Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-11-13

Z
Fart OF the governmen, in America Fad
defended, could have been at no Iofs 70
have underRcod the relervednefs Of Mr.
Warrington towards me, during nv. i'm
prifonment in the Luxembourg. There
are cafes in which Fierce is loud Ian
guage.
| will here explain the caufe of my i'm.
prlfonment, and return to Mr.. Waiting.
ton afterwards.
In the courfe Of that rage, terror and
fuipiciop, which the brutal letter of III.
Duke OF Bsunfwick fra farted into exit
ence 10 France, it happened, thar almo!t
every man who vas oppofed to violence, or
who was not violent himlelf, became fui.
pe6ted. ! had conAantly been oppofed to
every thing which was of the nature, OF
Of the appearance Of violence out as had
always done it in manner that ihewed il
to be principle founded in the heart, and
not political maneuvre, il precluded the
pretence Of accuang me. l was reached.
however, under another presence.
A decree was YaGed to imprifon all per.
ions born in England; but as was a
member of the convention, and had been
complim-nssd with the honorary Gyle of
citizen Of France, as MIR. Warrington and
fome other Americans had been this decree
fell thorr Of reaching Tie. a motion was
afterwards made and carried, fopported
chiefly by Bourbon De l'Oie, for expell.
ing foreigners from the convention. NV
explllion leing thus effected, the two com.
mi>tees Iof Public Safety and of General
Security, Of which Robefpierre was ditta-
tor, put ne in arrefation under the former
decree Of lmpritoning perfons born in Eng.
land. Having thus lhewn under what pre-.
tence the imprisonment was effected, I
come 10 fpeak of fuch parts Of the cafe as
apply between me and Mr.. Warrington,
either as PRECEDENT or as an individual.
have always conGdered thlia foreigner,
fuch as was in fad with relpeH 10 France,
might be member Of convention for
for forming contribution, without affect
ing his right of ctizenlhip in the country
10 which he belongs, but not member
Of a government AFTER contribution is
formed and | have uniformly acted upon
this difinttion. To be member of
government requires that perfon be in
allegiance TO that government, and to
the country locally. But conRituti.
on being thing of principle and not
of action, and which. after il be formed,
is to be referred to the people for their APP
probation or rejection, does not require
allegiance in the perions forming and pro-
pofng it (; and behdes this, it is only to
the thing after it be formed and eaablilh-
ed, and to the country after its govern
mental character is fixed by the adoption
Of contribution, that allegiance can be
given. No oath of allegiance or OF cili-
zenihip was required of the memb RS who
competed the convention; there was no.
thing exiting IN form to iwear elegance
10. If any fuch condition had teen re-
qulred, | could not, as citizen OF Ame-
RIGA in fact, though citizen OF Fsancc by
compliment, have accepted ieas in the
convention.
AS my citizenfhip in America was not
altered or diminihed, by any thing had
done in Europe ION the contrary il ought
to have been conGderd as strengthened, tor
it was the American principle Of govern.
ment that l was endeavourIng to fpread IN
Europe) and as il is the duty ofevery So
vermont to charge idelf with the care CT
any Of its citizens who may happen TO fall
under an arbitrary perfecutIon abroad, and
IS ALTO one ofthe realons for which ambaila-
doris or minieegs are appointed, lit was
the duty Of the executive department ma
merica 10 have made at leaf iome enquiries
about NE, as ioon as it heard OF ny I'M
prifonment. But if this had not been the
cafe, that government owed it to me on e.