Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-02-04


oil peace, an order to eXterminatc one nj
rate, may be urged ''a fortiori,'' to iusti-
/ ~ every other nation in using the other
measure OF war in order TO extermina,e
the other pirate.
Mr.. President, for half century We
have been struggling, sincerely know.
and hope successfully, to establish the
reputation of being Just people-to ac-
quire the character of doing unto others
what we would to be done TO ourselves in
similar circumstances. If we mean TO
preserve this Character, we must take
! speciai care to act cautiously and con
slStently; Tor, If it is found i'm anv one
page OF our history, that we are asserting.
TOR ourselves privilege, which elsewhere
we have denied to Others, we forfeit This
character of moral rectitude.
! Now, sir, Gall other considerations
aPart,) is 1t wise to do so? OF all the ma
tons of the civilized world, the United
States is that where physical, detached
from its moral strength, is least. 1t ever
mas been SO, 1t evermust be so, while this
Government continues. Unite the two.
and at home you may defy the world in
arms against you, while abroad vour in.
fiuence will be felt far bcyoad the limit TO
which your physical force can ever enable
you to reach, by the means of YOUR ex-
ample, that Is, by your mere moral power.
1t IS this at least, Sir, that constitutes
the material, out Of which are formed t(e
pillars OF strength, and beauty, the joachim
and the Boaz, standing before the vesti-
bule OF our temple. While these stand
your cdiice is secure; it will continue as
now, fair to behold, and safe to inbabit
But, once corrode this materiaI-once
impair this moral power, and we silk in
to decrepitude before we have vet attain
ed maturity. Ought we not then to be-
ware how we depart from the right lined
course our predecessors have pursued :.
how we assert principles in relation to
foreign states now, which they disavow-
cd formerly! Our moral strength. like
chastity once lost, can never more be re-
gained. Now, Sir, let us look back into
our own history for parallel cases: let us
find what were the principles we asserted
then, and inquire whether our practice
now will accord with them. If they are
at variance, we should shun them as we
should every thing that tends to evil
| here are many members of the Senate
VINO will all recoilect the incidents thai
occurred in the interval between the
years l795 and 1898, and what was the
| doctrine we then asserted and practised.
1t was during the period of the Frenc i
kevoiutlon- when England and France
were DeihSerelts, and the United State
was the neutral. In consequence of tbi,
neutral position, our ports and harbors
! were TILED with our own vessels. as well
as with the vessels OF both the bcliIeeIenrs
and OF other powers, not only with their
merchant vessels, but with their fleets.
What was the practice then? The mo-
ment one Of the beIIigerents found ves-
sells OF the other in these ports, no matter
whether II was vessel of war or a rner-
chairman, il b!ockaded them, in fact, al
though not i'll name Every harbor aud
bay of the United States was subject to
this blockade. What was our language
then towards these beligcrents? You are
at war with each other, and may, on the
high seas, exercise the rights of war; but
| you have no right to come here and siiut
our ports as YOU have done We are at
peace with each of you. and with all the
world besides. You cannot. therefore.
claim the right ofblockading us in name,
and hence, ought not to exert the bower
q blockading us in fact. Exercise your
right OF visitation and search on the high
seas, aud hen you there find The proper
ty OF your enemy, or the contraband pro-
perry of neutrals, destined for your enc
my. take it and apply it to your own use.
We do not complain Of this. But YOU
must not place yourself at our very door,
III order to examine our visitors and
friends. By so doing, you harrass our
lawful trade; you annoy our fair com
merce; and you subject us, although at
peace. to most OF the inconveniences we
should feel from fragrant ar.
This reasoning was Just, and at last
prevailed: both parties became satisfied Of
the rcctitude OF our claims, and yielded to
them.
Now, Mr.. President, if the actual pre-
sencc OF an eneny's fleet, in neutral
/ port, III times Of open war, cannot Justly
blockade, can the presence ola piratigal
vessel, i'll any port, justify it! If the
French, finding an English fleet in the
! Chesapeake, ought not to blockade them,
surely you, neutral, finding feet Of pi-
rates in the neutral port Of Maiauzas,
/ cannot blockade it, and so do that which
one belligerent power would not be justi-
! fed in doing towards another.
MIR President, if we really wish to pre-
serve our good name and moral strength,
/ by acting towards others. as we would
they might act towards us, we ought not
only to refrain from doing any improper
] actlnn hml eren from dninu H. ,.h;ch