Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1803-11-12
DEBATE CONT ENuED. :.


recollect time, Sir when foreign
minister in this country, al. a moment when
genius, fancy, and ardent patriotism, were
lords Of the ascendant over learning, Wis
dom, and experience, 'spekesof the law OF
nations and It's principles as mere syorfn ca
ten authorities, and aphorisns OF Nattel
and Others. I,also recellect that the illus
.trious man, who is now Presidentof the
United States, was then Secretary Estate,
and that he delivered the unanimous senti-
Sments of the American people, when, an
his reply to that minister, he observed that
something morethan mere sarsansof that
kind was necessary to disprove those au-
thorities and principles and that until they
were disproved, the American nation would
hold itself bound by, them This is the
man, Sir, who has been SO injuriously ca
Illuminated within these walls this morning,
and upon whom such a torrent of bitter
3eloquence has been poured by a gentleman
from North Carolina MIR. Purvianoea a
gentleman who is himself model Of elo-
quence, uniting all the excellencies of Ci-
.cero and Demosthens, and al other ora
tors, ancient and modern.
The American people, in forming their
constitution, had an eye. to at law of ma
tons, which is deducible by natural reason,
and established by common consent, to re-
gulate the intercourse and concerns Of ma.
tions. With view to this law the treaty
making power was constituted, and by vir-
tue of this law, the government and people
of the United States, in common with all
other nations, possess the power and right
yof making acquisitions of territory by con-
quest, cession, or purchase. Indeed the
gentleman who denyus the right of acquir-
ing by purchase, would probably allow US
to keep the territory, were it obtained BY
conquest.
Colonies, or provinces, are part of the
eminent domain Of the nation possessing
them, and of course are national property
colonial territory may be transferred from
one nation to another by purchase; this
purchase can be effected by treaty alone, as
nations do not, like individuals, execute
deeds, and cause them to be recorded in
public Offices; that department of the gov.
eminent of the nation purchasing, which
possesses the treaty making power general
", is competent to make treaties for that
purpose. These positions are established
by the law Of nations, & are applicable to the
case beforeus. 4 Here Mr., E.read vari-
ETY. ofextracts from Vattelt to establish these
positions, ard observed that they were COR
roborated by Grotius, Pufendorf, and other
eminent writer's on the law of nature and ma
lions, whose works he had consuhed.l
A mere recapitulation, and that not te-
dious one, of these principles and authori-
ties will now answer the present purpose.
Colonies have always been considered as
national property, although thelaw or prac-
tice of nations, in this instance, may not
conform to the law ofnature Greece treat
ed her colonies with peculiar Indulgence:
Rome considered any privilegeswhich hers
of grace, not of right. The one-was ma
tural and tender parent, the other q cruel
stepmother. Vet | have no recollection
that the Grecian colonies in Asia Minor,
Italy, OF. even at tonia, were represented IN
the Amphyctionic Council, the. general as
sembly of the states of Greece. The claim
of the British colonies, which now constl-
tute the United States, to be represented in
that body by which they We're taxed, tho
rust in itself was novel and unwarranted
by the practice of nations. Thank God
the claim was successful, and In conse-
quence otitwe are now here as the repre-
sentatives ofthe American people, delibe-
rating upon their most important interests.
1t is unnecessary to reiterate the other POI
sitions; they are undenlable in themselves,
and their applicability the present case
viii hardly be disputed. IF the treaty be
extrenaeiY- pernicious. or has not been made