Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1814-03-17


and affec tionate tias of our natare:-
Therefore ii We lay aside the laws OF our
cnnarok and precepts OF christianity'
which require US to "ioUe orr enen''es
and refarn blessiag for eurstrs, aRo
state the case to benevolent and dis
corning man. Tell him that the Bri.
fish hayp wronged us. that they insist
upon principles contrary to the opinion
Of the President and majority OF Con-
gross, and therefore to retaliate for the
injury. to produce IS much misery to
the subjects of the king as bis subjects
have done to,us; and to make his ma
iesty and ministers give up their opinion
to the better Judgment Of the President
and Secretary at War, We are determin-
ed to raise an army invade Canada, and
|" eonqsrr the King into heace." W8uld
no, that man, shocked at the proposition,
enter his immediate protest against a
design so rash, SO barbaroas! He would
point YOU to the inhabitants Of Canada,
free from gait, save that of heing Bril-
fish subjects, despcilyd of their proper
ty or falling in defence Of those rights
which Americans hold dear and sacred |;
:butchercd by our armies. He would
esk you to iistenta the groans of the dy.
ing, to the shrieks of helpless women,
and still more helpless children, flying
from, the scene of slaughter ana death,
and perhaps lighted by their blazing
houses, which had recently been the a.
bodies ofpeace & happiness. He would
point you TO the still more shocking and
dreadful scenes, your own countrymen
.ioiled by the stronger arm, or superior
discipline afyour euemy, s;rewed upon
The field Of battle dead and dying-He
would shew youyour frontier laid waste
by al epraged enemy. and wide scene
ofruin and d:snlaiion.--He would shew
fou tie morals of your coun,rynen ru-
incl, yorr camps filed with sickness and
death. He would saew you--but dss-
cription fails. He would shew you the
misery Of century in single campaign.
He would Plead the Cause of his country,
the cause of bumanity-aud when he
had done go, he would be called moral
traitor, by the honorable gentleman from
Tennessee. And sir, permit me to say,
if this il moral treason, let me be the
traitnr-it viii De pleasan. while l live,
it will console me when / die.
Mr.. Chairman, FINN the observations
already made, it will be seen that am
oppased to all wars, declarstI to revenge
Injuries or to puni,h aggression.
|. Because in their nature they must
be violation Of those principles which
il be cores US to cherish.
2. Because they are n no case neces-
sary.
s. Because tho unhappy effects fall
upon the innocent.
4. Because redress never is obtained.
A. to the Grst point, Sir, shall not
trouble the committee with sny furt her
remarks, or reasons, having exhausted
my reasoning rslavent to this part of the
subject, in the moral reflections already
made.
2. 1t can never be necessary for no
ton to go to war Extensively, to obtain
redress for any injury which it may have
suffered from az offending nation.
In order to nake out such necessity.
it must be shewp, that the existence IT
the nation. its essential happiness. lis Ii.
berry or independence, and the sum OF
its prosperity, depends upon the war to
be declared. 1t is believed sir, tina: this
cannot be shewn in any possible case.
Far the moment any of those vital prin-
cples of national happiness is invaded
by another nation, resistance to that In.
vasion, by force and arms is q defensive
measure. To cxemplify it. .Ifthe Bri-
fish invaded the sovereign prerogatives
of the Anne, lean government, by search
our merchant vessels, the true course
would have been to resist at the time.
For the government to have built suf-
6cient number of armed yessels,to con.
vow our merchant vessels, snd if you
please to have authorised the latter TO
arm in their own defence, and to repel
with force any encroachment upon our
rights. So far we were undoubtedly
justified in going; and in SO doing we
might not enly have prevented the war.
bot in all probability have done away e.
very pretext for it. This kind OF resis-
Mnce would hare raised the national
character, supported the national honour
which is ne more or less than rational
justice.
If after all this preparation, the Bril-
fish had now and then been enabled to
overcome our resisting force Can any
man in his senses say, that war was .
necessary consequence Will it be pre-
tended, that we oneh, to make such an
Immense sacrifice to obtain comparative
.ly speaking, trifing object! And when
calculating on the eject of orr means,
we could entertain no hopes OF redress.
Because, it amounts to something like
demonstration that, if our country have
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