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


nounce gravity to these soyeceIgns that the
Congress OF the u. States has pas ,cd all
act coahscating their property not J'tre
6eiii. but ior acts done under their authori-
ty, and out Of vourteyritory. This sueue
leave to the imagination Of those who
may find mirth in it. To me, it would
give none.
How then, sir, I ask, is the blockade
TO be carried into effect? Nj Barbour
said: BY force. Sir. force is not right.
1t never did convey the property # oae
neutral into the possession of ano her
where the public law forbade it; and we
know rot yet on which side of the qucs-
ton the conclusion OF this ultima ratio
may apply
The moment you announce this doc
trine, you stand on the principle that
force gives rights; and, when you inter
polate ii into the page of the public law
that expressly denies it, you place your
self beyond the pale Of civil society; the
whole civilized world will rise against
yol, and declare you in state OF barba-
rism as well as blockade.
1t is commended, sir, that, as we have a
right, in peace, to lay embargoes and to
grant letters Of reprisal, aud as these are
war measures, therefore, we have Alright
to institute a blockade, which is no more
was measure | have never understood
that embargoes and reprisals were war
measures, and should like to be informed
from what authority such assertions are
derived Embargo is no more measure
of war than the infection of the sancticn
of any other municipal law is measure
ID i
own territory the same as in any other
municipal law. A man commits MUIR
der, and is hanged for ii, This might
as properly BE called IN assure Of war
as an embargo
Iu themselves, they are measures Of
peace and tranquility; mere extension
Of n" plu i ipa! powers OF the state over
those who oughtt to submit TO such pow
ers. and no one ever considers them as
otherwise Look back To the time of
Washington. IL laid an embargo for
60 davs. and aferw iris extended it to 90
DAYS. DID any one consider it as mea
sure Of var or force? Embargo may be
resorted To as Il means Of preparing our
sci es Cor war, and so may the conStruc-
ton Of forihcations. You are building
forts ON Old Point Comfort and Hell
Gate:vct no one considers these as mca-
sures % force or war, because they may
be useful in war. Nor can we say more
of embargoes. Thus much for embar-
goes then.
As TO letters of reprisal, they are al
WAYS understood as measures of peace,
designed to prevent war. l gIai& that
they often lead to war, but, in themselves
they are as much measures of peace as IN
embargo. and their object always is GER
tainly to prevent war;
Bat, rs to blockade, the effect is very
different. Letters of rcprisaI act on the
guilty, and the guilty alone, and embar-
ge acts on all alike, bui it acts munich
pailv on all within the territory: where's 4,
blockade acts beyond the territory, and
acts directly upon the innocent only. III
now only remains to inquire into the only
Pr cedent that has been cited in support
Of this proceeding. allude to the block
adj OF Cadil by the French. saw that
France WAS perfectly iustihable in dcc!ar-
ing that blockade: but in the course she
pursued there is nothing to Justify The
present treasure. Warthen existed. and
As a Consequence of war, blockade was
adopted by France. 1t is said that France
declared she was not at war with psalm.
Sir, is not this the language which e, ery
ally, undcr similar circumstances, is COM
prlled 10 use. Whcu part Of nation
attempts to separate Itself from the resi-.
or to establish a pes sovereignty, the e.
fort, while it Is il progress is declared.
by the anrieu, sovereign Of the whole, to
be rebellion. aud force is used to bring
la K the rebb.i,us member TO its dyty.