Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1812-06-22

The Committee sn Foreign Relations TO
guhom qvas referred the Message Of the
President Of The United States, Of the
1st Of June. 1872
REPORT
That after the experience which the Uni
ted States have had of the great injustice of
the British government towards them, ex-
emplified by so many acts of violence and
oppression, it will be more difficult to Justify
70 the impartial world their patient forbear
ance, than the measures to which it has be-
gone necessary to resort, to avenge the
wrongs, and vindicate the rights and honor
ofthe nation. Your committee are happy
I'D observe, on dispassionatc review of the
conduct of the United States, that they see
IN it no Cause for censure.
Ii a long forhearance under injuries, ought
ever to be considered virtue in any nation,
1t is one which peculiarly becomes the Unit
ed States. No people ever had stronger
motives to cherish peace: none have ever
Cherished it with greater sincerity and zeal
But the period has now arrived, when the
United States must support their character
and station among the nations of the earth,
or submit to the most shameful degradation.
,torbearance has ceased to be virtue
War on the one side, and peace on the o.
tier, is situation as ruinous as it is dis
graceful. The mad ambition, the lust of
power and commercial avarice of Great
Britain, arrogatng to herself the complete
dominion Of the Ocean, and exercising over
it an unbounded and lawless tyranny, have
left to neutral nations an alternative only,
between the base surrender of their rights,
and manly vindication of them. Happily
for the u. States, their destiny, under the
81 J. ,,.e ~ -,
crisis is formidable only by their love of
peace. As soon as itbecomes duty to re-
]inquish that situation, danger disappears
They have suffered no wrongs, they have
received no insults, however great, for
which they cannot obtain redress.
More than seven years have elapsed, since
the commencement of this system Of hostile
aggression by the British government, on the
rights and interests of tile United States
The manner Gifts commencement was not
less hostile, than the spirit with which it has
been prosecuted. The u. States have in
variably done every thing in their power to
preserve the relations of friendship with
Great Britain Of this disposition, they
gave distinguished proof, at the moment
when they were made the victims of an op-
posite policy. The wrongs of the last war
had not been forgotten at the commence
ment Of the present one. They warned us
Df dangers, against which it was sought tc
provide. As early as the year 1904, the mi
mister OF the United States at London wa.
instructed to invite the British government
To enter into 4 negotiation en all the points
on which a collision might arise between
the two countries, in the course of the war
AND to propose TO it an arrangement of their
claims ON fair and reasonable conditions
'Fhe invitation was accepted. A negotiate
on had commenced and was depending, anC
nothing had occurred to excite a doubt tha
IL would not terminate to the satisfaction o
both the parties. 1t was at this time, ant
under these circumstances, that an attack
was made, by surprise, on an impor.
tant branch of the American commerce
which affected every part of the United
States, and involved many of their citizen
in rain.
The commerce on which this attack wa
81 Unexpectedly made, was between the y
States, and the colonies of France, SPAR
and other enemis Of Great Britain. A com
Tnerce just IN itself; sanctioned BY the ex
ample OF Great Britain, in regard to tn,
trade with her own colonies sanctioned b,
y solemn act between the two government
IN the last war; and sanctioned by the prac
Gee ofthe British government in the presen
war, more thaHtwoyears having then elaps
cd, without any interference with it.
The injustice Of this attack could onlv b
equalled by the absurdy of the pretext al
lodged fort. 1t was pretended by the Bri
tish government, that in case of war, her G
nemy had no right to modify its colonial re
gulations, so as 20 mitigate the calamities o
war 60 the inhabitantso f It's colonies. Thi
sretension, peculiar to GrgRt Britain, is vt