Newspaper Page Text
lor the Get.f'g’a Republican.
THE l ! IVTNER.
No. X.
A fen!, that ft’ mr-M opinion! tide,
Did-ver fefts in trior-[ih rrde ;
*T> rot>r-!i frond, and i.l rc:>orf. he past,
Os rs f iM.'et approv’d atJaft,
Ye’ ffparate the giady cmvd,
And path* tradition hail allow’d.
anonymous.
It rruft hr f tfh in the recollection of
tny reader*, that 1 promiftd a few weeks
s,ro, to give them fume further infftht
irto the thoraft r of my friend Bob
Scanty. This pri mife, I v.ill in part,
fulfil, by relating the particulars of a
c'uiver ation between him, and myfe f,
during snevenrfion I lately made in the
country Bob is corfidtred, a* one of
the meft eccentric f Hows of the vicini
ty ; and the rcceptiqt) I met with, wid
j Pity me in declaring ! i:n unrivalled for
) s hufpitality, and goont-fs of heart.
1 met him or. my srriva’ at a game of
cn efs, vrith one of his neigfrborfl. When
tit y had completed the game in which
they were engaged, l,e d-fmifled the
cards, and called for pipe?, tobacco, and
Madeira, which were accordingly brought
forward, a copious libation was pour
ed from the fiber tankard, which my
lriind keeps s a memento of 1; is great
grand father, and ti e pipes were applied
to their proper use.
We entered cheerfully into converfa
tioti, and cur fcnrimtnts were comiru
jiceted refpeftively with genuine convi
viality, and frtidom fjm r. llraint, on
every topic, which was brought upon
the tapis ; and when wc retired to rest
(which was fill prop-fed by myfclf )
m.y fri-rid rcqnefted :ne to rife early.
1 nrofe accordingly at an eariy hour,
?ml defeending the (lairs, found him al
ready duffed, and feared in the parlor.
“ I am tru y happy my friend he ix
cluimid, “ hit you have left the torpid
embraces of Morpheus at so seasonable
an hour.*’ “ sleep is dclifudlivc to, early
.riling, produftive of health. Whatever ;
i* conducive to so ineftin able a Miffing,
n man if 1 i,fc will certain y puifue, and
you ttfi g this morning with the lun,
cynfums Inc, in the < suited opinion I
ffcjfm •.!, at an early period of our ac- !
•quaintano., relative to yottr m tit , and i
talents ” He proceeded with inch un- j
equalleJ velocity, th.it 1 found no inter- 1
val of speech to check his extreme vo- j
lubility, until le concluded (of his own
accoii ) the peremptory and eloquent
addrcls, w hich lie had dehvered to me,
by way of a mornings falination. i e
propoicd a wa k over the improvements
J.e had recently malic on his c< uttry
’ lshden :e,to which, without heii'.a'.iuu,
1 imn idiately alkntid.
]n our p< lambulat on we met with fc
veihl ntifons o( mu h dillinttion, and
considerable ;/Hie.ice. a gentleman,
whose coach drove rapidly by u r , e'topt a
glass, and rcfpeftfuhy bowed to my
ci mpai inn, who, unobservant of the o
thers couiteiy, & politcntis a (fumed the
inoft corfiqiienti.il an . t feltfuffieiency,
and as it were a dignified conkiousncfs 01
luptriorily, and (hutted onward, until
the vehicle had tniiudy palf.djUS. Such
extraordinary conduct, tempered so
ilrongly with contumelious ucgleCt, indu
cidme to ci quire who tiie puffenger
v as. To this interrogatory my friend
replied, that “ tie was a wealthy charac
ti r, who rifided in tl e neighborhood—a
I perannuated fool” lie proceeded, “ who
txptds to command ctleem, and to ii I
lire b> fm a ot ail he miets, with deft
rtnti. 1 ah, only on account of the ixtent
ol l>i p -Ik (linns, and the prodigious
bi kot bis uli.lds riches.. He is poor
in the mid It of profufion. Opprclfid
by a moll ; ffliflive, and dangerous disor
der, lie has lingered out the hit three
years; and ultimo; h lie is now in a ltau
ol convalescence, at Im advanced age, it
uill be a pbjficdl pliotm menon it tu
Xuivivcs another. V\ hertfore then fiiould
that man command retpeCt, with whom
the in it ddpicab’e ot his menial domett
ties, would not exchange li u.uion ?”
