Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1806-04-18
liz l-e Gems Siagle.1

employcd should fo'cibly take any OF cur
sons from The plough or other Law ful and
necessary occupation and set them 10
work with other slaves, in raising cotton
or rice. the outrage would be horrid in-
deed, but not equal to the lmpressment Of
our citizens. The slave to the planter
must labor, bot he is not Obliged to LII
those who have given him no provocation,
or to be killed himge elf. and he may he
found and redeemed. Money redeemed
our capiives from the Barbary coast, and
we felt Tor them and advanced the prize.
There is, sir, another point of view p C
sented in the impressmeni Of our seame nj
winch ought to address our a,tention--ir
is admitted that several thousand Of our
impressed citizens are employed aboard
the British men Of war fighting against
France (; these, il is believed, are snsiicient
10 man tive ships of the line. If by our.
silence we conniye at this, or by our will
,.ful neglect of TIE uss of such peacable
| means as are within our power to preyenr
10 may not this be charged as a breach OF
neutrality, may it rot be justly Gale d ar
in disguise but 1 foi bear.
Commercial expressions, such as cap.
turing our merchant ships laden with car:
| goes OF colonial produce purchased in re-
turn for the produce of our own country
andthe property of our ow n citizens, and
condemning contrary to the laws and usa-
GEES OF na,ions as approve and praetsed
eveo by the British courts until Augusc
last, and openly in her decisions subs,itut.
ing The instructions of the court in place
81 the law OF nations, contrary TO her own
former practice, by which il is acknow.
lodged by the opposers of the rssols,ion.
the British Courts have already condemns
ed at leas,six million dollars of the pro-,
perry oil our citizens GA new principles.
WHICH not being Known 10 the owners, IL
was impossible to provide against the e.
vents. Though these aggresslons have hi
therto been principally commnted on car
goes of colonial produce, where only we
Can mud market for the produce of the
middle and eastern states, ye, the princi-
pies are equally applicable TO much of our
East ipda trade, and le the trade with
France, Spain and Holland, from which
we derive most of the favorable balance
OF trade, which enables US tn discharge The.
unfavorable balance Of trade with Britain.
and she can so apply them without giving
notice oil her intention al a time when She
knows we have The greatest amount &C
property on the ocean. We cannot adj
NIT the plea, Of necessity as suggested in
well known British pamphle,, and sdvo.'
! Gated without reserve By the gent. man
from Virginia. To adr.ii this would ias..
ftify every possible aggression OF The ,.ow-
| er at war against neutral ma ions. NE
mike no zDar in Disguise against Brs,a,1
we favor her as much as IN our Eeusr,I
| station ard Con1merciai situation we can
do We bear vii aggressicDs f ON her
that would not be ffsred nor burne w,,h
from any other nation. The profi,s ao.-
crulng from favorable commercial hs.
lance with other nations is che fully
thrown INTO hsc lap, and lf we do not cons
| TRUE TO do so, il is her o~ fault.-Jus.
tee and policy require tia, We should do
So d tain pretends no cause of com.
plant against US We have read is re.
moved such as she ever had. By plead
ing necessity, the aggression on he, pare
seems to be ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS her re.
move the cause.
I This question therefore naturally arises.
are these things wrong doIbey NOT on v
! affect our interest but our neiisnal inde-
! pendsncel 1t was cnn6den,Iy expec,ed
! that 10 this enquiry every member would
] answer IN the affirmative. One msmA,er
however has gone far 10 advocate al, the
7 aggressionscompIained oil; no do.b. how
ever great majority Of he members a,e
convinced that the impressment, and the
other aggressieps require a remedy, The
object of the present dslbsra;ion is o dis.
Cover such measures as. viii be most ex-
pedient not only TO correct the evil, but
10 procure reasonable redress without
war.
Mr.. F. added, that it was reasonable 10
expect some dive, SHY ofopinion, tha, snch
a diversity does exist is evident iron, tl,s
nuuiber and variety OF The resolutions re.
Z terSed 10 his COMMITTEES. OF these scr,ss
are substitutes for ne resaluuSn wh;e, is
now the subjeet OF debate, they have N.
same obI-et in view, but vary IN The r.esns
proposed. Others May b. veiy prussrly
( pursued IN concurrence with. ava ~ all
OF he resolution unGer debate; Cor SONS
OF these, Improper notifications he sid
he 'wouldpFobably vote. There Is Certainly