The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-05-27

4
ana not mean TO contend, that the law of ma
tions did not give 70 be.ligcrent the right
OF retalilsfing upon anothes. beiligerent; but
IN what way Instead of the complex sense
which had been given to the word retaliati-
ON, let us real meaning be look d to, as de
duced from its derivation it would then be
found that IT meant the doing like act to
the.enemy which he did to us. An infer-
ence had been drawn from this interpreta-
ton on former evening, that we were there
tore to act precisely in the same manner as
the enemy and that if he violated a neutral
territory In order to make more convent
eht attack, that we were to follow him, step
by step: no ssch thing. If A struck him he
mad right to strike A not for the sake of
striking, but in order to prevent him from
continuing the alta ok but was it because he
was struck by a, that, therefore, he was to
strike so we had a right 10 retaliate the
Violence oi the injustice oi France, but we
had no IGght to make an attack upon the in
nocent g unofiending neutral. Ifa neutral vo-
unfairly acquesced in, and agreed to carry
into effect an act of hostility by one bel,ipe-
rent against another, then she became par
~ Ill the war. 1faso a neutral was so weak
tnat she must submit to the evils of one bel
,igerent, and the bclligerent actually procee-
ded to carry into effect his hostile designs by
means of the weakness of the neutral then
an act OF retaliation by the other beiiigerent
must involve the neutral. He would not
however, fatigue their Lordships by citing
supposed cases, but would go at once to the
case OF America it was clearly proved
tnat America had not acquiesccd in the
berhn decree, but had demonstrated against
lo' ana WAS 1T to be believed, that at the
distance OF upwards of three thousand miles
america was to be compelled by France,
with scarcely any navy to assist in carry
ing the French DEGREES into execution But
| what could justify the act of retaliation no.
thinS but the execution of tie obnoxious de
lCree-it must he executed to Justify retail
alton. 1t was nothing that the French en-
Peror chose TO issue boasting decree, he
ilad not the means of carrying it into effect
he had me- vessels to execute it. We, it
seemed had determined to supply vessels &
10 10, capture, our ow! goods ai;os the ucea.
me French emperor could not destroy the
trade OF .neutraiS Tor want Of vessels, but we
were to put the finishing hand to it.
/, America; with tonnage amounting TO
half our own, carried on trade to every
Iquarter OF the globe took COCO, OOO! of our
teXPortS, and Carried them, and would have
continued to have cairyed them, to the ports
on me enemy In spite OF the decree but our
orders IN council must put an end to this
trace, and reduce America to distress for
waDtiof the means of disposing of her produce
|
was resorted by the French government in
the year 1898, Right. Hon. Cent? man,
'hen III Administration, laughed at it, and
thought 1t absurd to take any other notice
OF IL Had this policy been now adopted, GU.
trade might have gone on Rourishing, as it
dld subsequent to and in spite of the French
decree, which might have been posted on
the pIazzas and posts of Paris, but which
would have remained dead letter, aud been
: az nv =
france had SAID ;hat American vessels COM
Ing from the ports of this country should be
confiscated, and We had declared that if
they didnot trst come to our ports they should
be liable to capture. Thus we had render
ed IT impossible for tbe. Americans to carry
on any trade We had driven their COM
meFce from their ports, and, from the sys-
TEN adopted by the ministers, it seemed as
Il we should soon try the effect Of the theo-
~ supported in a pamphlet lately publish
ed that Britain could flourish indebendent
oi CuInmerce, the svsrem OF Ministers in
these regulations torcibly reminded him of a
circumstance which q short time since &C
cured IN Ireland. lie did not mean anv ma
tionai reflection, forhc highly Srcpccted the
generous and brave character Of the natives
OF that part OF the United Kingdom, but all
though displaying much genius, thev we're
sometimes deficient III precision
n banker III that country, who was also n
magistrate, having offended number Of per-
sous by his pushing one of them who had
oeen concerned in riot they unanimously
agreed to retaiiate upon him, and after some
consideration it was also agiecd, that the
most etfcctuaf mode of doiog tins would be
10 Durd as many OF the notes issued from
TINS bank as they could collect by which
measure OF retaliation the banker was
gamer Oh between so aud 40,0COi He hoped
then lordsbips would not Sanction a system
OF retaliation similar in its principle to this
irlsh measure, which, it should be retolect-
ca, was adopted by those who had derived
little advantage from education, and who
mad mad but little knowledge of the world
Iheir lordships OIL the contrary, were states
men, legislators, and men of the world
L ne noble lord coItended, that one nation
iidd no right To alter tine law of nations APP
Piylng this to the orders in council, which
ala alter the law of nationsy and q1otine o.
Iiniuns OF Dir Wiinam scott Sir Dudley
Ryan, lord Mansfield, and Mr. Murray,
then attorney general, and other high legal
authorities, to prove this point and also
what was considered the law of tho land
with respect to the law of nations. His lord
ship also quoted the work of the Earl of Lii
Verpool, respecting the maratime confedc-