Wc had not proceeded much taitlur
when we met with fevtrai im uitiiuus
laborers, repairing their litrlc ili.jttered j
hut*. My i.ff elate paused, foeiably {
Jtmok haiios wuli fui hol them, and ad-j
vanning ened “ There my (ntnd, there!
istiue wtilth ; tor the only riches dc-;
ftrviug a rational Icings’ regard, is
lies.tli.” Our progiels was not conli*.
ccrably auv,nced, when he again ex
cbimed “ There” pointing to a neat ,
edifice at a imall ditunce ” there livisal
w oman, mi whom my heart once cordial i
ly doattd, and our att ftion was purely 1
If. e iprocal. Tut toitunately j l.t before
the atrival of that petiod, which If&d b cn
1 xed upon, lor tiie celebration of our
r. is, 1 diicoverid that llie was.fHct
td with an aril niatic complaint, w inch
wiil now soon cany her to the grave
i relpcCt a man in proportion to the
soundness of h e conlfitutioii, and the
health of his body. as animal in its
natural (late is exempt tiom dtkufc, and
an aiiintal dikale , is in an unnatural date.
Whatever is ur - atuial, is i tfpicabie aqd
disgUlful. Life, at .alt, is held by an
u .certain and prrcaiii us tenure, and he,
toe attenuated thread ot whole extiUncc
isvi.kiuid, by dilnniy and tickucU,
iliould not ,X; > and to be conUdtred as on
a hvi I w ,th thole tisppy persons, who
s. in the pure enjoyment of health.”
“ VS i ce.es nmuei.ee, or power, or
tiuil avail a man, who hysgclping in the
exp'iri. g ago; ks o(d-tl nution ?”
1 ret umch to the ho (pit able rrsnCou
ci my ukc J, anti imuicUiatcly cu'-trid
into a train of rvfl- ftions op
id our convcrfation. J reahy j
wishing, that the fentimentsw ca
rious prrfon, were, renne
tions more genera lv
would be flript of its fall®,. tinsels, and a
regard to the prefervatibn of health, ,J
would, withhold many fimm purfuing
thofc exccffi.B, which infallibly dtftroy it.
D.
—* 4fi : #
F om the Nati na! I tel fencer .
WE extract the following farago from
the Bollon Centincl, as proof of the in
coherency and inconsistency of the char
ges which <.re so incessantly urged against
t re adminiilration.
“BRITAIN AVDTHE UNITED
STATES.
“ No American who wilhes His coun
try’s prnfperity, will juftify the condudf
of the Br t ill government in the late or
; ders for detaining and confiscatingg neutral
prefer; y. any more than lie would the
, piratical captures, and murder of our ci
tizens, by the Spaniards. But if there
be Waite, let it fall where it is d-fervtd.
“ In tfofe days” fays our Bible, “ t L ere
7tv/j n( King (ft not the law a Kini )ii
Israel ; anil every man dill that which
j was right in his own eyes.” The ttx>
furi.iflies a corrctt picture of human na
ture. That part of the treaty of A hni
ty, Commerce and Navigation between
i t her United Stat< sand his Britannic Ma
’ jelly—about which so much bowling was
, made by those who never read it, t>r who
’did not cliufe to underlland.it ; —exubed,
and ha been a dead Lite, since the lit
day of Odd lei , ißo§ :—And the he
sident hati neglected to renew it ; —or
make a better one Thus there is now no
Jaw between them, and each nation dots
‘that “ which is right in hi; own eyes.”
