Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1810-10-26

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He who commands an evil action
deserves punishment more than the
person who commits twas a truth
before spoken by rertuliian, and viii
always remain so.
Shall we be intimidated when we
speak.atter Ciceros That great man
hAd the reigps of the most potent state
that eynS existed; and in that station
appeal Aho less eminent than at the
9aass he punc9 ,al observation ofthe
law of nature he Considered as the most
salutary policyfc the state.'-
Aud whSbshould we not hope still
to fhdSfnong those that are at the
head of affairs, some wise persons who
are convinced of this great truth thar
virtue is ever for sovereign and politi.
cal bodies the most certain road to
prosperity and happiness"
"Ihere IS at least one benefit to be
expected from the open assertion. and
publication of sound .rIaxilns. which Is.
that thereby even they, who least re-
lish them, are, in regard to their repu-
ration, laid under the necessity of
Seeping within their bounds"
10 expect that men, esp ciallvthat
men IN power, will conform strictly TO
the strictness of the lew of nature.
would be a gross mistake, and TO re-
nouaee all hope OF nisking i'm preston
on some of them, would be to give up
mankind for LOST
1" Nations as Obliged ty nature reels
procaliy3to cultivate human society.
are bound to observe towards each n.
Their al the daties which the safetv
and advantage IF that society reqairs
The efices of humanity are those
succors, those duties, to which men
are reciprocally Obliged as men, that
Is as social beings, which necessarily
stand IN need OF mutual assistance.
Tor their preservation, for their happi.
ness, and for living in a manner con.
formable to their naNlre.o
"Such is the foundation Of the COM
mon duties OF those Offices of humane
ty to which nations are retiprocally
bound to each other. They consist ge-y
Morally in doing for the oonseryation
and happiness Of others all in our pow
er, as lar as 1t is reconcileable with
our duties towards ourselves"
MATTEL, b. 2. Oh. / /. passim. !
Let'ps then avail ourselves of that
etDnaljaw of nature and of nations.
which is placed as shield between
social man and his destroyers, and to
which the worst of our species find
themselves constrained to pay at LEAST
an empty homage.
Admitting, what no man will denv.
that the society of nations, like indivi-
duals in supposed state of nature, or
private citizens in free government.
are absolutely equal and indepsa1ert
as to all their rights and Immunities 4;
1T will follow, that the relative rights
and duties of all nations are substanti.
ally the same; and that every right
has its correspondent duty.
Each nation, for instance. having
the light of absolute controuI within
its Pwn territory; it is the duty of all
others to respect that right and not to
interfere in its municipal concerns
Each having right to occupy by its
subjects, the ocean, the highway OF ma
t'ons, which COP has made free and
common to all,--and being bound to
extend It's protection TO its subjects,
wherever they are it is the duty Of
all to consider as sacred the persons
and property of each other on that ele-
mept.
rhsrscapitula.ion ofthese establish
ed principles and inevitable conclusi-
ons might be thought nusatory OF os-
tentatious, were it not that they are
substantially denied both BY DIE theo-