Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-10-08
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TO THE HRlTlsH NATION.


he question Of the trade with the colonies
OK your er-mies. and indulge me to hupe
hat it will excite a blush in the cuunl-.
nance of every honest l}ritnn. During
the whole of the war of 1898 ard he
greater part OF The eXls ing one, his prin.
ciple was either suff ed 10 lie dormant nr
When brought tn exercise in a fen Cascs
1t was construed to exend Only TO easrs
Of direc( intercourse between the colony
cf The enemy ard the mo,he~ county.
Tine right Of the Americans 20 trade with
lie colonies. to transport the produce or
those crlonies 10 America, and from
thence tn Europe, was cri'Gcitly anelion.
ed By long ss,ies Of DEGREES ei;rer ne.
yer amp aled f'~,n, or az Ieas, never re
sersed or even doubted, Sir UTGicm
.Scoft. the mos; intelligent iuree ,ha, Duc
tors' CONNECTS ha, evcr Pr. duced. sanc
timed this right in variety of cases, out
OF which will cne he Polly, Lasky, il
which tha' learned off;ccr declared. I" ,haf
II fhe ianding the goods in America and
securing the dp.ies was not sufficient
To breok he continuity Df The va,
age, and 10 render OF course The re--yp.r.
tation oi he goods laefu. hs dill no, know
what circumstances would suffice"
In every case therefore where the good.
had been landed sir William Scott order
ed the restoration OF them
win 1T be contended. tina. SIT SvDIiam
Scott an eminent practitioner in Doctors
Commons f"r 40 yea, ~as ,g,orsn
this principle of the, law of nations! Or
will IL be con,ended tha, foreign naions
are bound 10 admit principle Of doubt.
tut authority, OF which the mos, sm,nen
man OF fkc notion most interested 10 ex-
tend be!hgerent rights ,ga,ns, those OF
neutrals, was ignorant after 40 years. stu.
dy!
Last year in the cur, Of Appeals, con.
sistIng of .hree officers in The pay f the
crown, in the case ofthe Essex, Orne, re
verbed the decision OF sir William scott,
* laid down the mons'rou. rule, ,ha, the
goods. hough landed in sneu;r. / country
are still liable 10 SEIZURE If re. { Exported bv
the same person who had imported illcn,
Had these gentlemen sitting rs court Of
appeals, d'scove. ed with their ;eeucnp C
eyes some new planet, some new l,g M IN the
science OF the law Of nations which ius,i
fed such depar .ure from her former. de.
cisions! .fthey have, LET Their, state the
book and pege Sir William Scot, is,
however, sill ignorant of THIS au hori,y,
because in the application oflt 10 The case
OF The brig Owned by Messrs B-sdeu V,
OF Boston, he acknowledges his former
contradictory opinions, but says that SNOW
. in lat fittt ~ IN hnt
rities," withou, assigning single reasoa
for the opinion given by the higher tr.
nails.
This decision was the signal fer hum
dreds OF hungry riva.eersmen, and gree
dy commanders Of the royal navy, 70
spring upon orr dtfenceless commerce
land soon the ports OF the charmed
swarmed with The ships of our unfnr,u
nate coun,rymen. So long as i, was pos
slb'e to presume, that these seizures were
the effrGf of simple ds.csot. OF yout
courts rendered in III ordinary cou,>e
unauthorized and urinhuepced by The ca.
binet, 50 long The ind grafton Of he Ame.
rlcans has been in some degree repres.ed.
But since the late pamphlet issued by the
government, or atlea,t under is sanction,
supports those decisions. acd even propo
ses an extension OF them, il is no LONGER
to be doubted, that the reversal Of the de.
cree in the case Of the Essex, Orne, was
the effect OF decision Of the cabinet, and
part OF deliberate system intended Ell.
'tcr 10 force us To renOunce the advanta.
ges OF neutrality, CT 10 accept the altsrna.
i've cf the sword.
Thus then have eDdeavored To give q
history OF The rise and progress of this
modern law OF nat'ors, or 10 give il ansme
little more truly conlormable 20 its cha.
racter, this modern decree OF Great Fri.
tain against neutral trade. Let me her,
notice suggestion made by the BRUSH
writer's upon the subject OF The late 9ec,.
.ions, that the Americans cannot com
plain If not having had due notice, as he
case oil the Essex, Orne, was a sugIicien,
advertisement; to them Of the PRINCIPLES
set up by Great Britain. This remiods
one OF he old legal fiction, tint eUerv one
ishresumed 10 Know ME La7u bui be lieye
IL s the FIRST time il was ever applied in
this manner between nations. What he
American merchants are bound To know
every decision of Doctors Commons, and
this 100 by a sort of inspiration, as soon as
tbey are declared, thoosh the Americans
afe at three thousand Jules distance /!
In iaci many Of the vessels we're cap.