Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1819-02-16

DEBATE ON TIE SEM mole WAR.
CONTINUED.

tReported Jor the N9tionat Infeliiseneer.]


! Mr.. ALsxANDERS MYrH, (oi Virginia, )
addressed the chair: Ipromised, SAID lc,
when the House received the report of
| The military committee, that ] would.
when the time of discussing it arrived, al
tempt 10 slew, that all the proceedings
OF General Jackson, in prosecuting The
Seminole war, were justified by the law
| of nations. / will proceed TO fulfil that
| promise.
In examining the proceedings Of the
armed force Of the United States i'm Flor-
ola, propose TO make these enquiries: I.
Have the rights OF the United States been
transcended? ,. Have the constitutional
powers of the President been exceeded {?
3. Has General Jackson transcribed his
powers, or violSied the laws Of nations?
proceed with the first enquiry, Hare
tie rights Of Tie United States been t,gus-
| ce,tdsd'
The law of nations, like the common
law of the land, is founded on reason and
| usage. To prove that il is reasonable
that a nation should possess certain
| right, is to prove that il does possess that
right; unless il is shewn tina: the custom
and usage OF nations Is otherwise. We
md those customs and usagcs in treatses
compiled by writer's on The law of ma.
| TONS.
| The right of security. or of selfpreser-
yatlon, is one of The most important, and
most unqueslionable rights OF naiions-
! A nation has a right not 10 suffer any
other 10 obstrur, It's preservation. This
is one Of those rights called perfect rights.
| The definition Of a perfect right r., That il
may be asserted by force. Ii is therefore
the dnty OF the government TO preserve
! the people. "'rhe safety ct The people
! IS the first law" And we have a right 10
do whatever is necessary 10 the discharge
of ouT dulles.
| We have right, by the law Of nations,
to destroy hostile savages residing within
the territorial limits of meighbouring
power, but not amenabie 10 the civil laws.
neIghb uring territory is not TO become
safe asylum Tor bandi,ti, who carry on
against US predatory and murdcrous hos
tii'ies. You may not pursue fugitivr
| from justice, Oh the territory Of neigh
pouring nation: there is no necessity to
anihorise you 10 do so. But, If YOU can
not otherwise deliver yourself from an
imminent danger, YOU NAV enter the ter
rifory OF neig]ibouring power. (a) In
short, the government, bling bound TO
preserve the people. has right TO ali the
means necessary to preserve the people,
whatever they may be. Nothing can dis
pense with The obligation, aud nothing
can DESTROY Ire right 10 The means
Inc right OF necessity, and the right of
seli'o;seHce, are paramount TO all other
gifts claimed under the law of naiions.-
He mviOlabiliiy of ambassadors, and
even the lnviolabiliiy OF crowned heads,
must yield 10 the security OF nations.
! Thus. a conspiracy having been formed
III l7I7, III England. conirived by the
swedish ambassador, 10 invade The coun-
Try and deiliroDc The king, The anba-sa-
dor was arrested and his papers seized !:
/ to) The other foreign ministers expressed
their satisfaction, except the ambassador
from Spain, who observed lie was sorry
no other way could be fallen OH for pre-
serving the peace Of the Kingdom. He
| then assigned satisfactory reason for
| adopting the measure; there was no other
| way OF preserving the peace OF The king
dom therefore, the measure was neces-
sary for self preservation, and consequent
| ly lawful.
| The Speaker (Mr. Clay)has questioned
the right of the United States to enter
the country Of The Semiuoes in Florida,
TO suppressfhem. and put an end 10 their
hostlle iHcnrsions. Ii is d strange doc
trine, that there is no way TO put an end
to the hostilities Of a subject savage COM
munity, whose country lies within the
| territorial limits Of ii power with which We
are at peace, but by declaring war against
That power. The law of nations allows
you 10 enter The territory OF a neutral
power IN quest OF an enemy. (c) II is
even still more re asonable tba, YOU slhouIl
possess the right. when the territory
claimed by the neutral power il, in fact.
| the county, the residence. of your savage
enemy, where alone efi,ecfual hostiities
| can he carried on arajusf him
The right Of q sovereign power TO ex-
elusive jurisdiction within territory. is
founded oil the engagement 10 govern The
inhabitants, and restrain them from iniur-
| ing other nations. When the, government
IS no longer able to restrain the iubabi
ianis from iniuring other nations, ti,ey
nave an undoubted right TO attack such
inhabitants, and suppress them, without
going TO war with that power which, has
become too feeble to restrain iiiem-
should Buenos Ayres, or the Banda OTi-
entail, having shaken off the authority of
SPAN, make war Oh Tho RraziIians, The
latter would seem 10 have an undoubted
right to invade them without going io
MAR with Spain. Should Mexico sci AT
naugli Tie Spau5sh government. and
make war against the United STATES. h,e
latter would have right 10 invade Mex
ico, Without declaring war against spain.
30, ~ The case under consideration, Spain
being unable 10 restrain The savages Of
FLORIDA, has no right TO complain that tllc
United STATES have entered that cUua,ry
10 restrain them.
Tic law Of nations may be illustrated
10y eases III municipal la@. may pur-
sue and destroy on your Land nOxinns
arImal which haze started on my own.
4 h..,f - A.
! may cnlcI on sour premises, and pail
NJ Intan 4. o. IL. 800. Z. -. II -,