The Britilh courts conlliue the Law of
Nations one way ; and the Unites Spates
another way;—and there is now tin/
touch Hone to test the ri?kt. If the Uni
k
j ted States have any claims to exclusii/i
favor* ft /rn Grill Britain, it behaves tie
; Muiiileriai writers to point them out;
: Not forgetting, t at then language, the in-
Jinualion of Minifttr Livingston, and
;ihct>altof Miniiler rmstkong. are
I cs well undtrllood in London as the-y art
lin tl.e United States. But if we hare
I no right to rxnedt f vors ; —we hav; the
j right to demand JUSTICE. We have
a right to demand a liberal cor ftruflion
(of trie Law of Nat on; at the hand cl
j Great Britain; and if the demand is
made w<th dignity, and enforced with
‘magnanimity It will be attended to.—
Great B itain can have no inclination to
quarrel with the United States. Sin
knows hi r own interell better. As an
indtp ndent nation she claims arid exer
cilos the right to tx. cute her Navigation
i/,nwj t And every nation has a right to
do the fame. But no one will ik ive Hie
w ill injure herlclf lor the fake of n.juring
the commerce of the neutral nations.—
The times r quire a digmfird and spirit
ed potkv. Mr. Je ff i fim ought tode
mand ju|licc : But at the fame time to
treat the Britilh government, as he pro
mded he would in his m ffage of Oct. 17,
1803 —with “ Iriendfhip, jullice and in
nocent kindnef*.” Not treat her govern
ment in the dtfignation of a Mini iter, as
he dees the Imperial government of
Fiance. It is not nfked, that sh; be trea- j
ted qsite so friendly as the Court of St. ]
Cloud. It is not wished a Miniiler be j
sent to London quite’ lo devoted to the |
“ Dnpot,” Bonafarte ; as the Na t- !
onill late iigenccr, and u' RA have been
pl.aLd tod fignate the Foil Magillrate |
of France and Italy—No fueh thing.— (
But “ honest frteudfliip, juttice and kind ‘
ntf's” require, that iueh an avaned ene
my to Great Britain as Mr. Monroe is
ought not to be the man to negociaic
We could point to a Itansmao who pre
fers his native county (AME RICA ) and
her tru inter ft;, to tvery otner country
on eaith ; who hunelly tqual to his
wildoin ; and abiliiy 1 qual to his expe
runce ; —Who would no sooner toad
fucccls to thr| interprize of the
King, than he would thole of N'apoleou,
the Emper ir ; —and who, if he w. uid ac
cept an office under the prt sent admini
Illation, would be liktly to cfLEt a* ho
-1 nornble neguciation ; an ample rexiuue
j ration of ill tulles ; and do honor 10 the
I <uim ; n llration which Circled him ; and
I and the country lie represented. If fueh
a man Ih u'cl be appointed,& fliould prove
I uniucccfsiul; if Great Britain, alter his
I negooiatiuii. 111 feeling cower jhou’d forget
1 right ; then every .American wvu and tXvr
j Ins utmoil ability to support the admuii
j ilration—and ro maintain the character
’ of the United States, as an independent
itstion, which “ prefers evtry conse
gU ESCS to INSULT AND HABITUAL’
A RONC.”
Anaiifmg this curious composition the
fi ll iiiftrJitnt we difeover is ind gnation
at the orders’ recently issued by the Bri
tifii government. That these orders
it tiny arc loch as the public prints
rcprcicnt them ui he, merit and will re
ceive the indignation of the Amer can
people we l ave no doubt. Whe would
ii-vc imagined from the introductory re
maiksthat the writer, animated by luch
a ipirit, was about to vent his feelings of
refentineut againit the Britith govern
meut, the author of eggrdSon. But not
so. ‘1 he cenfuie iiupofcd up >n them ia
light and courtly. It is tor the admini
itralipn ; not because they have dune
any thing that id reprchentkbW, but bc
ernfe they have omitted either to receive
the provilions ot the expired treaty, or to
form anew one with Great B ilain.—
For th admiuiUratioo are coudemued,
w : _d nt the wqteiaHtnowi’tg, or p"e>en*
and ii(| to l§now, ivlfelhler coy and what ef
hive bteu made by them to negori
atesn honorable treaty. What fays the
e&Jrei JBritilh treaty on this point ?
