The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-04-01


their force. The impetuosity and ardor of
their feelings, still impel them to Join in
the European conflict; but it is Britain who
is now the object of their sympathy, and
France of their deadly luminosity. Thus
has the tory party acquired an accession
OF numbers, from a quarter where it was
least Of all ODE expected, and on ques-
tions where it was most of all to be wish
ed that the nation should be united. In
this number, most emincntly conspicuous
stands Mr. John Randolph
Whatever may have been the cause of
this gentleman's political alteration, his
speeches OH the non-intercourse law TEEN
with testimony, the most strong and unequi-
vocal, of a Judgment overborne and pervcrt-
ed by foreign partially. It is impossible
that those pieces Of imprisoned declamati-
on should be attentively read by person
not sympathizing with his emotions, without
a full conviction that the perils of the British
nation, are the real sources of his sensibiiity.
, :I7imc ilie lachrym9. Hence those speeches,
and hence this protest.
Toa mind thus occupied by foreign sym
pathics. the defensive measures adopted by
the administration, would necessarily ap-
pear to be dictated by a spirit of hostility
Mr.. Madison is understood to have concur
red in those measures of retaliation, which
were recommended by the executive and "a
dopted by the Legislature; and which are
alledged to have been dictated by spirit of
undue hostility. This objection, therefore,
involves the consideration of all those causes
of aggression from England, which have
long been the subjects of unavailing remon-
STRANGE by our government, and lately of
legislative counteraction.
1t is difficult to be conceived, how the par
,tial restriction of commercial intercourse
nuIa md en- he
of hostile, accommodating temper to-
wards that country however Objectionable
it,may be in other points of view. 1t is a
fact which may be depended on, that the
British minister, Mr.. Fox, in conversation
with Mr.. Monroe, canddly admitted it to be
a measure of moderation and torbearance
Our government would have been chargeable
with culpable neglect, had they tamelv and
silently acquiescc1 in the practice of arbi-
.trary inpressment of seamen from meri-
can vessels under the untenable pretext of
recovering British scan,en; practice be-
coming daily more prevalent and more op-
pressive,t and necessarily attended with the
.grievous captivity, of thousands of our ma
tive citizens. 1t is in vain for the advocates
OF the right of arbitrary impressment, to
alledge the necessity of it's exercise, to re-
cover British sea!nea, 70 whose services their
country isentitled. 1t is truth, obviously
deducible from the moral nature of mankind,
and confirmed by long experience in this
particular case, that the exercise of such
power, is inseparable from acts of intolera-
bic violence to our own citizens. II danger to
the British navy is to be apDrehended from
the removal OF her seamen into foreign SER
vice, the evil should be remedied by some
regular and legal, proceeding, founded on
stipulated regulations with foreign govern
mcnts; and TO such regulations, our govern
ment has always shcwn = Willingness to ac-
cede
The right assumed by England, would as
simulate the relations of the two countries,
IN this respect, to the most iawless, state of
savage society among individuals, in which
every man is permitted to be his, own Judge,
and his own avenger. Let us suppose state
of society to exist, in which any person a.
grieved by the Withholding his property on
the non-payment of debt, had a right to, re
dress himself, by forcibly entering the house
of his neighbor and retakipg the, property
allcdged to belong, (. Would there then be
any safety of habitadon or any security for
property Would rot the pretc5lt of search
ing tor his own goods furnish each man
with passport to the preparation of robbie
Try, theft and any outrage to which his ava
rice or passion might prompt him Norman
is competent to decide, with equity, on the
measure, of redress which may be due to his
own wrongs; and naval officers, notorious
tor their Ignorance, brutality and the habi-
tual exercise of despotc power, arc i'll calcu-
lated totorm an exception TO one of the first
maxims in morality. Its an absurdity well
worthy the head of laundering sailor, that
whilst cargo of dead hogs captured on the
ocean, cannot become the property of the cap
tors, without regular trial and adjudcati-
on in some court of admiralty, the crew of
the vessel, composed oflving human beings,
may, without any formality, be consigned to
irredeemable captivity.
=" lis not sufficiently admitte that accor-
ding to the existing laws and usages of natl
tons, Britain has no right to require the deli
very of even her own seamen who may be do
lmiciiated in foreign countries, or serving on
board their vessels much less of forcibly
retaking them. ] will make few remarks
on thathead, as il is one on which some per-
sons OF the best intentions are in error. The
doctrine of perpetual, inaicnabIe allegiance,
and the right OF commanding the services of
her subjects by impressment, are founded on
the municipal institutions the English code.
he operation of municipal institutions is ter
ritoriai & local only. Beyond the limits of the
country which adopts them, & the jursdic ton
OF the government which alone can give them
force, they have no validity The ocean with
the persons and property which float upon
Its surface, arc regulated by the laws of ma
tons alone, which are not peculiar to any
one country, but universally acknowledged
by all and If is for tHis rsaeop tt,.. tL,.