Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1807-12-29

FRoM LONDON P1FERS
/ Received at the Office of the REGISTER
| Detention Of 1.-THE hlandof Zealand.
OUR readers are well acquainted wits
the circumstance Of the capitalization Of
Copenhagen they are likewise Informed
of the refusal of the crown prince to rsufy
the treaty between lord Calhcart aud sh.
governor. Tha. the prince royal i. now
acting under French Influence is evident,
but bis argument is not the worse on .glst
account. His obs,inacy, however, call 1t
as you will, has changed our circumstsncs.
with respect to the abandonment of Zca
land, and as he, has refused to rs,ify the
capture, we, it seems, are determined ua
70 give up the conquest.
We have been uniform in our censur. Of
this expedition ;~bu. we observed in sci.
ting out, that if there were JUS cause ia
seizing Zealand, there certainly could be
no injustice in keeping IL; if We hada
right to bresk into and plUndes the house,
we had right to exercise still further az,
of ownership, and bolt the doors TO pre-.
vent the masters return. We deemed !.
the most absurd thing 10 the world TO take
ii. for the mere purpose OF givicgsup
when the fruits of the first plunderwsrsa
little equivalent to the perpetual tenure
No; If you took it, we said, keep it. It
will give you the Sound. aud the custody
Of the Bal,ic forever. Instead of keeping
a feet 10 the North Sea. to be ba,teredsM
wrecked 10 che winter months, for the pur.
pose of watchdog the neutrality of Den
mark, keep Zealand ss apledge that che
will be quiet What soldier when he SUE
prises the citadel retreats to his GETTY
box No; Zealand ia your hands might be
made a Northern Gibraltar. You bavs
then Russia in complete check-she caouo'
then stir at sea: and France will lake pref
~ good security that she is not knowingly
land. :.
But how, i. will b. asked. can ejdslt.
~ the detention of Zealand when we did
DOT warran. the capture. II is anlawtuI
only to commit the violence, btu. jus. to
detain the spoil. When the act is of 40
eauivocal hszard do you deem it cppro.
brious, but cease 60 consider Il go when
success or possession have shewn you 10
adyantsgess Certainly uot: this would DC
arguing merely to seif.inserest; but mo-
rali., will allow that the detention st thing
may become lawful though it has been &C.
CURED by violence, because right may en-
sue, and be consequent even upon 1njnfy'
In the law Of nations and civil law, cases
are multiplied upon this head, and the suo'
iec,s Of belligerent states are permi"ed %
do iniuries--tkat is, acts OF 9ioleaee 9
psinst neutral persou.will, in order to Sc
cure right which, wi,hou. the iNs' 'aO'
missiou, could seldom be enforced.
To this class of rights founded upeo.ia'
iuries, belongs what we call our exercise
of the !" Right Of search" We stop
ship ID the high seas. tumble over It's ca.
90, open the captains papers, and II w.
6ud any coo.raband on board condemn "
Nov the search 10 the first place, IS ~
injury, though the recess'ty OF 'nps'
enforce the practice oft. bur the d'seo.
very, which alone makes the detea!'oa
lust, cures tue orisiaal Injury, and ev;'
us perfec. right founded UPON a mar
test wrong:
This is only one of the numerous case
which have been pu. upon this head ="
US try i, upon the maxims Of our owa NV
nlcipal law. Suppose lJoin 10 an hue a ~.
cry, aud knock down man who hsPPsss
not TO be the thief pursued; but op scar.
ing him, under my first error. discos..
his pockets. to be filled with my gooo. on,
Here have committed most outrage -,
assault; the mistake is no excuse u ~,
6adiDg my goods upon him, the tresps'ii 4.
immediately merged 10 felony, aoa -
7. III 4