Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1807-04-17
FROM THE DEMOCRATIC PRESS.
A GREAT EVIL.

80 A GREAT EVIL. nan
Great pains are taken by many to in
duce the continuance of Great Britain i'm
a course of error and misconduct respects
ing the United States. We find Co66et's
: London Register misinforming the British
public, that, in November and December
1906, nothing like an attempt. to execute
our non-importation act, appeared in our
ports and custom houses, and that no at
temp. to enforce it, would, or could, be
made. The consequence probably is, that
most OF the people of Great Britain be-
lieve, that if they continue to impress, I'M
lawfully blockade, and seize our vessels
under 'fHcgitimate' orders Of council, we
shall not be able or willing to enforce our
own defensive laws. This will prove to
be false prophecy in Goblet; and pain
full and injurious error in Great Britain.
! All the speeches In the British parlia..
ment are equally calculated to continue
the errors of England. With the full le-
giSlative power in their hands, the British
I parliament look at the erecutiUe orders,
as law to neutrals Inns and cut, wings and
tories, in the British parliament, speak of
the order of January 9TH, as if it were le-
climate, and consider it as a mere single
sfeh of many they may ia7gtitAy take !
This practice of orders of their king and
council, whenever it goes further than to
declare or permit the execution of the law
OF nations, is an illegitimate exercise of an
usurped legislative power against neutrals
by the king of Great Britain. 1t is not in
fammatory, nor even unreasonable to say,
that the usurpation and exercise of this
power is as deep an offence against tho
rights and interests of the people Of Ame-
RIGA on tie high seas now, as the British
tea, and stamp acts were, before the revo.
luton, on the main land. All orders of the
king and council, contrary to the Ea5v of
nations are null and void as between us
and Britain. To make them is Justly of
fensive tous: To enforce them is criminal
I and hostile.
If we were to act in the same manner,
Britain would commence war. They
would be therefore, if persevered in, in
disputable and sufficient causes for war
against Great Britain by the United States.
We are dispassionately examining princi-
/ pies, laws, rights and duties, to produce a
frank abandonment of error and injustice.
We do not desire to produce war, however
legitimate and sufficient the Cause. On the
contrary, we are with all our hearts, and
I all our minds, against declaring or max
ing war on Great Britain
[ The honest and reasonable object of These
remarks, is to produce a stable, lust, and
lawful issue TO the pending negotiations.
! We believe firmly that Great Britain is
unsupported by law and justice in Impress
ments in eur ships, and in many of her exc
ecutive orders, and royal and navy procla-
nations. We consider these her Seharate.
acts as rendering eaties nugatogy on their
part, while they are held by US to be the
supreme law of the land. 1t therefore ap-
| pears to be an Indispensable preliminary
20 stable, just and lawful arrangement
with Great Britain, that she should admit
her obligation 10 cOHfre herSc.fto the cah-
! tire Of military enemies in our ships, and
| that she 7uiH NOT, and has no right 10 dbro-
gate Tie general iagv Of nations II, he,.
courts, as bet7veen neutrais and herSeIf-
Rather than abandon such principles as
these, it would be better to have no treaty.
We are not an independent nation, if laws
Can be thus made for us without our con-
sent. These unlawful proceedings have
been continued so long as to endanger an
! alteration of the usages of war, affecting
neutrals, or rather of tie acknowledged
La7V Of nations.
Among the causes which have produced
error or misconduct in Great Britain, are
the language of native and adopted Ame-
ricans, aud of the presses of this country,
some belonging to American editors and
lsome TO editors whose allegiance is I'M
known. Some persons and editors have
lcensured the non-inportation act. Great
Britain infracts the law Of nations as to
Ipersons in our vessels, as to those vessels
also, and as to their cargoes. We make
law as a pacific remedy, shutting out part
of their manufactures, though they shut out
all our manufactures, and much of our
lproduCe. There are persons here, who
speak and write as if this were giving
Great Britain just cause Of war. When
France in Novemberlast adopted express
ly and really a retaliation the same in
fractions OF the law Of nations, Great Bril-
tain suspends a framed treaty, unless We
will take more hostile measures than the
non-importation law against France
What is this temper, this conduct, this dis
position of England, and Of her partizans
here, which thus sets up right to make
! war on us for pacific checks to her own
wrong examples, and 90 suspend our trea.
" unless we will adopt warlike checks to
the French wrong limitations of those ex-
amples. 81
Il appears highly cXpedicnt to apply a
complete cure TO tie evils, which have
arisen to our trade, our sUamcn, and by
consequence, TO agricu ture. Let us set
against unlawful or0ers Qffh BJiiish kinrt
(Which British Hampdcns would resist,j
the lawful and honest fICe If acts of con-
, gress. Raise high the tuty on their India