Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-05-30

intended Il ,:iat:c t!ie S:?!H.is a:!d tlC g.!
latin,, ANA the Giles ." thc day popular
and secured their re-eIcc1ions aa; ,!,c;,
advancement from that time 10 ti,s; ia,
what i! was designed ioi', ana tol Got.iin.
else.
iIet us ROW rcrIirl, once more 10 orr
ease. 4 protection. not benz, bini!ia.
bat On GIc side, :liid, therefore. not bind
ing ut all, is Eot, l coattnd, ,,slnanday!e il
any case; ce..l&in!; :,ot l.. tsie oHe beicre
lis. | have said, and repeat it, thi; the
circumstances ul.,icr which he America,
brig appeared, and tie place in wi4icE. she
was inet, entitled itert u courtesy, IL il did
MT entirely c:i"mrt her FROM being yis;t.
ell Tie boarding. o.i!r"r vas inform, 4, nv
the captain. that DiBgic. the young man
seized upon, though bearing :. fcreiy,
name, Was IN reality al American. tl,at
he was SO by birch having been born in
1ia@sachusetts (Which was confirmed bv
"a gentleman passenger that he was his
apprentice, and had lived in his own "a.
miiy several ycaiS, ever since he was
quite lad +; ana that SO Gar from beipy
foreigner. he had never been ts sea before.
and was now chi: going to \. York az a
passenger. With tiis information, the
captain O. the frigatc ought to have been
perfectly satisfied and for hin. to pcrsist
in demanding protection, the want or
which in suci. case could afford not tsa
least ground for suspicion; TO reject al
other evidence. and confre himself to tint
particular species Of evidence which the
young man had not got, and which i; be
had got would net have been a. goUd s.
what was offered and which would prcba-
bly, have been disre:3aried, was, hesitate
not TO say, an InWarrantabje, arbitrary,
and cruel piece OF cuiitiuct Oh the part C
the commander: and viii never, trust,
be Justified by his government.
But there is another TACT in The case
which deserves well to be considered.
Thus Tar have put the ease as favorable
as it can be put for The frisate; and, adj
hitting the right to stop and search, have
only contended that it ought to have been
exercised with courtesy and moderation.
l shall nows however, contend for some
thing more.
take the law Of nations, according to
Nattel, Azuni. and other civilians Of re-
putc, to be, that in time Of war, no beIlige-
rent vessels shall be permitted to lay off
the port OF a neutral, or cruise eff and on,
for the purpose Of stopping and visiting,
or, i'll any manner whatever, hindering
neutrals from approaching or leaving their
port, in pursuit Of their lawful business.
This shall hold TO be sound law until I
see it disproved. Here the SpiIfre, new
brig, was coming round from Portland to
y. York ior the purpose of being sold
she was therefore, engaged in d lawful
business the English lrigate had, for
some time, been cruising off and Oil, and
had stopped and exercised the right of
search upon several American vessels be-
tore she met with the Spitfre; this was
an abuse OF her power; and although it
nay be true that she might have stopped
and visited the brig if she had met her by
accident, she could net waylay her by de-
sign, and if she did. she forfeited her right
OF search. II in these positions, 1 am
correct, there is al end Of all dispute.
The friSatc had no business to stop the
Orig on any pretencc, nor take from her a
man OF her ere" even ii Ike was an Eng.
lishman.
Let us not, however, be hasty and un.
Just. Let US not ascrite to his govern
mcnt the conduct Of rash individual. I'M.
less his government undertakes to SUD-
port and protect him !; and, above all, let
us take care to avoid the impoliey of in.
juring AUST cause by imprudent and yea
lous attempt to defend what is indefensi-
BILE. Let us leave it to prostituted prints
to laborr to justify the infamous attroci-
ties of France, in their most hideous enor.
nifty but never let it be said Of us, that
we forget we are Americans, aid take
part with Great Britain against the couu.
Try that gave Us birth. Our only maxim
sh0uid be, we will never submit to inius-
tee from whatever quarter it proceeds,