Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1803-10-19

founded, as that IS, upon principles of re,.,,
tice, policy. general convenience, and 49,; JUS.
preservation, has met with oppo,i,,,n ISIS, ~,
the most powerful confederacies, thar NO OF
formed in Europe, were entered into. G.. :, eVeF
press purpose Of destroying it, and es.h';s s eS-
tina. 10 less odsexyr than m/ibievau, ,r. wing
that /" tr1&;ts make trse aos1,." The s..t :.
these coalitions was tofu.ed ddr,ag the 40. :"
war. Great Britain wss at that time o,."-,
to the United States, France, Spain, ami Ha,TT~.
She thee, az at present. claimci and ev.r.;.s:
the right OF ~5ffiny andst4,ebeue all aeutral ~.
chant vessee. RRssi,, Swrede,,, and Dee
were neuralss which thr-e p ,w1s ,or.,,,
with sorsc of III. inicriur states OF Euroo.
ed inta league, III. object If which Va.
establish the prlnc'ple, th's" FREE l6jbs :naka 9.
gooGs." and to support each Other IN oooo,io, ~,
Eagls III the exercise CT thar r;p!,f, which ,hs,
clarned, as beng pirt OF the lax of nation. y
vjftins ara 5earcbag neutral merchant ,i;os
Fraacs pcrcr.vlng thu! Tho intention Of this cn,G
ticn vas to destroy the naval superiority of G,-,.
Britain, acqu,sced, or seemed ~ aegsie,c. l. H..
sekfme. Bur this fleming acgxiescsses was ~
that was accomplished by this mighty armed nv
trahty oftbt N9rtb. Grea. Britain mad. no CON
lessons, no submissions ;hcre was no aIrer,,,on
in her practice and 10 aiteflrion in the law. ~
ceps that which arose from the concessions which
were made by France which as is the case with
all French concessions, were dictated bv nteyes,
The next attempt az innovation. and for eNah
fishing r. be maderu la7v of uat;ess" was mad.
by the notttru powers during The lsG war b.,se.n
France and GreassBsiean. How chat terminal,
ed all NUT recoect, Who have not forgotten Il,
b9u6arament efC,Pendagen by Lar4 NeljSu. TJ,
law, therefore, in Great Britain now remains =.
it always has been. The right Of v;siisa and
na,ebiag me'chan, thips upon the high seas,
whatever be the ships, whatever be III. carpoes
whatever be their destinations" says Sir William
Sclts, "is the irc,nt-stbie right OF the lawfully
commissioned cruz4rs of bcugerent na,ioa."--.
If this IS rot sufficient to satisfy every one, that
the law is as above laid down, ic may be said IN
confirmation, that Lord Mansfield, one Of the
mott able * learned Judges that ever sltoa bench
OF justice, that Nattel, French w.iter upon the
laws of nations, OF the greatest celebrity, and
that Bynkershock another writer of gre4t autho-
rity upon the same subject, are all of the sam,
FIR the express purpase OF proving IS tlat ffst
H:ts make free g~odt, . ADJ WAC, as Sir William
Scott observes, was the greae champion of ncu.
trail privileges, ainits the right Of sezreb Gsi vi.
jGiaHm.
But it will be asked, were not those persons,
who lave thus written interested And are
those decisions, which have hecn given by Lord
Mansfield, AID Sir William Scot, to bind the
world What have the other nations of En-
rope TO do with their decisions What have
Americans TO do with their decisions Was IL
not for the intcrestiof Great Britain, at that time
shat the law should be, w5ae they have declared
It TO be; and did not those Judges feel themselges
obliged to declare that TO DC the law, WHICH was
Dictated by the interest OF the crown? Those
2 SAT and learned nea never felt themselves bound
nor were they ever influenced by the interest OF
the country to whicl they belonged. On tn;
contrary, in cases depending uo,n the laws ofna-
tons, they always decided in conformity to them.
Indeed, it is the pecullar province OF the latter
Of eaose gentlemen to dcciie according to the law
Of nations and | am confident in saying he IS
man whose integrity no enc can impeach, whom
n, one can accuse of pareallty, and of whom no
one can say, he always decides according TO
the interest OF Great Britain"
But we DO not rely merry upon thee dec'iont''
they arc confirmed by hot Of writer's upon the
laws OF nations, os different countries. IL 10
vain TO FAY that all theic writers were ntcrelt'a.
1t might with q. much prop'iety be iaid that no
law is binding w,lichhas been made tor the pufpoH
protecting property, bccaule made and fuppaft,'
ed by rich men, aud therefore by pefons intefeea'
lax is not the iefs bin1ing, bec4ale it has oeea
oppofed. Butputting all authorities out OF shS
qleaion, it is cay to laisfy every mind OF cand1f'
tha. the law is as con.cnded for. What IS the
law Of nations, but IL. practice and cuitoms
Of nations, What then has been the praaice and
cuaoms ofna,ions, on this fabea! 1t Is 10, ace
misted, that every nation, who has ever naa - -.
naval iuperiofity in EuroPs, has co"sliasu Ma
] (. H.