Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-06-11

In the Negotiations with the United States,
ureat Britain had earnestly and repeatedly
pressed on them the adoption Of similar provi-
s'ons' They had been resisted by the Exc
cutive on two grounds /: one, that the
constitution OF mixed tribunals WAS incOmpa-
t,bie with their constitution and the other,
mat the csncession the right Of search, in
time OF peace, Tor an offence not piraaical,
would be reFngnant to the feelings OF the
nation, and of dangerous tendency The right
vi search Is the right of war, Of the belligere
towards The neutral. II" extend il in time of
peace, to any object whatever, might establish
a precedent which might lead to others with
some powers, and which, even il csnfined To
the instance specified, might be subject to great
abuse.
L. Animated by an ardent desire to suppress
{31a &fede. the United States took stronger
&nqs by making it, by tie act above re-
10, p'raticai; me assure more adequate
end, and free from MANY of the objections
applicable TO the plan which had been proposed
Ia them. 1t is this alternative which the Exc.
cutive, under the sanctions and iniYnctions
above stated, offered to the British govern
ment, and which that government has ac-
cepted. BY making the cri,ue piracy, the right
| of search attaches To the crime, aud which.
when adopted by sll nations, will he common
to all and that il will I've so adopted, NAV
fairly be presumed, If steadily per.eyered in
ny The parties to the present convention. In
the mean time, anu with view TO a fair eX-
pertinent the obvious course seems To ne, 10
| carry into ELECT, with every power, spch
treaty AS may he made with each In succession.
j" presenting this alternative to the British
Government, il was made an Indispensable
condition that the trade should be made
piraticai by act of Parliament, as it hau heen
ny anact Of CoHgrGD. This was provided for
IN the convention, and has since been com
Piled with. In this respect, therefore, the two
nations rest on the same ground. Suitable
provisions have also been adopted, tO project
eacn party from the abuse oflhe power granted
10 the public ships uf the other. Instead Of
s""!ecting the persons detected in the slave
trade 20 trial by the courts of the cautors. n,
would be the case if sncn trade was u;rucv nv
the law Of nations, il is stipulated that, until
mat event, they shall, be tried BY the courts IF
,heir own country only. Hence, there could
DO no motive i"r an abuse of the right of
search. since such abuse could not fail To
terminate to the injury Of the csptur
ohsuid ms convention be adopted, there is
every reason tn believe, that il vii; br The conn
mencemepf Off system destined 10 accom-
push me entire abolition of the slave Trade
Great Britain by making it her our, confess
seu'y adopted at the suggestion Of the United
States, ana being pledged 10 propose aud
urge IFS adoption by other nations. in concert
with the United States, vii, fud il fur her in
terest tn abandon the less effective system of
her previous treaties with Spain, Portugal. and
the Netherlands, and 10 urge en those aud the
DINER powers, their accession To this The
CRIME VIII then be universally prescribed as
piracy, and the traffic be suppressed for eyer
Other considerations of high importanr.
urge the adop'ion of this convention. We
nave, at this momfnt, psnding with Great
bf''a'n' sundry other negotiations, intimately
connected with the welfare, and even with the
peace, of our Union. la one of them. nearly
th'rd part OF the territory Of the state of
Maine " IN condensation. 10 another. the
navigation ofthe ST. Lawrence, the admission
OF c"nsu's into the British islands, and sys
tenn OF commercial intercourse between The
United States and all the British possessions
IN this hemisphere, are subjects o discussion.
In third. our territorial and other rights nm
on the Northwest coast, are to he adjusted
while negotiation on the same inieres, is
opeaed with Russia. In fourth. all the
most important controvertibIe points of mari
tnc Jaw 10 Tune OF war, are brought under
consideration aod. IN the 9Th, the wboIe
system OF South American concerns. connect
ed with general recognition of Somb Amer.
,can Independence, may again, from hour to
nour, become, as IT has already heeo, an oh
lect oi concerted operations Of the highest in
'crest TO both nations, aud to the peace of the
world.
IL cannot be Disguised, that the rejection of
this convention could not fail tn have a very in.
furious influence on the good understanding
between The two governments, on all tbesr
points. That il would place the Executive
administration under embarrassment. and sinh |
Ject IT, the Congress, and the nation. to fine |
charge OF inslnceriiy respecting the great re-
sun Oh the hoal suppression ofthe sIaye trade
ana that IT'S FIRST and Indispensable conse-
queDcr VIII be, to constrain the Executive to
suspend all further negotiation with every Eu-
ronean and American power, to which over
lures have been made, in compliance with
the resolution Of the House ofReJ,resentatives,
ol the 28ih February, 1895. must be obvious.
10 invite alterations, with the statute If pira-
cy IN our hands, 10 adopt IFS principles as the
law of nations, and yet TO deny To- all the com
mon rights of search for the pirate, IS hom i,
would be impossible TO defect, wthou, .n,e,-
log and searching The vessel, would expose no
not simply to the charge of inconsistency.
II must be obvious. that The restriction of,
search for the pirates 10 the African coast. is
Incompatible with the idea of such a crimr. Il |
IS mol doubted also, ifthe convention is adnot-
cd that no example Of the commission of thai
cfiu'e' ny ,he c'f'z"ns or subjects Of either
""i ever occur again. i, is believed,
49,. ,'d' ms ,ighf, as applicable To pi-
y' "u"'' not only extirpate the trade, but
""'e ""oSe'her innocent in lis operation.
IN further illustration 0f the views nf Con
gfess, on this subject, transmit To the Senate
,A''"c's rom two resolutions Of the House of
one Of the 9TH February.
1881, The other Of i2ih April, 1922. | trans.
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