Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1807-07-06
'' 7';R[IcHMQND, June 90.

V1A}t<i(3 JUN 49, :
w numerous meeting Of the citizens q
\ Richmond, Manchester, and their vieini-
{ 8: .t;es. and Of many other persons from dis
1fant places, held at the Capitol, on the 9th
{. of lime, 1907, for the purpose OF taking
III m, - their consideration the late outrage
n an the Frigate Chesapeake, BY
60 3ritisn so,ladron. The Hon. Spencer
All 6ane, iudge of the court Of appeals, was
FL aanirnously chosen chairman, and l'ho-
Mi SI2itchie, EsQr: unanimously elected
81 3ecretary2s a committee was then appoint
s. "a. consisting of the following members
4 1she Hon. Alexander NJ Rae, Lieutenant
Governor, the Hon. Greed Taylor, Cham
& cellor, John Page, George Hay, William
Eoushee, William Writ, and Peyton Kan
dosph, Esquires, to lay before the meet
8 ing such resolutions asthey might deem
proper to propose in the present cri-
lis. The committee having retired, re-
) t,frned and reported TO the meeting the ioi-s
lowing resolutions and address: The pre-
ar,able to the resolutions was adopted with
only three dissenting voices the resoiuti--
& ons an L the address were unanimously a.
dopttx. The Chairman of the meeting
was unanimously requested to sign the re-
solutions and address on behalf OF the meet
ing, and 10 transmitthe address to the Pre-
sisientsof the United States. he members
81 the committee formerly appointed were
& s. then elecsed corresponding committee,
& by virtue Of the fourth resolution, Tor the
purposes therein specified.
- WE, the citizens now convened, have
! - "a win horror and indignation the narra-
|,tive Of the attack made by the British ship
Leopard on the u S. frigate Chesapeake.
The demand which precededthe attack was
lawlrss ipils nature and most insolens 10
Ills manner. The attack itself was not
seonlv lawless and insolent, but base and
Scowardly; because it was made by ship
xof Fifty guns, prepared for action and sup.
ported by British squadron, ina time OF
s pfofonnd peace, on an unsusPecting and
TIL rsfore unnreparsd friend, a single Anne.
srican flagas. of six aud thirty guns; such
are the glorious srismphs of the Brisishna.
svyi ke observe that this attack flowed
from sicsulibcrate order given by the British
sx3mIfahx irksly, al Halifax: We believe
that he would no. have dared to compromit
/ his nation By so bold and aasraat breach
Eof national law, wilhou. the previous sane
Ition and order Of his government: We
hconsider il therefore as az acr ct the Bri8
tish goveruueur. we compare tais MOI
rous outrage (commitsed in the NOM q
of sreasy) with other acts of usurpstion aiiib
aggression practissd upon Us BIZ the same.
natien-.their improvements of cur seamen
90 long continued, aud their gross and per-
pctual violations of cur commerce. which
They have the efropsery to advocate even
from their tribunals of law: the review
confirms as in the belief, that the attack on
the Chesapeake is not the act either of com.
modore Douglass or admiral BerkelY, any
more than the act of tllc oriental slave who
ticks the dust from the foot OF dsspotism
is che act of the slave and not of the des-
pot; but that this attack is the act of the
British government; and simply another
effusion of the same spirit which produced
iheh improvements aud COM mercial spoil.
asions. This act is of the same stamp &
color with the rest. We behold in il all,
consistent picture ; a nation insolen, iu the
consciousness of her naval suength-.otal.
iy regardless of the rights of others total
I ly regardless of all law, reason aud huma-
nity--des,isuse of every morive, feeling
aud principle, which binds civilized nations
tugsther--auc having no rule of action
whatever, bot self aggrandlzement aud the
qualification of her own caprices by brutal
force. We compare this bloody violence
win the caresses aud attentions which they
: are even now shaving to our ministers at
their feas,s in London; and We behold a
nation, which, to the picture OF black and
savage piracy, adds the features OF smiling
3 ,reachery and mean hypocricy A nation
J which by her actions proclaims the opinion,
that we are not only so feeble as TO be IN
4.