Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-05-25

L IIouses have. .asstsbied, and are ready
TO receive any Coinmdnicatton he may
5, be pleased to make. Adopted, and a
com,nitteso of twp appointed. ;
/ A message was received from the Sc
nate, ias6fn,ing that a, quorum OF the
.s,eaate had assembled, and were ready
SO proceed to business. Aisofnotitying
the appointment of coamtsee to wit
Oh the President OF the q: States.
! MIR. SPEAKER Glars SPEECH.
J No. /.
| "W1Gt," said he, /" does state Of suar
| hresent--the united energies IF one teo-
hie agains. the combined energies If ano-
ther, a e0.Rict in sphieh each harfy aims
to tnl9ic; aH :se injury it can by sea and
BY land, on the territory, frottrty and
citizens Of the other, suJect only to the
rules Of mtigated 7va, hractised by ctpi-
liked nations ?" Mr.. Clay has not ex-
| planned what he meant by "the rules o.
mitig4ted war practised by civilized "a
tons" It would be difficult to define
| these rules. II the conduct of our ami
| a5ie and benevolent friend Ronahar1e be
taken as the criterion, what atracity;
either Of robbery, pil!age or murder has
| not been committed by him as lawful
| acts of war.
1t seems to be the dictate Of reason
! and humanity, that even in war, which
Mr.. Jefferson defines to be a cohtes, be.
tween two nations in which each en-
dcavors to do the OIL CT al the harm it
can" That we should not kill an coe-
my unnecessarily, or even destroy his
| property unnecessarily. But this ne
cessity must vary according 20 ciicum.
stances. If prisoners attempt to regain
their arms or to escape, even now it is
held right TO Kill them --Jnciestly it was
held right to destroy prisoners if you
could not otherwise escape from the
pursuit of tie eneaiS. The destruction
Of property is held more extensively
Unsuitable, not only when that property
| belongs to the government of the hos
| tile nalion-that is what Is called public
| property, about which there can be no
| qcestion--but when private property IS
| Of such kind as would assist the enc
my, such as provisions, horses, Wagons,
! carts, arms, even houses and furniture,
when resistance notorioesly rash and
| inc Tectu4l be ,sl=-io, may bv destroyed
as a penalty for such folly. How often
have even whole towns been RACED from
their foundations by way Of punishment
SO the republican Cromwell acted in
Ireland. And such il the practice of all
cenqucyors. This necessity OF war will
| Justly the employment of savagcs, when
without their aid, inevitable destruction
this necessity Of war under Peculiar cir
cums!Qnces justify? 1t would Justify
masters in aiming their slaves Tor their
protection. It might Justify an enemy
in arming them against their masters
! if Indispensable to bring those masters
TO lust terms Of peace. And do we not
afford to our enemy plausible prstext
to pursue such conduct when we at
tempt to withdraw from their service
their native subjects. But these acts'
and every other injurious act, are law.
full acts Of war, according to Mr..
Claws and his hrototyhe Mr.. J:ferson's
definition Of suar-that one enemy has q
right TO i9Rict every injury an The ter
ritcry, PROPERTY and Persons Of another,
con,rouied Only by a regard TO his ozvn
safety and his osvn interest.
| We are likely to drink deep enough
of this bitter cup.
| Our western brethren from Indian
hos,ility-our southern from as fero-
cious and dangerous an enemy, which
no doubt will be let Loose upon US, II
this war be permitted to proceed SO as
to excite fell spirit of hate and ire
yenge in our enemy. We southern
people are poor weak defenceiess race
We are exposed 10 every calamity YET
| - IL nnlu iinr