4 ‘ It isi*greed, that the firll ten articles
idffCMfTs treatyThall be permanent, and that
thl fubfeq'ientarticles, except the twelfth,
(halt be limitted in their duration to twelve
years, to be computed from the day on
which the ratifications of this treaty lhall
be exchanged, but subj.-st to this condi
tion. That whereas the said twelfth ar
ticle will expire by the limitation thtrein
contained, at the end of 2 years from tht
fig’ ing of the preliminary or other arti
cles of peace, which lhall terminate the
present w'ar in which his Majtlly is enga
ged, it is agreed, that proper measures
lhall inconccrt he taken, tor bringing the
subj-st of that a>title into arnica
bk treaty and difettffion f> early btlore
the expiration of the hil term, as that
n w arrangement* on that head, may, by
that time, be perfttleo n 1 ready 10 take
( lace. But it it sh ;!d un'or'u lately
happen, that his V.aj lly and the United
.S'a’ti, should not be able to agree on
filch new arrangements, in that case, all
the artici Bof this tn at j, except th fi ft
ten, lhall then cease and expire toge
thtr.”
Thus it appears to have been a duty
devolved on the ajminiftra'ion by th;
llimilation of a f .Lmn cotnpadl to take
proper measures for bringing the (utjrct
of the 12th article into amicable treaty
and dilciifli >n. Has this duty b?en per
formed, or has it not ? It it hat, the ;..l
mimftratio'i are not to blame bccaufe trie
iflut has not corresponded with their
a flics. And if it be said, that it ha not
been performed, we demand the proof.—
Wml the Boftoii Centincl be good euough
to adduce it.
The writers continues :
“ Thus there is now no lutv between
them, and each nation does that “ which
is right in his >.wn eyes.”
Strange dodlrint 1 Btcmife we h?"/e
no commercial treaty with G eat B itain,
it is contended that there is 1 o la.v be
tween the two nations. Wc had suppo
sed, from the lights of common fn h , no
Us ttian from the elaborate words of ci
vilians that there was fueh a thing as a
raw of nations, and that it was bid down
to be a tub ot r afon, arifmg out of the
interests of nations havingintercourfe with
• ach other. But it now f tms tl.is cc tby
ft.iuc.ture, the work of fom ny nges, is to
ne tlemolilhed for the purpose of having
a fi.p at the admini Ilration.
‘Fhe until of General Armstrong is
next brouglit forward, which u .fortu
nately for the writer, turns out to be a
fabrieat nos the Paris Argus, as appears
by a London article in the BjHoii Palla
dium.
The writer, apparently forgetting all
that he had pieviouflt kid, next tells us
“ we have a right to demand a liberal
conftrudion of the law of nations; and
i the demand is ma le with dignity and
enforced with magnanimity, ii will be at
tended to
Here thin we discover a Ivw between
the two nations, thou oh there is no treaty
And on the exhtenceof this law the U
rited States have a right to demand j is
tice. We alk Hie witcr again, it he
knows whether tiie adminillrafi in have
or have not made a demand of jufticc, in
case he ailed ed orders iiavt been iffucel
We alk him whether here has been time
to made the demand and yeceive an an-
Iw.r. II there has noi been trine, whence
ail this clamour but from a spirit of tra
dudtibn, that feixes the daikoefs of the
night for its allrocioui purpof. s, halt the
coming day firm Id lemove ail grounds
for reproach ? We are advikd in the fame
print j tft referred to that Mr. Monroe
was iu have an audience of LorJ Mui
gravc on the 30 hos VuguA. Does this
lock like lupine 111 ifference on tue part
ot the government.
