Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-11-11

'u We Sh"i presently SEcE that il Is
most consistent with economy. Justice is
an abstract idea OF the mind, depending en-
the relation of act ons and their conseoIien-
ces, wnen question arises concerning il
we can call the reasoning faculty to our aid
In questions of economy we can resort ,o
the still more certain rule of aritbmet;c
but IN, quest ons ofhonor we know not whefe
toiook. BY which then shall we be guided
am ready to admit, that circumstances
may arise IN the relations of two nations.
winch may render it highly inconsistent
with the dignity and independence of the
one TO negotiate for the purchase of terri
tory from the other, and that is, where one
mas received such manifest injury and pro-
vocation from the other, as not oniy To ms
tliy but demand a resort to arms. In This
supposed case, the money rendered in ex
change, might justly be considered, not on
iy as the price of the purchase, but as a
masked tribute to procure desistence from
future aggression. So far as could be col
iected from the vague declamatorv lam
g,i'Se used on the occasion, the opnosers
OF negotiation considered the state OF our
relations with Spain, as strictly analogous
20 the one which is here supposed. It re-
mans, Tor us to shew, that so far was such
state OF things from being in actual exis-
tence, that resort to arms OH our part,
would nave been and still would be, preci.
pit&te, impo!itic and unjust.
There is no rule more necessary for the
preservation of harmonious intercourse a.
m9ngst civilized nations, than this, that no
injury done by the citizens or subjects of
one state TO another, will justify resort to
arms, unless it shall appear that the act
was committed by the authority of the SUI
preme power or sovereign of the state, or
has been subsequently acknowledged by
nm. ii this be the case with regard to
momenfnus aggressions, it viii apply with
much more force to these of trivial ma
ture. The most weighty complaint against
Spaln was, that party of her troops had
come within the limits ofthe United States
during the night, and had taken away by
violence, family Of the name of Kemper.
L his act has been termed san invasion OF
"the good old state of Georgia. and twas
strongly insinuated that this alone was a
sufficient cause for war. There is nc loubt
but that some persons in command under
the Spanish crown, must have been priv
to that act of violence and outrage, there is
as little doubt that al persons of that des-
crlpuon III the neighborhood of the coded
territories, entertain very hostile senti-
rnents towards the United States, and are
greatly dissatisfied with the change which
has taken place. But we should reco!lect in
eNtenuauon Of the aggressiors which we
may occasionally suffer iand no one viii
contend that they are very serious) ut what
distance the court of Spain resides from
the scene of action and the difficulty OF
procuring correct information from the diff
fercnt parts of her immense and unwieItlv
empire.
In any noint of view the violence offered
to the Kempers could never be considered
as 4 Justifable eau e Of war Unless they
had been murdered as well as imprisoned,
thus INVASION ofthe good old state OF Georgia,
was such an act rs would scarcely have
called forth the undiscriminating retaliati-
on of tribe of Mohawks, much less the re-
guilr w:lrfare cfa civilized nation.
Even the urdignifed petulance, the
spiteful fittleness of the ex-m;nister of SDain
has been construed as conclusive evidence
not only OF the hostile disposition OF the
Spanish court, but also Of that of France.
It's hianly probable that the i'll Offices of this
man have impedcd the settlement of orr
differences with his country. From what
ever source his diSsatisfac tcn may pro-
coed, it is evident from his conduct tliathe
mas an original personal spite of his own to
CRAFTY. Ashis Instructors have not been
published, conjecture is as fair on one side
as the other, and we have as much right to
conclude that he or some OF his connections
have been deprived the cession of Lou
isiana, of some profitable source ofspccula-
on, as that he acts under the controul of
Mr.. Talleyrand. Neither Spain or France
can ever entertain the chimcrical projects
o. accompanying Louisiana. The former
has net SUFFICIENT means to defend her rich
and populous settlements in South America
against the depredations OF British soua
drons, and the latter if her dominion over
Spain is as absolute rs is contended, would
scarcely undertake the conquest Of vii
derness, when the southern part of the con-
tinent would otier an object so much more
tempting to her ambition.
The precise boundaries of Louisiana must
from evident causes be involved in great OBJ
security. Ii it should be conceded that the
treaty ofcession conveys to the United States
right to the country as occupied bv
France, the difficulty will still be great
America POUNDS her claim to an cx-
tension of the eastern boundary to the
Perdido, on the circumstance of set
tlement having been made on that river bv
the French. But it appears that the set
Element in question was made through mis-
take, the navigator mists<ing the mouth Of
that river for that of the Mississippi. The
grant ofLouis XIV. to Crozat extended to his
river Perdido: but when BY the treaty Of
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