The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1813-08-27

language in which he wrote.
ne next distinguished writer, relied q
> ny the per;iSans of the British principle
Fattel; sensible man, who often saw VII 3
was rigat, without having the courage 10 &c
clare 1t.
de too like his predecessor Gro.;us AN,
by' keishoeG, contents himself with ver,
briet exposition Of what he understood III,
,aw 70 Se All tsat hestates (Sook s. C. 7
D il4.} on Tire point is expressed in one lin,
and half. If the goods of an enemy
SAYS he. arc found in neutral vessel. the,
may by the law Of war be seized" Tier,
'SnH feasoning, nc inquiry, no practical view
fai me priacip'e. So the ilv is, he saws, Rnt
there he leaves it. Such is the text AND
IN the lrody It the work, re acpears 20 FOL
How the manner as well IS the mater. of IL.
writers who had gone before him. Yet hi,
iTeh' opirion, steals ost us it were in a few
words &c the bDttom of note of several
macs. ne note represents B,neei a Dutch
empassa cor SIS stating in his correspondent,
WITH the fensionsry Dewitt, that he had 81
succeeded i'll his negocja ton with Frsnre
that thereafter, Enemy's goods orIy o.,
board OF the Hollapder would be Condemn
tea, end that the vessel & the residue Of ,he
}car6o Should be released, but that he could
tuot succeed in establishing tho priuciyls
That free ships make free cuods. "'rhis
last lazy, saws Va.tel. roouid br yrore ,ytu
raj than the first" The authority of Vst-
tePs opinion, therefore, if 1t be worth any
thlng, 10 ssainst the doctrine Of the British.
whom he praises with great l;berality, and
VINO nave retufned his compliments. I have
] no doubt, with entire good viii.
! singular instance Of this sort es go,d
will on the par. OF British writer tnwsrls
vattel is before ne. Marshal ION insurance
BOOK Lee, g. Sn. s.> SAYS that VatteI q
French author. offhe FIRE eninence main
tairs W fTrefrGga6Lc arguments, not ONLY
tue rlgnt OF visitation and search, but tha,
Ia neutral ship, resisting such search, might
tor that reason only be condemned" Vat
( eel, 1t IS true, SO expounds the law: brt
50 tar from maintaining his opinion bv IRE
trEgabic arguments he urges no argument
Whatever. This palpable rnisreprcscn,a.,
! " echecss no credit On the cause, in which
TT has been emplnYed.
! The same writer, loses his llberahsv end
poiiteness rs s2on as he notices iIubaer, WIN
Icon'ended that free ships MAKE free goods.
His work is csvnlierly denounced ss narty
lrrUipctipn, more remark lble for ingenuity
than tor candor and feir reasoning. Urhrar
then 1t seems does Tesscn on this subi.e.
Srd what fs fncre, reasons inganiousiy. an
what ~ still more, reRsJns So ineani,H,elv that
he is abused. Instead of 5ciHg answered
Azuni sess that he is the t2-st nan taat h "a
reasoned 20 any tsEeent on ,his pSrt OF pub &c
Jaw.
To support 6einoccius, and Hubner, with
whose works am noe acquainted, aud Vat
rel, wli,Tn con slider as ~ trnth an slve.
cate ioF the freedom OF the flsg, Martens
professor OF Law in tie University of Got.
tngen, may be brought forward. Ie makes
as snort work wish this great question as any
OF hl predecessors and simply says that
tFee ships MAKE free goo.is. He meutinns
in note that Grotius was os diF.reat or .
mon, which 8ays he was supported by ths
practice Of his time.
AzIui Is OF the same opinioq with Mar
tens, Hoinsccius, Hubner ard Va,tei, an
supports that opinion with much zeal, and
ihfor'netion, but without much method. ar
ability. The influence Of his opinion is h ~
ever uchdimnisnei by tue warmth which
he displays against G.. Britain, and his intire
devotion 70 the politics os France.
On the whole the weight of authority ON
both sides excluding that If reaties appears
tn De nearly eqpiPondsraEt bat, in the Ian
EuaSe OF johnson. il is not worth while z,
mark the trspldstions of the balance. as in
truth. there IS no authority, putting treaties
aside, but that 1t reason, justice, convent
enee, and humanity-
these remarks are offered To the public
WIN tlieS culErent Vi>w2. he ErSt Is, to
guard those who rnsy chance TO read them,
from the precipltate adoption Of opinions
adverse TO the best interests of their Coup
tIy, into which they mey je led bv the haiti
o. cnDde0luing al that Bouaparte does. ard
OF Tppcsing every principle for which he
cTnteHds. Il will not be SAID that Bonspa-t,.
may NOT bs sometimes in the right. In tie
present Instance he unquestiUnallly j, r:cht :
| ana there Is some chance, "A remote posi-
sihty, thai his worst enemies may ti,nk so,
when they Cannot conds n HIN wit1out pro
nouHcirs sentence equally severe on all
tic powers now in arms Against him.
The second object Of these recna-rs IL To
iay before the public, facts about whica,there
can be no dispute, and which viii shey in
us Instance 81 least, but that Of the mos,
/ irportant character, how little infIlencp
! BWlaparte has had on the councils of this
. countrJ. Hshas for years been con,ending.
Whistler sincerely or rot is immaterial, ton
The freedom Of the seas. Ie has ehjeav0r.
ed to cut of ali commerce between the con
unent asd q. Britain. until the latter wonld
agree to respect the right os ncutrals. He
| mas called on the u 5. to assert these rights
and insulted us for not CO ,reratine with
/ him. Our government knew full well the
! value OF the rghts, which we were thus 70
qHired to- maintain it knew that the free
dom OF the liag, would cover the ocean with
! our ships, and that commerce thus freet
| fre'n her s"ackies would pour fhe trea-ure
1t the world into The c9fE,rs of sur citizens
/ But on this subject Il has been silent. III,
| reasons ct this silence are not material IL
! nv Vipy OF the cass I sre.L c,iy IS H.