Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-03-04


iuiurr occasions.
II ,hcseihiugs be admitted i'm the south
will they not be considered as authorized
in the north Are there not fortresses
there 10 be won, and provinces TO be con-
quered, and are there not indians IN that
quarter likewise, aud may not the officer
IN command find means TO prove that
those Indians have been, cor hereafter
may be, furnished by the British with
arms and munitions of war, AMI IT so,
may he not follow the example sci IN The
south And add something to his stock
Of military fame, by reducing the British
fortrrSs,s ofCanada, * uniucling the star
spanJl ted banner oitii> nation on the walls
OF Quehec.
We Hope better things oC HE disln-
guiSied officer, at The head 0t our ar.
mics, apd W. bad hoped better ihing> OF
the iiero of Nev Orleans, bat we have
been disappointed, and if the conduct of
the Officers IA The south, be sanctioned
and approved by the nation, we are trr.
10 declare that The reduction of Quebec,
(wherc Mnnlgomery Tell, unable Ia con
gu ~ would present Il much stronger
ciaim "a public appreciation.
II is necessary here To remark, that
copy OF Tie order issu d By Gen Jack
81. Augustine, was transmitted 10 the Sc
creiary of War, and couHtermandin1
order promptly dcsratc he'd 10 General
Gaines, "hicb reached him, before the
military expedition set on foot by Gen.
Jackson, had commenced; and thus was
suddenly arrested a military Scheme, (as
unconstitutional as II VAS impnliic( and
which might, as stated by the Secretary
OF War, IA his letter of the S,h day of
Sept. 1918, i'aye Involved this nation in a
war with all Europe.
In Thus promptly prohibiting the unau-
thorized seizure. al the will OF coul-
mandlng general, of The possessions OF "A
neighborins nation with whom the u.
STATES are al peace, The committee recog
nize That sacred regard 10 the nights of
other nations, hicb ought never 10 be
departed from by the executive OF free
country, aud THAT vigilanI attention 10
the conduct of The officers of The army,
which Is necessary TO secure due sub
ordination OF the military TO the civil
power.
They consider that on this occasion,
the executive of the United States has
\by promptly restoring ST. Marks aud
Pensacola, wrested from Spain, III viola.
ton OF Instructions pursued the course,
that the constitution demanded, that all
former precedents justified, and 10 which
the pubhc sentiment gave decided APP
probation.
Interviewing the execution of Arbuth-
not and Ambrister, your committee can
not hut consider II as an unnecessary act
OF severity, on the part of the command
ing general, and Il departure from that
mud and humane system towards pri-
SONGS, wIich. in all our conflicts with
savage or civilized nations, has hereto
tore n, On considered, not ouly honorable
10 the national character, but comiorma-
bic To tie dictates of sound pOiicy.
These prisoners we're subjects q! Great
Britain, with whom the United States
are al peace. Having left their country,
and united their fate with sava9es, with
whom The United States we're al war, they
forfeited their claim TO the protection ui
Their own government, and subj cted
themselves IL the same treatment, which
might, according TO the practice aud
principles of the American government,
be extended towards those, with whom
they were associated. No process of
reasoning can degrade them below the
SayaSes with whom they were connected.
AS prisoners OF war, they re entitled
To clam from the American government,
tllat protection, which the most savage of
our foes, have uniformly experienced,
v hen dIsarmcd and in our pow Ter. HUI
mainly shoulders al the idea of cold
blooded execution of prisoners disarmed,
RHi IN the power of the conqueror. And
although. savagcs, who respect no laws,
nay, according 10 the strict principles
O. the law OF nallons, have their own
system of cruelty inflicted on them. by
way OF retaliation, II is believed, that
such system would degrade and debasc
the civilized nation, Who could resort To
At, and is rot only rcpngnant TO The mild
prin apIes of the Christian reli2 ion but a
vloiaI"n of those great principles OF mo-
raj rtctltuje which distinguish tile Amr-
rican character. Retaliation i'll tie u.
States has always been confined TO spe-
cited acts of cruelty. IT is moi believed
1la' AIRY attempt has ever been made 10
reialiate for charges so general as those
exhibited against Arbutlnot aud Ambris-
Ter, VIZ; " lnciiing The indians TO war"
During ibe revolutionary war, only two
Eases occurred of persons seized Tor pur-
poses of retaliation, neither of whom was
executed. The case of Asgili seized on
account OF The murder of IuidJ and
governor Hamilton of Vim cnnes, for
specific acts of cru l'y also ilamiiOu
was e Mined for shout tine with rigour,
and afterwards released. During the
late war, marked with some cases OF
cold blooded massacre on iIie part OF our
enemy. particularly the one al The river
RaiSin, no such measure as retaliation vas
TCsortcd 10.
Tue principle assumed by tie COM
mandIng general, HAT Arbullluol and
Ambrister, by uniting in war against the
United States, while we were at peace
with Great Britain, became outlaws
aad pirates, and liable TO suffer ded:h,"
is not recognised in any code Of national