Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1807-11-20
,nbstance, the details as veil as the renc. Ia

from thdt winch theY previously expected
1t would have produced? Is it NOT, also,
possible that they may have viewed the
French order as indicative of hostility "a
gainst the u ;. and have conceived it
sound policy under such an impression 10
accept from Britain the best terms they
could get, subject to he reserved right on
the part OF our government TO adopt or re-
/ ject them.
| There is one fact worth here noticing.
Long since, MIR King agreed with the Bril-
tish Minister on Certain terms relative to
I the Impressment of American seamen, IN
correspondence with which he was about
TO sign a treaty But its signature was ar
! rested in this critical moment by the lords
of the admiralty whose earnest remon-
[ STRANGE preventedit What has happened
once, on point ofthe first importance, and
I yet remaining unsettled, may happen a.
gain, and may have occurred in this very
case.
Secondly. The President is charged
with an attempt to invade the rights OF a
coordinate and independent branch Of the
! government in the following pare OF the
| Message:
81 shall think it my duty to lay before
| you the proce edings, and the evidence
! publicly exhibited on the arr ignnent of
ccurt Of Virginia You will ne enaa.eti 10
judge whether the defect was in the test:-
mony, in the law or in The administration
J Of the law, and Wherever it shall be found
the legislature alone can apply or originate
the remedy"
| The charges detailed under this general
/ head are multifarOus, of winch the SUBJ
mission Of the evidence 70 Congress, the
/ allegation Of defect III the testimony, the
| law, OF is administration, are the princi-
! pal. The right Of the President to say a.
nv thing on this point is denied, with what
justice we shall presently see.
| The constitutional oath of the President
| requires him, to the best Of MS ability, to
''preserye, protect, and d fend The consti-
, tuition Of the United States"
! The constitution likewise makes it his
duty To give TO the ongress information
| of the state OF the union, aud to recon-
| mend 20 their consideration such measures
as he snail Judge nee cssary and eXpedjent
Under his oath it became his duty tn the
best of his ability to project the CONSTITUTE
OF against Aaron burr and his associates,
whether their ends were reasonable, or
whether they aimed at carrying on a war
against nation at peace with the United
States. That one or the other was the
end OF this association ne man doubts. To
arrest saca "a project was therefp IRE clearly
the duty of TIE President For this pur-
pose he pursued he best means in his pow
~, in dong which great disclosure of the
{ circumstances connected with the enter
PRISE has taken place, which disclosu G
directly goes 70 eiucidate the estate Oh the
i iion, 30 shew whether Z is free from
danger, or whether 1hCve - reason TO ap-
lprenend danger unless preventive measures
DC adopted 81 whom By Congress To
enable whom 10 iuage Tor themselves all
che evidence s propose to DE submitted.
, The PRECEDENT in.mates that a detect ex-
ISIS some where, To enable Congress to
nudge where, he lays before them all the
correct information thlt can he collected.
That such defect does ex st, no one can
, deny. It's existence has, indeed. we he
.iCye been admitted by tine Chef Justice
himself, 50 far az relates TO the territories
Of the Unltrd States, where, by the bye,
the grea est q niger from Treason will all
, ways exist. To shew the existence If rhis
letect, 1t was necessary 20 submit the pro-
ceediEgs OF the court. ii is, moreover, in
I timated that the defect NAV have been in
, the testimony. If So, there is an end 81 he
/ enquiry, if there should be found 20 be no
= other defect This iutimation is consC-
, quently harmless. But the principal um-
bragg is taken at the suggestion that II may
t be N Che administI at on of the law. THIS
@ suggestion is altogether Hypothetical, and
2 cannot, therefore, be Justly leveiled at the
= Chief Justice: for the term "administra-
1 ton" is 50 compf eheusive as to include
z. likewise those who conduct the prosecution
aud those who enforce the mandates OF the
! court. But if it we're exclusively pointed
o. at the Chief Justice, still, il the Pres deni
c hanks that mis- conduet has exposed any
= detect, 1t is not only his right, su, lis con.
t -ii.ution.l duty, as we have already seen
: % 7, commend to Congress such measures
Is lac shall judge necessary and eEpeGient
= From The CoHnUn cat un he has made, Il
- : evident that he considers an enquiry Dy
y Congress OF this point necessary and expe
iient.
II Viewing the suggestion Of the President
therefore, in cshcr OF the points IF light il
II which he has presented it, il is not onll
perfectly correct, bus he would have beer
c justly rcprehensibie. had nc been silent
% s de,eCt exists som where. which can on
~ De remedled Ivy Congress, who can only
q Judge from an examination Of the proceed
iags oi the court, which it therefore be
p me the du,y Of the Executive TO furnish
S, Gnis examination rs essential 10 the deter
/, iuination, whether the defect exists in th'
l. testimony; il IS equally indispensable t.
the d Cision whether IT exists IN the law
r. r. lis admuistrat on. But what. say thes
D! 81 tCrg, have Congress 90 do with the adj
ADMINISTRATION OF the law? Let them max
L | l.. VIC. Inn! ,urc ,usH p let their adu5iuisfra