Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-02-01

the governments. or any Of the nations to
which these insulated parties of narauders
belonged, should be so FAR held responsible
Tor their acts. m to be placed beyond the
protection o! the law of nations, aai to be
! male TO suffer for crimes which they could
~e,ther toresee nor prevent, 1t was enough
that the guilty were made to suffer. In or .
dcrIng THIS, the nation to whom they beiou
ged did all that could reasonably be requi.
red by the injured parties. The American
government acted precisely in the same
way. The oiicer who had the charge OF
the party that burned St. Davids was dis
missed from the service " without trial. for
not preventing it." think this was an ar
bi;rary stretch of power, No man oush,
| 10 be punished without a trial, however
great aud however palpable his crime
10 admit contrary practice is opening
door that may lead TO great abuses, and I
am sorry TO find the fact admitted by an
American secretary of state, But aegraya-
ted AS this nih:er's punishment vas by this
branch ofla and justice. the Courier wri-
ter "oui1 have it believed, that it was not
half severe. CWas tina, an aAeouate Dun
ishment,) he asks, for such an unnrovo.
voksd enormity r-Thanks to the enliph.
tened minds OF those who framed the A.
'nericau code OF laws, that it was consider.
ed an adequate,punishment. Tojudpe from
tne sangulnary disposition of this corrup .
'''n'S', n appears mat nothing would have
sasSneo nm short OF burning the wrc.ch a.
i've N''u because aoue such punishment
as TINS was not inflicted, he now pretesds
that Madisoa's government. ournt 70 he i'm
pHcated III the affair of St. Davids. and that
Circumstance so manifestly uncoptrolahle
ana SO clearly unauthorized by any propcr
n tha
pea we have set up in Justification of the
ureautai suffering we have inflicted on the
american people !-lf we were to form our
'P"'onS OF the Americans, upon what this
t'ESuluted writer tells US. we could net fail
~ consider them the most barbarous, the
most immoral, and the most uucuitive,ed
race OF men existing on the face of the
eartn yet with all their savage propensi,
t'es' we DO not perceive that their rules
naVs been so stupidity precipitate as either
TO proclaim the inhabitants of the conn.
tries they invadsd 5cyoad the protection of
OF the law, or 20 treat them as if they had
oeen -De!r own SD iiects, in ooen rebellion
AGAINST me state. The Cases already allu-
ueu ~ 1''oehtiy 40 NOT warrant the conclue
SOUS orawn oy the Courier uufavorabie TO
''e hlhaA''y OF the Americans and if we
are disposed 20 give Candid heariny to
| their own defence, we shall soon he cony;n-
! ccd, that they ars neither barbarous M.
Innrm+uj that they are as we'll acouain-
ecu win the science of politics, aad enter
| 'A'ns as great respect for the established
| avs oil nations. and the rights of particular
| ''%Sfs' as tlc most civilized and Christian
| people 10 Europe' 1t appears. indeed. that
'ter superior requirements. Combined with
| IN ardent attachment TO liberty. is the
! cause OF the great hatred and ranccour con.
| stantiy displayed, in our newspaper press.
| against ell their institutions. We envy the
| Americans because they excel us. and from
envy proceeds enmity. Nor do the recent
triumpns WHICH they have obtained over
our meets aHd armies, and the imposing at
htude they nave IN Consequences assumed
| appear IN any degree TO lessen the deep
rooted HAuce entertained against them by
great majority in this country. Disaster
seems 10 nave 40 other effect than to con.
Hrn popular PreJ"dices the public have
| 40 wish to De undeceived, and the man that
uareS 2uehiPt TO tell them the truth is sure
4 20 be treated with CONTEMPT. and tone iooI,
ed upon as suspected person. who like
the nation whose rights he defends, ought to
De punished for his laudabe efforts. With
such dispositions, j. is no way surprising hat
the conductors of our vile press find admi-
rers ihey Halter their passions, they feed
their apPe-i.e for lies, they nuurish their
hatred and ti:ey re'kiRdle their fury, when.
ever circumstances occur to reconcile them
20 ne Iorher objects OF their hate. From
this dreadful but no less faithful, picture of
ne Preseni state of society, one would al
mo;t DC compelled 10 conclude, that MAJ.
| was aatural'y savage animal. 1t is MOI, how.
ever 'roni the corruption OF his nature that
these evIIS spring they are occasioned by
corrupt institutions, by perverted systems of
| education by inexoraole laws, that inter-
ested cheats have every where promulga.
| TED, and that never Can be overcome until
maaAlna return to reason, the only sure