The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1807-08-18
FROM THE NATIONAL 1srrLL,eRNeER.

NATIONAL lNTELLIGENCER.
ALI the prints on the continent, to their honor
oe 1t iPoken, exec Pting two or three of Bottom,
have taken american ground in relation to the
late outrageous conduct of Britain. TheGe lat
ter prints have undertaken to exprefs doubts
with regard to the conduct of our own govern.
ment, and, in certain meaiure, to palliate that
OF Britain. If, fay they, the men taken from
the Cheiapeske, were flu ieds of Britain,
II they were den an led by the Brtilh, and re-
fuied by us, then was This force, ufed in taking
them from the Cheiapeake, jufifiabIe, and the
CAME OF war on our part, though the act was
hers.
Why this representation is made is altogether
| unaccountable, unefs we conlider it az flowing
IRON that habItual attempt to apologize for the
inJuitce of Britain which characterizes thefe
prints The Preiident's proclamation, the high
cit authority the cafe admits Of, an authority
which no American, or indeed honeft man, will
dhPute, fays thele men were Americans. And
YET theie Britiih apologies can write columns,
dlcsntIng on the hypothesis that they were Bri
tih fubjs Cts
But, fhoul weadmit them, for argument fake
to have been Britfh iubjeets had Britain a right
% dem nd them 1t is de lie that The had anv
iuch right. Wnile tt late IRE atty continued in
force between the two natioIs fhe enjoyed, un-
der an expreiS ltipulation, right to require the
delivery OF fugtives charged with murder or for
gerry but that treaty has expired and the cafe
is now the fame as though no fuch tteaty ever
exiHed with, however, this difference-that
the interruption of iuch proviiion of itfslf con-
tdIns ftrong implication, that without it, the
right it gave did not exit. And even this right
were 1t now IN force, would not embrace the
preient cafe. But putting this confederation A.
hde, let US examine the cafe on it's own
grounds.
Brtiih feamen, fubje6ts ofBrtain, defert from
BrtIfh veHeIs. They feek an afylum in this
country. Suppoie on reaching our flores, in
order the more effe6tually to lkreen themfelyes
from the Puuifhment, which would inevitably
await them ihoud they BE- taken by the Britiili =,
they change their occupation, and become far
mers or mechanics. Would the American 60
vernment be under any obligation to deliver
them up! Indifpenfably not. The ad Of de-
iertlon, however criminal, being committed
without the juriidi6ion Of the u. States, ihofe
who committed it, Handing in the fame lituati-
on with the perpetrators of all other offences
committed out Ofthe u. States, would not he
dmenable for inch offences to the laws of the
U. States. Tbofe laws do not recognize any
act as criminal, except thole committed within
the U. Safes or agaDlt the United States. The
government OF the u. Suites could not therefore
legally srref thoie al!edgcd to have committed
them much iefs could it arre1, and then deli.
W w 'hS dteuSVu oiShuST 10 the power de-
msnding hin. This point is 70 clear, as not
to require any further illuGration.
Would the cafe be altered by fgch deferters en-
tsring our merchant lstvice Clsary not. For
the right of every member Of the community is
the fame to follow this as any other profe iIion
Aad ihould foreign government demand Of
our government their arreR and delivery, it
would be fnf!icient aufwer to FAY that the laws
OF the country gave them no fuch authority,
nafmuch as they only authorized an arrelt for
offences committed sgsinlt the Us,