But it seems Mr. Monroe is in the way
of our obtaining jufti e, because lie is the
avowed enemy ot Great Bicain. We
deny the allegation. If to be the friend
of bis country is to be the enemy of Bri
tain, we i.duiit that he is her enemy.—
B it we hold no lueh tenetits. VVeoe
iieve the inieri Its of the two nations to
be the fame as webeii ve tiie true inte
rclts of all nations to be mutual. Even
allowing, for a moment, that Mr. Mon
roe is no friend of Britain, is it not pay
ing hr r a miserable consphmtqt to con
elude that the would be deaf to the voice
o jultice b.caulc txpriffed by him ? But
wc mull c'clill from further notice ol those
incoherent rtmaiks. They have already
Idled more ipace than they merit. It is,
however, liu: jult.ee to the adininikration
to lay, that lrom the expofare of their
conduct with at the world they have hcre
tofeire appearid to have done uu;r duty.
Frcm wiiat they have done may be infer
icd what they vcill do. They have a
bsndoncd no right they have iaenfietd
no intcrett. Can their predeecdors lay
as much ?
GREENOe-K, August 19.
A Utter from Holland, mentions the
arrival of Bonaparte at Bolongue on the
sth. Gll the 6th, he reviewed the whole
army colle&ed there, whicli; lays this
letter, presented a line oi o .e Hundred and
twelve th'jufand men.
‘Fite report, that Switzerland will be
united with France, is iuliy believed at
Amtltrdam.
The Hamburg mail of the 6th inst.
arrived oa Tuurfday.
Tiie report of an alliance between the
Northern u uow mentioned m
the German papers, as far as those ouhli
cations esn venture to notice what is un
we'come to Bonaparte.
In Co;rf qoenceof the expe£l*d co-o
peration of Rulfia with this country, go
vernment are now laking tip in the river
a great number of (hips, to be employed
as transports to convey Ruffian troops to
tiwedifn Pomerania.
COURT OF VICE ADMIRALTY.
Augujl 20, 1805.
BEFORE HIS HONOR, HENRY MORETON
DYER, SOLE JUDGE AND COMMISSA
RY.
BRERETON AND MARY KINNER, CLAUDI
US BESSE, MASTER.
This vtffJ, Tiling under A.merican
colors, otr'a voyage from Bakimoie to
New Orleans, with a cargo of pitch and
tar, war 1 aotured near the coatts ol Cu
ba, by the Mayfliwer, privateer, George
J.ihnfon, co mnander, and brought into
t ris port. Vrffel and cargo were claimed
as the property of H. A>avis of Balti- j
more, merchant.
The king’s advocate, and Mr. Ma
thews. argued for condemnation, and Mr.
Kerr for rest: tut ion.
JUDGEMENT.
This vessel failed from Baltimore with
a clearance for New Orleans, but was
on the supposition that lh j was really go
ing to an enemy’s port ? in which case
the noxious nature of the cargo would
fubjeft it to the penalty of condemnation.
Tiie proof of property are perfectly full,
and the fa6t of the destination is really
the angle point of the case.
Looking, in the fi. ft piacr, to the do
cumentary evidence, I find, thar, by the
whole of it whether in the shape of bills
of lading invoices, letters, or the mant
feft, there is made cut, in the ullell man
ner, a destination to New Orleans I
will not here minutely purfut the arrange
ments which were used to prove the con
trary, but will content myfclf with fim
p'y faying, that all the ingenuity of the
learned advocates, though much exerted,
ha? not succeeded, according to my ap
prehension, in throwing any dilcredit
upon these papers. This fadl of deftina
tion so appearing upon the papers, is in
the fu left manner ver'iied by the mailer,
and a'l the other persons examined ; and
it is like wife fwmn to in the claim.
Upon the evidence, therefire, furnifti
edbythe pape's and depositions, there
is nothing to cffeC.l tie case. Bu. a fr.iu
dulent destination is attributed from ex
traneous matter.
