Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-08-03

The effect Of their concurrence would seem TO
be, to give us the right Of sea, ching their ves-
sells, not To confer on them the Right of
searching Uurs. But il is obvious that Joint
denunciation Of the crime does not change the
case, and yet Mr.. Adams declares. that A" il
Carries with IL, in the very nature Of the crime,
he Right of Search" This is the more
strange, after the very just distinction which
hr himself draws. in his letter to the British
Minister, T" between piracy by the Law uf ma
lions and piracy by STATUTE"
Were il true, AS Mr.. Adams contends, that
j"int denunciation Of the crime conferred
the Right Of Search, the Rritish Government
instead Of sending Minister Pisnipotentiary
to this country to open lxiOriUus negOtia
ton to obtain n concession Ofthat right, would
have had nothing TO do, hut Ia have obtained
an act Of Parliament. joining with our law oil
1890 in the denunciation. Then, instead oil
discussing at large the question ofrignt, AZ Mr.
Adams aud the British Minister both appear
to have deemed necessary, they might have
confined their correspondence To the mere
details Of regulating the exercise Of q right
already recipr0caliy conferred. But the OBJ
fuse intellect Of the British Ministers at home
and abroad, had not yet made the discovery.
The hOnor OF doing SO belongs TO Mr.. Adams.
He has the advantage Of them, in not having
unlearned metaphysics.
But can it be believed for a moment, that
congress, ia passing the law OF May 1890. de-
clariOg the Slave Trade piracy, intended to
confer ON foreign nations the Right Of Search
ing our vessels We think not; and We rely
upon Mr.. Adams's own words to show. that
one branch at least Of that body, neither inten-
lied il then, nor at much more recent date,
l1nS,
effect. In his letter to Mr. Rush of the cath
June, 1928, the extract given to the public,
commences thus
"A resolution ofithe House Of Representa-
tives, almost uusnlmNusIy adopted at the close
OF the last session Of Congress, requested the
President of the United States to enter upon.
and to prosecute froMsiiine 10 time, such ne
go'atiOns with the several maritime powers of
Europe and America. as. he may deem expe
dent, for the effectual abolition of the Afri-
eau Slave Trade, and its ultimate denuncia.
ton as piracy, under the laws Of nations, by
the consent Of the civilized world" After
advising MIR. Rush, that at the two preceding
sessions. committees Of the House had pro
posed a resolution expressed in more general
terms on the subject; he adds-no decision
by the House of Representatives was made
upon the resolutions proposed at the proceed.
Ing sessions, but upon the adoption of that
which did pass at the last session, it was well
that the sentiments Of the House |
in regard to the Right of Search, conceded |
with those Of the executive FOR they explicit |
Iy rejected an amendmenl, which was moved |
to the resolution and which would have ex- |
pressed an opinion fsvoFxhjs to the mutual |
of that right -
Here is a plain admissfcf that the yerv soul |
Of The convention Is 10 superstition to the ex-
pressed will OF the popSjar branch of con-
qress, on whom the execatise depends. under
the constitution, in grrsf measure, for the
means OF executing its ssipuations.
Wehsve heard il said fDo, in vindication of
The Secretary OF State; HAT the convention
was not negotiated and csnciuded in pursu- !
Ance OF the resolution OF the House of Repre- |
'enta'Ses before recited. Yet the conven- |
ion does concede the mutual and qualified !
Right OF Search, and indeed touches upon ma |
hing else; notwithstanding the House had
10 the words Of MIR. Adams, {" explicitlv 70,
|ected motion to that effect" only three
months before the convention was drafted bv |
him, and sent to MIR. Rush.
NOR does 1t appear TO harmonic better.
with the declaration which Mr.. Adams thourhi |
It due to candor 10 make to the British Minis
Ter, that the Unite State have an inspnera
Die objection, to the extension of the Right Of
search ny treaty, in any manner whatever ~ |
1t has also been said in pallaton. that. |
hough concession has been made. which
vas known to be repugnaat to the public
es'lng OF this country" jyet the convention
provides SO many qualifications and resfric- |
ions Of the Right Of Search as conceded. thatI
cannot be productive Of evil. Has the = orId l
ret to learDsa3lst treaties between nations are
rad, exactly ~ proportion to the number OIL
estrlctions which they combine (? The more
ne parties are restrained, the greater. II il
obvious, are the chances for violations or the
compact, and when these happen-uniike AMI
ndivniuai, who has peaceabie process of en-
orcirrS his contract, however onerous. with
lis neighb0r, pation's remedy is war. That
UGH may not be the result Of our present al.
'ance with Grtat Britain, is devoulIy TO he
Wished but that such will not be the end of
!, IS more than we are disposed to concede.
THE PRESIDENCY.
The Public Meetings lately held in Ohio and
ndiana, have been very generally attended bv
ne people, and have resulted in the nom;ns-
ION OF Mr. Clay by majoriiies most decisive
nd overwhelming. This mode uf nominal
ION was resorted to by combination Of the I
r,enus OF the other candidates for the purpose
d dividing the West, or with the view If me-
'ue'ng belief abroad that we were not uni.
ea. These Efforts to misrepreseni the state OIL
fuoac sentiment, were for time disresarded
BY the friends of Mr.. Clay. They believed
ln"' the almost unanimous voice Of the most /
respectable and distinguished individuals of