Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-01-11
Frcs, the Boston ctnt'ne'.

IN the Ne. York evening Post OF
tho s,s.kins.. are the aesaiiees sl''a-
esed;cgs ii BufFa!ee, efs Cont
tial. appointed! to try Elijah Clark,
as spy. The facts that appeared
at the trial. are, that the said Clark
was born in New Jersey-That a
bout eighteen months since, he re,
moved to Canada, where he boaght
an estate, married and settled; OF
course, agreeabIy to their laws,
must have become natnralized. ana
a British subject. Clark, heing
found within the American iInes'
since the declaration of war, was ar
rested. tried, found guilty as a Spy,
and sentenced to be hanged. Gene
raj Hall, (the commander) having
doubted the correctness ofthe ground
taken BY the Court. Martial, ordered
the execution to be stayed. until the
pleasure Of the President of the u.
S. could he known. The order from
the President, through the Secreta-
~ at War, was, to discharge said
Clark-that being an American citi-
zen, he could not be considered as a
Spy; but was amenable TO the Civil
authority as traitor, under the laws
OF the u. S. if he had done any
thing in violation Of them. Now,
what l wish by this, is to call the
attention Of my countrymen to a
most importer, fact; that our adj
ministralion here recognize and es-
tablish a principle, the practice OF
which they deny to the British go
vernment-a principle. which she, &
all other nations have maintained,
long before we existed IS a nation,
viz. that a person does not lose his
citizenship. by removing to foreign
country, and becoming naturalized
there, or in other words, that a man
cannot 50 far expatriate himself, as
to extinguish his claim for pretec.
ton on his native country, or avoid
being amenable to its laws as a citi-
zen--or his native country lose her
claim to him, for any duties and SER
vices she has right to require ofall
her citizens, by the circumstance of
his being domiciliated in a foreign
country. This seems to involve the
whole question, on which our admi-
nistration now pretend TO persist in
carrying on this ruinous war. While
we are asserting and executing the
right Of furnishing an expatriated ci- d
tizen, for a crime applicable to re-
sident citizen. that Of aiding and a.
betting our enemies shall we cent?
nue. war in order to compel our an
tagonist to reIinquish this right,
which by Our own proceedings we
acknowledge to be just right If
the British, on capturing their ma
tives, on board our ships of war, ar
rest aud send them home for trial.
under their civil authority. as trait.
ors; is not this the principle, prac-t'
Used in the ease Of Clark above
mentioned? For "a citizen or sub
,lect OF a beiIigcrent. is punishable,
for aiding ami abetting the enemies
OF his country: is not the act Ct
fighting against his country. the
more aggravated state o. the crime
On what plea then does our govern
meht saaetiOn the conduct Of ore Of
Inc commanders OF our squadron in
this pert, aud another instance in
Charleston S. G. ia arrestiug and
OBTAINING several English prisoners
as Messages, with an intention ofre,
tai:atins il case those English ma
lives found fighting against their;
own country, shall be punished by
the laws OF that country lis it to
envelope the public mind in the fog
of an abstract principle-in order
10 conceal the cause for extending a
vindictiye war? Can it be possible
chat a People. whose freedom Of en-
quigy whose sense of moral justice,
are 50 conspicuous aud acknowledge
ed as are those of the Americans,
should consent to authorize and sup
port their Agents who administer
their public affairs. in maintaining a.
doctrine so upheard Of, so subversive
of every moral dnty-and which is
bringing disgrace and destruction on
them and their posterity1
With respect to the other point
embraced in the above principle. the