Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1814-01-13

American has been expatriated or not
by what nation should it be decided BY
the foreign nation or BY America ! II a
question shall arise between France aad
Frenchman, whether he has been ex.
patria.ed, none but the French tribunal
is proper to decide it.-So in England
whether an Engiishman has been alb
solved from his allegiance, or been
changed into an alien, must be decided
by tho English tribunals.
The rule of retaliation might be ne.
ces.ary, and if necessary would DO jus.
tihable in regard to the case of native or
real Americans who should suffer in
any way contrary to the usagss of war
such being made prisoners, are en.i-
lied to be treated according to the ssa-
ges Of war in all respects as enemies,
and not as criminals-sueh are not a.
mepabie to any civil tribunals Of the enc
nv for their acts in war: and if any
such should be evilly. vigorously or
cruelty treated. the like treatment should
DC retaliased upon the prisoners In our
power.
Are the native and real Americans
prepared to say there is no difference
between themselves and the foreigners
they have adopted and received in re-
gard to the claims Of foreign nations /;
and that they are willing none shall
DE made! Are the people OF this cosn-
try convinced OF their right to interpose
between England and the natives Of
England, and to lay down a rule which
England shall be obliged to obey? Is
il for this that the war shall be waged
in future with unrelenting violence and
fury Are the native and real Ameri-
cans willing to see and hear OF their
sons and relatives being sacrificed on
account of the cpigran,s from the B-i-
fish dsminions, who within the last
twenty years have been naturalized here,
aud have siuce voluntarily enlisted in
our Feet or array, and unfortunately
have been made captiyes :
The public faith as pledged by tse
naturalization ct such men, extended no
further than to confer sll American
rights and privileges, which could he
conferred on foreigners. The public
faith was never pledged to impo:sibiii-
Ties. The public faith was never pledged
to charge the law of natisns. 1t was
never pledged TO establish the doctrine
that America by, na,uralizing British
subjects, could and would a5solve them
for ever from the claims of the British
sovereign. Therefore or this account
there is no obligation to continue the
war or to recur to the extreme mea-
sares of rigid retaliation. Upon this
occasion the principle and law Of retail
elton has been misapplied, NEST la
mentally misspplied, whether the lives
of the unfortunate men sent to Eng
land be considered, or the dreadful
consequences whish may possibly fol
low from the error of the American go
vernment.
IT these unfortunate men shall be
tried and convicted, and condemned and
punished under the municipal laws Of
England, the Presiden, has made it
known that like number Of British
subjects, taken in war, shall be punish.
ed in like manner: but these are to
have no trial, no conviction, no iudicia!
sentence pronounced in their cases, fix
ing on them any guilt or anv crime -
The British are then to follow in the
ike course, Of taking life without trial;
and after the lives Of many innocent men
shall be the victims Of the error, the
rule Of public law will remain as 1t vas.
Whatever the American government
could righ,iully do for the safety Of the
B ,i,i.h subjects who have been duly
naturaiized, they were and are bound
to do By every obligation of honor and
humanity. 1t being the practice of both
nations to naturalize the subjects OF
each other, it being the practice of both