Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-02-01

your territory, and your landsmen, in
stead of delivering them up to punish
ment, assist them in the preparation O
their crimes, and share the spoil. w,
make fresh pursuit; your people have
done all they can to shelter them, and
refuse to give them -up-therefore, we
point the finger Of wrath against the
offending spot.
Make it their interest, which is the
only hold you have upon them, make
them feel it is their interest to acqui,
themselves of their obligations, and give
up those men who take refuge amongst
them. Let us bring the case once more
to private life. have no right TO shut
the door of my neighbor, if he is acquit-
ting himself of his obligations to me; but
ii know, from unquestionable evidence,
that his house is the asylum ofmurderers
and robbers, one of whom has robbed
my brother, if shut his door to prevent
their escape, could that individual COM
plan that had done him an injury?
Tins is the language that would take
place between Spain and other nations,
were she to lose sight Of the little self
respect she eniovs, (and know Of no
nation that enjoys less as to complain
OF measure of this KIND. She would
then be implicated with these assassins
From whom, then, is there any danger?
From France? France would be too
modest to complain Of our blockading
any OF the Spanish ports, Matanzas for
instance, after having assumed the right
OF blockading Cadiz. Can England or
any other power complain? These men
are enemies of al mankind, therefore eve
ry nation is against them. There is not
a Government on earth however degrad-
ed it may be, but would blush with shame
on claiming the privilege of violating
this blockade. Peculiar circumstances
might render Unnecessary to exterminate
them as the enemies of mankind.
This privilege of blockading, although
called for by the circumstances of the
case. and strongly recommended by an
intelligent agent there, as necessary for
the purpose of effecting a kind of moral
revolution. in the Island, this system is no
longer to be pursued than is necessary
The committee, in granting this power,
approached the subj with tic greatest
attention and canton. We do not give
a general priv ilege to the officers, or even
TO the President, to exert this power.
They say, before this power is exercised,
you shall hvae traced these brigands to a
particular spot--you have been prevent
cd overtaking them in fresh pursuit.
The guilt is thus thrown on ,he city
And, after all. this power is not to be ex-
az TOR l. 4
the President of the United States, and
it is for him to say whether or not. under
all the circumstances of the case, this
power IS r0bc exercised. If it is not ne
cessary, then the bill has done no harm;
but, II from he course of events, it is ne
cesSary To execute vengeance on these in
famous people, then this power is I'm the
hands Of your Chief Magistrate to pro-
vide for the eXigcncc Of the occasion. Is
1t objected, that this is trusting too much
to the President! That power is cxer-
ciscd only by the VIII Of the nation, act
ing directly on the subject: ii does not say
this power shall be instantly exercised;
but ii, from the eXigency Of the case, a
necessity is created OF exercising il. then
the President shall have the power Of ex-
ercising yoUr will There is no transfer.
OF power: We lii our sovereign capacity,
point out the instrument by which our
will shall be carried into cfTects
1t is recommended, by an Intelligent
agent, to blockade the whole island, and
make rcprisaIs by land and water. No
thing short Of this will be ciiectual We
have not proceeded so far-we are dis
posed TO feel our way-but, if this evil be
not stopped, we may have to resort to
extrcmitics. If there are further proofs
OF plumber and bIoodshcd, they may con-
celve it necessary to employ the vial OF
wrath, even to determination.
/ beg leave to call the attention of the
Senate to the fact that this measure APP
plies only to the guilty--vemgcauc points
to the particular spot, and the innocent
are not included. Wherever shelter is
given, there the inhabitants become par
ties to the crime. Surely all will rejoice
for the welfare Of mankind.
The whole people have given themselves
up to marder and rapine---thc whole peo-
pie! and they have found their account in
so doing, by prevailing on the most afro
cious to join their bands. You are told
that nothing will reach this evil but the
conviction on their minds that it is their
interest to put stop to such lawIess pro
ceedings. Nothing will produce that
conviction but force; and that force must
be brought to bear on the offending cities.
When their trade is cut OIL, and they
lose the fruits of their rapacity, the in
habitants themselves become interested in
putting stop to it. When you have the