Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-02-01
luc, Which must be reprobatei by all conside.

duct WHICH must ne reproDateu by All coNSide-
rate men.
Had such law as this have been in force
Mr. ). said, the collector of New-York would
not have had to paw hundred anu twenty
thousand dollars for having stopped a vessel.
built and equipped in that port from being de-
livered into the hands OF one OF the black En-
pcrors. Ifyour present laws on this subject,
are permitted to remain, said Mr.. ). You must
pass some act 10 enable your o'ncers to execute
them. The principle of the bill was not new,
he said, having been adopted by successive
Congresses. Why have laws that we can
not execute, and thrs expose orr officers
to vexatious lawsuits and TO the loss Of
money, a loss ultimately deyOlving on the Uni
ted States.
The honorable gentlemen last IN, was mis-
taken in saving that this bii,would prevent the
supplying ofmunitions of war 10 men who were
fighting for their liberty. This bill, Mr.. S.
said, provided only that the government should
not be implicated by the citizen in his enter
prizes. Arms might still be exported to any
extent, butin the common way OF merchants,
not By force OF arms. but bv swift sailing. We
are not authorised by the laws OF nations, TO
arm and force u trade in munitions of war
with oGe of two belieerents in respect to both
otwh0m we areueutT1l.
The honorable gentleman from New y DIRK has
told US, said MIR. ). that outoi-do0rs iniorna-
ton says, that the Spanish minister. aided by
me minister of IL powerful nation, had denian-
ded OF the United States to take the course now
proposed. Out-of-doors information, said MIR.
$. is often wrong, and trust is not right on
the present occasion. The committee took t.
very means IN their power 10 inform themselves
on this subject, and nothing had appeared
which could bcinterpreted into aninterierence
OF the British minister on the subject.-lt
would have i'll become the British govern
ment TO pursue such 4 course They carry on
trade IN munitions o.war to the Spanish pa
triots OF Buen0s Ayres. in the same manner as
we DO to other parts Of the provinces aitl;o'
said Mr.. :. have never understood that they
INT out ont privatcers in their waters, and fight
for the security Of that trade. | believe. Sir,
the British minister has not made the interior
eDce spoken of by the gentleman. L speak
from my own impressions only; but, if such
had been the case, il would have been the du-
y OF the Secretary of State TO have given ntor-
nation OF tito the committee; and YOUR com
mittec, as well as this House. would have re-
garded it as very impertinent interference.
That no such thing had occurred, Mr.. s. said,
he fully believed. lfGreat-Hrtain should III
slst upon our doing an improper act in relation
10 SPAN, the Executive OF the country would
know how 10 treat the Interference. Neither
this nation, nor the Executive, would bow
to the mandate oil call of any foreign nation
TO do what il thought improper and no na-
ton would make Il demand OF that sort, bnt
would get d proper answer from this govern
ment.
Had Spain. the gentleman asked ANY rIghtto
require of us the passage OF such n bill Was
II calle fer by the acts of that government p
She has right to make demand of us said
MIR. ,. similar TO that which we made of her
when she permitted French privateers to fit
out III her ports and commit depredatonS ON
the commerce OF the United States. We made
representation on the subject, and demanded
OF the Spanish government that the practice
should not continue, and that they should paw
us Tor every depreciation which had been SO
made on our commerce. Whatmay the Span
isll minister demand in return: That YOU
Should MOI permit yOnr citizeus to fit out and
m ft.x =.
OF the United States to depredate on her com
merce Are not the eases in point! What did
Spain say in reply to our demand? She said
yed but she had not, it is well known the
means OF then dong what she was willing to
nave done. She said, she could not help what
had taken place, but was not only willing to
pay You for depredations by Spanishprivateers
but ny French privatccrs fitted ont of Spanish
ports. she was not aDie, but declared her viii
lingness. When, MIR. s. said we had subse.
qnently made treaty will Bonaparte. diem
first Consul, we released France from all de-
| mands on her as to depredations on the HIGH
seas, and The plunder that h0rpeope had nude
on our commerce. Wegave it up for what
| was considered quid pre- qWo We were bound
To guarantee the French West India Islands
| rather than continue which guarantee. Mr.. s
SAID, we had agreed to give Nd our claims foI
depfedations commdted on our commerce nrt
or 10 that treaty by France. When Spain then
mad heard that we had agreed TO give I'D all
claims tor uepredations committed by France
she argued that she could no longer have
| claims on France for her lepredatiOns since we
had released her, and that therefore she Spain
| was no longer bound to indemnify us VVha,
had been since done on this question. MIR. s
said, he knew not; but he took il for granted
that our government would persist in that de
mand. aud never reiinqushit it.
! Nasit not possible, that Spain would now
] prefer claim TOR losses sustained from deure
| detiohs oil her commerce by vessels fitted on
/ OF our ports Mr. S. said he was very much a
! fraid that she would, y; was therefore desrou,
! TO arrest them, tlat The amount might not BIZ
! further increased am not said MIR. :. the n
! pOlOgist OF any foreign government when
| they commit aggression oil us, when thew VIC
late our rights, IL is the dufy OF our govern
mont to resent and correct the proceeding. II
the SPaniardS, al Valparaiso injured us, our
government knows how tOindke the Demand tft
| redress, aud 'ce know how TO enforce il.
The gentleman from New-Yorl., who. Mr.. 6.
| said, was perhaps better acquainted with the
| laws of nations than him-seemed to think II
was no; the Iusy Of the United States 70 stop :,
! military force from marching from The terrific
rs, of lie UIitcd States against the Spanish
provinces. I'hatindividulls might embark in
foreign war, consistently with the law ofna tions
| no one cOuiddeny; il was done by foreigner.
IN every war, for the purpose OF acquiring mill
! tary knowledge. But would 1t not be consid
cred violation Of the laws ofnations TO per
nit iie enlsiing or enrolling men in our terri
tories TO fight OF one side or the other of two
! oeiligerenis II Mr.. Root explained that bis
Observations applied to the adoption If preoe1,ta.
tire laws only, carried TO too great extent
The gentleman had said that he was not H.
Go'd of a war with spain. | believe, said Mr.
$. there is no American cfrlid of a war viii,
Spain. But the gcHtiemanhad gone into an.
gument, to she', thatit would be to the inter
estoI Great Britain 20 get hold oftheaifections
Of the people Of South America, that she ini.lIt
sllu; as out from the trade. Wherever there i,
trade, said Mr. $. the industry, enterprise and
talents of the American merchant, will enable