The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-02-13
CVoIuME 5.


| uiu'ped nothing Fort of omnipotent power
and contder this bill as calculated to give 4
iofenng and fricothing over to>this uiiirpa,i-
on and on this ground cannot afIeut to it.
Suppoie this bill either to pats or not to pats,
what has been the pr.,.fice under the conftitu-
ton By the exprei!,oh under the contitjiti-
on, do not mean conformaby to il. Men
haze heen taken up 10y military tribunal, and
nave been transported contrary to law. fay
uaniPofted, Tor If a man can be transported
rom TIE diltIct where the offence with which
he Is charged was committed, he may alto be
ocPoIted to Cayenne, or tranlpofted to Botany
pay. And even you yourfelf, (addrelling the
opeGSer) 1t 'lch acts be iat.Stionrd by this bill,
IN your Paiiage from this Houre to yonr losIg-
ngs, may be arreited, put on board a veGe,
and carried whitherfoever the military authori-
~ may choofe. To this will never give my
content. 1t has been very well remarked by
nay colleague, that this is not the firlt cafe in
which an infurre fion has occurred in the u S.
but that 1t is the fri cafe, in which an attempt
has been made to fufpend the precious privilege
OF the writ of Habeas Corpus. put it to any
man, whether now that we have received infor-
nation OF the extent of this confpiracy, and
when we Ind that Catalina, Cethegus and Len
tu!us have not as many brother confpirators as
themlclves, this conipiracy is equal to that in
Psnnfyivana in 1894 or 1906? In pbyGcai
i"'ce 1t is not comparable TO it, however in
intellectual talent it may be. conceive then
that according to the contribution of the u S.
there is but one cafe in which the writ of Ha-
oeas Corpus can be fufpended, and Mould
NOT go into this view of the fubjett, if it had
not been initiated by all thofe who have preced
Cd me In the debate. My view of the fubietH
is this~-that this privilege can only be fufpend.
ed IN cafes, in which, not merely the public
iarety requires it, but that the cafe of the pub
nc lately requiring it, mutt he united with ac
lftft,
Whatever epithets gentlemen may dignity this
confplracy, am not even of the opinion of the
gentleman from Maryland, (Mr. R. Nelfon)-I
'h'nk It nothing more or lefs than an iutriese-
ana am happy that AN declare on the honor
NOT OF 1oldier, but of citizen, that 7 believe
IL 10 De foreign intrigue, avane i,felf of do
li'ei''c materials for anfweripg its purpofes, and
poor indeed mutt be the foil of this, or of any
other tate of fociety which would not furniff,
fuch materials.
a gentleman from MaHachufetts has ftated
10 the Houe that the organization and admnif.
.,a'ioh OF the government at this time forbids
tue apprehension OF any abufe being made of the
powers oeegated under this law Surely. fir.
the gentleman could not mean to urge this IA
any thing new.e He muft have known, if he
mao coniulted hiltory, as doubtefs he has, that
the KING de faG70 and the sdmnRration de faao
IS always above fufpicion-that there never
was proportion brought forward, that did
NOT ma majority ready to fay--thcre is fure-
" no danger OF any improper ufe of this power
IN our time, for we are all honorable men, and
we would not delegate it, if an improper ufc
could be made of it and that if we reject a
mea'nre, we ought not to do it 70 much on ac-
count or ourtelves, as on account of thofe who
come after US. And what will tholc who come
after us fay of us' They will follow our ex-
ample, and declare that the character of their
loreiatbers was above every doubt and every
'uipIcion. New, for myfelf beg leave to be
permitted to diclaim every argument of this
kind. do not indeed conhder it fair to intro
duce iueh an argument Let US take up the
queition on its own merits and dement's, with
out any alu!on or reference to our own virtues
or the degencracy of pofterty. For myfelf
nave no heitation in laying, that I will not grant
this power at any time, except under the mott
'mPerious neceflity; and l FAY this without any
dlireipett TO this honorable body, or to any Of
the public funttionaries. Take man as he is,
and In HE beit etate, you find him an animal
prone to abuie and to corruption. There does
not exit Jingle contribution or law in the
world, that does not enforce this fautary truth.
! ihail confider this bill, if it paiTes, as
eitabtihing a new in the government.
When was boy recoilstt to have confulied
iuch chronological tables I could get accefs
10. recollect TO have read that at certain
time monarchy was aboliihed in Rome-s little
while after the firlt dictator was named-iben
the fecond d6tator-and believe, as in a cafe
OF apopIexy, ihe fcarceIy got over the third fit.
believe fsfPeniion of the writ Of Habeas
Corpus might have here the fame effect as the
etablIihment of the 6rGt detatorihip at Rome.
La what ituation would it place yourfclves and
the citizens of this country 1t would leave
them at the mercy. not merely Of juftce of
TIE peace, but at the mercy of every fubaltern
ofticer ot the army and navy. believe it wonid
comPort as much with the fafety and intereft
OF thus confederacy to give us power to fend
thrte people off, as 10 put this power in their
ha"ds. believe nlould be as uR-worthy
as they. And let me ak what compensation to
an innocent nian, to man of honor and feel
ing, to man of character, who fhould be tied
neck and heels AID f=nt off to New. Orleans,
aud who ihould ultimately be proved to be i'm
nocent, afS what compensation it would be to
bin to bring an action Of damages ?-Aeainft
whom a man without vifbIe property-and
what action An action on the mot mercena-
ry principle, to be Unidentified in his fame,
by dollars, dimes and cents. The injury would
be iirepdrahle. At prefent all Rand under the
law. lfany one offend, let him be brouget un-
Der 1t. But in this way, To put a man in an
oyiter boat or Ripper, and transport him to
dhtdnce from the place of his arreh, aud then
IA q 10, &. s