Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1820-07-18


r,sed 10 proceed on The duty of his s,a-
ton OF recruiting officer, In the service
o. the new states but he denied the con.
sequence HAT was assumed a. flowing
from 'nc exercise OF the functions of an
officer % South America, and recruiting
FOR The service in which he had been du-
~ commissioned.
lie thea entered at large into the prn.
cipies at the law OF nations, with refer
enceto the relations Of neutrality between
ct'r"r states, aud those in The state OF
evil war or OF revolt. he held that ma
i!nn protesting 10 be neutral is bonnd To
maintain perfectly equal aud exact con
duct towards each belhssrcni thai when
ever II tolcraies enc party in any pariic-
uiaF, the same federation is due TO The op.
p0heEt, and VIA 'eysri IL prohibite,ito one
must also be prohibited in like manner
10 the oiher. That in The question of
right or w ong, rebel or legitimate, no
en'fai nation can enter without becom-
IN, a party and 70 prohibit acts in a state
OF "ar, or io grant any faver in lime of
wa, which wouli not be denied or grant
ed ~ a time ot peace, would be viola.
ton ofneuiraiiiy. Thai as no govern.
III nj can he answerabie for the iudivid-
ual acts ut It's citizens, while they respect
tbe established laws, no Interference can
s,e mad la acts which relate only To
them selves and tina, IN slate Of peace,
when the state has no demand uDon the
services OF the ciiizrns, there can be no
authority 10 restrain them when they do
no, act contrary IN any positive law that
under tl1 existing government, all TO-
Teigncrs, who conducted Themselves so
rs not 20 disturb The peace or violate The
laws, possess the same freedom as the
cl'izens ni The state, and are no more liable
nj N ur inc tl,4, st.,ta
which is MOI accountable for The acts OF
lis own citizens, be accountable for the
innocent acts OF strangers or foreigners,
w;io have only transient residence. as
is the case al ,lie officer accused ia this
charge.
Njr. JolIni went very much ~ large into
ihc aw at nations, and cited Grutius and
lr!fendnrt, whose principles and opinions
he explained wiih an el0quence and force
'ha has no, been sarpasaei al The tri-
bunslS Of Client in modern times.
IN III" close of his Discourse he most
el2Gucnily combn,i"h an assumption of
the counsel for ,'le prosecution. IL which
hc showed, that the law of nations as
applied To nations among each other, is
not IN nHmerous instances applicable to
civil war, or the revo., OF colonies or
distant provinces against The superior or
mother country. II wopld be impossible
TO reneai his precise expressions but in
substance il vas 10 this effect
Such il is irnr, are the pre,ensions Of
Spain: bat this distinction is too horrible
and too hostile against every principle Of
Justice and humanity, 10 he entertained
IN any civilized nation in this age: it is
trne, HAT This cruel aud indefensible as.
sumption has already given rise 10 that
war OF determination, which has converted
the fertile plains of South America into
great butcherv, unprecedented and
uneqnailrd III ,arbarity in any country
az ago But this barbarous revival of that
principle Of Roman law, which placed the
life OF the child al The unquesiionrd dis
creiion at The parent, must not he dug
up from the tOmos after two thousand
years OF oblivion, TO be fastened upon the
necks al naiions in Ibis age; much less
shall il be extended 10 the extinction oil
c'illons of The human race, and The desc
iation Of = world, At the discretion Of any
monarch. however distinguished for wis
dom Or duty 10 his own parents. Those
principles abhOrrent to humanity and
justice, cannot prevail in his court or
country those VIM expect their revival
INNS; pass among 5arbariane ard savages.
whore the light oflei'ers and The senti-
Rents o! hn,nauiiy have never found ac-
cess. lie, Spain. if she will. proclaim as
rebels, a whole people, more numerous
than those who claim This consuming
dominion a people occupying more than
fifteen hRndired leagues Of TERRITORY, the
mast beautiful and fertile in The universe ;
people, vino have arisen in their might,
and demanded that independence 10
which divine and human Justice proclaim
their tile, but which comparatively
small spot ct Europe aud mere han dial
ofpropl" refuse-yaiRly refuse 10 rrcog
nize. But what has been The conduct
pursued towards ihe same Spauiarde, When
resisting The inroads of thai power which
had overwhelmed all the rest Of Europe ;
were they trea, d az rebel by the power
which occupied Tie throne and the rapitaI
and nearly the whole of Spain do the
South American now do more ihsn
the Spanisrds did little more rbau ten
wears ago-contend for the Ii,oeriy and
independence Of their country. and resist
grinding dcspotism Are The Anglo.
Amerlcans forgotten, they too were called
rebels, when they rose up in their might,
and by sacrifices and arms resolved t0
ex'Fjcaic themselves from The yoke Of
England the power which they resisted
heId them forth as criminals, bu; the voice
Of all the world acquitted them of crime :;
aud The triumph Of their cause was con-
sideTei as that Of mankind il WAS only
when new interests arose, adverse 10 Tie
freedom Of every people, and irrecohciIa.
hie %nIi The laws of nature aud Of nations,
that feeble and servile voice echoed The
name OF rebel; because there arose pecu.
liar and concealed interests which called
Tor new language, or new idIom but
even that period of self degradation was
shor' even at this moment, the traces
OF II are toa obscure 10 merit the regard
~ bFtory lbN spirit, like that which had
inspired tie Netherlands 10 repcl and re-
Iect lh doSDutic aud iusuNcraI,le doui-