes TO cor
reiPo IN fnch manner, Il IS ther, anc
then only, that hS ofurps the executive an
t'ioriiy The word is, therefore, peecqa
~ PARK Of the general definition of the re(o
luton. In the details of the law, it might
be lad more particularly in what this ulp,
patton fbop'd ccnhlt and The gentemar
froEn Pennsylvania himfslf cannot deny. tina,
al uiurpstions of the executive amhor;f
oaght b puaiihed, and this ia all thai
proqoied by .hereloluiioR. The penflemaf
lays, I correspondence ought to he iudged Of
t. rs nature, which alone rendered it Grim;
nal, O. olherwile, This opinion every one
INIT fab:cribe 10. And what sor.efpo,d
enc isn,od likely 20 81 cri;nina2 The qen.
ll-mau cbiects 70 the cafe which has BEEN
si,udci ~ being iminaI yer he Mlows It
might be proper, in our prefent ituation, 20
pualh per.srs who ihould correfpond with
the French Government.
lHr Gelatin faid, he made ne Of the
words, g afford, aid and comfort"
M ID. thought the gentleman had FOO
ken as lie had itated. At any rate, faid he.
this petition IS trne /; and this unauthorized
correspondence mua have led To n oriri,p