O e material circumstance it mu'l be
oblcrveJ, which ufuafty exiPs in theft
cafes, where a fraudul-mt destination is
imputed ; namely, that the vessel is taken
in the adl of deviation, does not ex it in
this case. In other cast sit freq lently
happens, that the port of neutral deftina
tion, requires fume change of course f.om
that of avowed destination ; and the v s
fel being found in that altered course
betrays the fraudulent Intent, not so ir,
this case or others which may refemb'e -
this ; for I under ft and it to b’ uni ver tal
ly admitted, that the course from the A.
naeiican ports on the Atlantic to New
Orleans in the Gulf of M xico, neceffi
ri’y takes a vtffei down upon tlie coaftot
Cuba, from whence a deviation may be
made into any of the ports of that ifi ind
without the poflibilily of hindrance, or
of detection in the adl of doing so.
This o.iportunity, no doubt, opens a
wide door for fraud, and to corrupt hu
man na‘ -.re, the facility of evdiion, will
often furniffi an incitement to evil. Such
frauds may prijudice the rights of a biUi
gerent nation, and may affect tiie interests
of hilligerent cruizers ; and the know
ledge that fueh opportunities exill, mult
j illly souse the vigilance of the court.
Bit beyond vigilant enquiry the court
cannot go. lc would be too much to
impute a latent intention of fraud to 3
person, merely becaule.a fraud is within
his reach. While the fame course conti
nties common to both voyages, it 13 im
possible for the court to infer that a vessel
bound to the remoter port, means to llop
at the nearer one in traniitu, unlcfs other
circumHance! exill to Ihcw tuat intention.
This case, I have said, does not furmlh
fueh circumllances in itftlf. Bat certain
papers have been invoked from the case
of La Liberte ; a capture made by the
fame privateer, and lately aij idged in
this court.
Trial vessel had carried pitch and tar
from the port of New Orleans, and by a
coinparifon of the papers in that case and
the present, it appeals that these articles
at Baltimore, are rcfpetlively 75 and 50
per cent, higher in price than at New
Orleans. It is argued fro.r. thence that
this iinmenfc variance of pi ice, and the
abfo'ute certainly ot 1 >fs at the avowed
delivery, make it wholly incredible that
the veil'd was really going to that port.
It this is an inference which is not wholly
iuunded, it mult yet be confided to have
c nliderablc weight. 1 have given it eve
ry pofiible attention, and i* fj doing, l
have endervoured to turn my mind to
every case which cculd either dircciiy or
‘by analogy throw light upon the present.
I But, as the reiult of ail my reflections, l
1 mult declare that 1 find no authority
S which warrants me to fay that the deiti
nation of a vtfTl is affecfed by the finglt
circumstance of her cargo going to a bad
market,efpecially when that detli.iation
is so duiinct y sworn to as in the present
case. Where those oaths cut of the case,
it wcuid be but fair to make fome allow
ance for the variations which may take 1
place in the interval between the origin
of Inch a r -'fadion and its com tump
[tion. Bn! prffng by the positive doc.L
menu of the case, and following of t ’
theft* arguments of probability, I mu.ft
ohferve that the infe ience of a falfe de*
ftination is strongly negatived here by
another circumstance of this case, inciden*
tal indeed, but, in this view, even ftroo.
ger on that account ; 1 a’lude to the
vessel being charged with commiffi ins to
the Governor and other public officers
at New Orleans. A circmiftance which
shews, that in the estimation of perfon*
of fome eminence, at the port of clear*
ance, this veff.l was really bound to the
place of her avowed destination.
Again it has been argurd that the na*
ture ot the cargo makes it improbrdile
that it was going to New-Orleans ; tint
fueh cargoes are com nonlv exnoited
from there, as in th; cafeol Li Lib-rte,
but they are never imported there.
Theft p >ii.ts ire not in proof before the
court, but in reply to the argument I
j may ohferve, that thebeft authorities on
I ffich fnbjedts, have conceded much to
ithe varied nature and multiplied combi
nations of rr.oJ-rn commerce.
