Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-05-19

gave MS OplIlion OH the qSSS'toh hSe'y
TO the following effect. /,
The common law of this country re.
mains the same as il was before the re-
yolution. The present question is to
be decided by two great principles one.
is, that all the members OF civil commu-
nity are bound to each other by compact;
the other is, that one Of the parties to
this compact cannot dissolve 1t by his
own act. The compact between our
community and its members is, that the
community shall protect is members, &
ON the part of the members, that. they
will at all times be obedient to the laws
of the commsnity, and faithful in its de-
fence This compact distinguishes our
Government from those which are found.
ed in violence or fraud. 1t necessarily
results that the member cannot dissolve
this compact, without the consent or de-
fault of the community. There has been
no consent-no default. Default is not
pretended. Express consent isnot claim
ed but it has been argued that the con-
sent of the community is implied, by Its
Dolicy--its condition-and its acts. Ia
countries so crowded with inhabitants,
mat the means Of subsistence are diff
cult 10 be obtained, it is reason and po-
licy to permi, emigration. But oar po-
icy is different; for our country is but
scarcely settled, and we have no inhabl-
tants to spare
"Consent has been argued from the
condition OF the country; because we
were in state OF peace, But tho we
were i'm peace. the war had commenced
in Europe We wished TO have nothing
10 do with the war but the war would
have something to do with us. 1t has
been extremely difficult for US to keep
out of this war the progress of 1t has
threatened To ipvoiye US 1t has been
necessary for our government to be
yigiIant in restraining our citizens from
those acts which would involve us in
hustiities The most visionary writer's
Oh this subject do not contend for the
principle 10 the unlimited extent, that
citizen may at any all Zines, renounce
his,own, and join himself to foreign
country.
"Consent has been argued, from these
acts Of our government, permlttlnSthe
naturalization of foreigners. When
foreigner presents himself here, proves
himsei to be of good moral character,
we'll affectedlo the constitution and go
vernment Of the United States, and a
friend to the good order and happiness
of civil society, if he has resided here
the time prescribed by law, we grant
him the privileges Of citizen. We do
MT enquire what his relation is to his
owA country--we have not the means Ut
knowing, and the enquiry would be IN
delicate, we leave him to Judge of that.
Ghe eiubarrasses himseIfby contracting
contradictory obligations, the fault aud
the folly are his own.-But this Implies
no consent of the government that our
own citizens should expatriate them
selves
"Therefore, it is my opinion, that
these facts which the prisoner offers to
prove in his defence, are totally iTreve-
liant; they can have no operation IN law
and the Jury ought not to be emoarrasa-
cd or troubled with them: but by the
conslitut on of the court the evidence
must sc to the Jury
The cause and TIE evidence were ac-
cordingly committed to The jury:
The jury snon agreed on verdict
.na I'll IL .
The court sentenced him to pay line
| of 1000 dollars, and to suffer months
| imprisonment
Isaac Williams WAS also indicted De.
fore this >ourt for having, on the 23d OF
September, 1897, in a hostile MANNER
| with a privateer commissioned by the
French republic, attacked and captured
a British ship and crew on the high seas,
contrary to the 2lst article OF the treaty
between the United States and U. Bill
tain; said Williams being then citizen
ofthe United States the French repuo-
tic being then at war with the king OF
G Britain, and said King being In a'nity
with the United States.
| w lliatDS uGiCDCC On tHS H' - A'S-o>
ment being of no avail, and having no
| 2Jher defence 10 this, he pleaded guilty.
rhe court sentenced him to pay hne OF
| 1000 ddllarS, and to suffer further I'M
Imprisonment OF four months.
The Lord Sidmou:h, prize to the
privateer Paul Jones, was re-captur-
ed on sunday afternoon, within Gull
light. near London. by the Brl-
It's frigate Orpheus. The Lord Sid
mouth was valuable prize-she was
:oppered to the bends and had full
cargo ofsusar and cochineal. besides
eighty thousand dollars in specie
On the same day the Orpheus cap
lured two other American ships.