It has aifo been very weightily im
pressed upon me, that extensive frauds of
this nature are in daily pratlice ; that
if the court fails to Iny its mark, upon
this case, fueh frauds will be continued
and encouraged ; that now is the time
to fay whether fueh practice is to stop
or o go on.
lam far from maintaining that the
court i3 to (hut its eyes and be iufenfible
to the paffi ig transactions of the world ;
on the contrary, they mud fomStijnes
have a proper i: ft ience in guiding its de
terminations But I mud notice that
the vigilance o f our cruiz us has not hi
therto indrutded the com 1 in oae fi iMe
instance ; that fueh frau is are in daily
practice ; and I dm now, fitting here, for
the fi;d time informed of its notoriety
by the learned advocate.
Low the decifi an of the court on this
occalion can have any irflj nee in p r J
tedling, in other inftatices, fueh fra I'3
-s are said to t x'ft, l cn in t conceiv ;
every case mull, according to the mi and
doctrines of our admiraby law, (laud up
on an J be judged by ita own m riis, an I
if that dodrine is more ptrticuu ly ap
plicable to any on; class of ca’es than an
otlier, it is f> to the prefeut. If it i
tliou'ltt that from the dcciilon of tns
Cj
lay an inference can b: drawn that the
practice of falfe dellinaiions and frau ( u.
lent deviations is to be encouraged, a.
gainft that conclusion I molt lmphatica!.
■y enter my prot ft. T here is no more
important duty which this court owes to
’he date, or to its lawfully co .llituted
c-uizers, than to declare that the prac
tice of carrying noxious articles to the
nemy, under an avovrd and. ft.nation to a
neutral port, is in the high-ft degree pe.
nal, and when case.-, of that fort are
brought to a j idication, the court will
mt, L trust be found hnckwird to apply
o them that ruL which its fftemn du.y
demands B it, ever maintaing that prin
cip e m its lulltft exeent, I am bound to
ad *, that the evidence now bes ire ‘ me
and ics not coulliiute a cale to which that
principle can be ppiied ; that the pa.
pt rs and depositions concur iri pointing
to a real neutral destination, and conse
quently that it is a case for a rellitution.
At the fame time I mink it was a case
with enough of doubt about it to make
it proper that it Ihou’d be submitted to
the decifi >ll of the cou t, that deefina
his been had with the utmoil polfiole’
expedition, and 1 therefore dtrecl that
trie expenfesef it Ihould be borne by the
claimant.
BOSTON, September 22.
The iuw mode of acquiring property
from our citizens, under the pretence- of
confiscating Englilh property, beca’ofe
bound to a French port, although be
longing to thrfe Hates, is part of the
new law of nations, which leaves the
weak the property of the ilrong— If
those who are now American citizens,
although born within the dominions of
England, are liableto have all .their pro
perty taken away because they trade
with the French ifiands—ad foreign traoe
may as well be interdicted, and our vT
fclslaid up in port. The inhabitants of
America luffjrs depradation under such
a variety of pretexts, that it is now al
molt i npoflible to enumerate and certain
ly impracticable to deferibe >hc daufes
why our vtff is and the cargoes are con
demned. At onetime they are trading
with the French ifhnds—at another ihty
belong to a foreign power, becauf; you
trade with our rtbeis—at another, you
are lul j.Cts, and are fupplyina our ene
mies—and iatt of all, having been born in
Britain, you cannot withdraw your alle
giance. To what cause may the impro
per praftices of foreign vtfiUs, and the
unjjll dtcilions of foreign courts of ad
m rally be attributed? not, as fur.efay,
to the iupiu nefs of your government {
not to any partiality which they feel for
the depredations committed upon our
commerce, as lome insinuate ; not to a
desire to rtftrain mercantile engagements,
as others suppose—but to a conviction
that il jnftice cannot be procured by re
j tjonftrarice and negociation, it cannot be
attained by any other than those harsh
| measures to which it is always painful to
| refart; and which, in the situation of
[ the United Stales, would be doubly dif
trciTiiig.
To talk of war is a species of lunacy ;
nootjeit can be attaineo by it—the cap
ture ot our vtilels—the ei.having of our
citizens,ahd of our merchants
and farmers, would be the certain conis