Newspapers / The Minerva. / March 24, 1806, edition 1 / Page 1
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' e:mS e r y a::; T.I Trtoi A HALF DSIlVh a J. Piyahlt W Yearly. PUBLISHED (wEKKLv BY YVIfctlAM BOYLAN. WO DO F,ir;uh'e rr- Vol. lo.l RALtlGHy (N. C.). MONDAY, MARCH 24; 1806. No. 519. f. 4? CONGRESS: - HOUSE OF REPJISSCNTAI IVES. Wednesday, ilurcA 5. 1 BRITISH AFFAIRS. XiUAt-r-4ntamnuttet of the who'; on th$ flats if , thevnnonMr.J. C. MITH in tie rh iir, Cn the JoHoivwj refrfutlo tjjindly Mr. Greg, Wherets Gteat Britain imprefl'cg citizens of the U i.ittd Stairs, aud compchVthcni to fsrvc o;i board her h:pi of war, and alfj feizesand CJtihTnns vcflfcla belonging to citizens of tbc United States, a-J their xsrgoes being the loner jide. pi pmy of Amtricao citizens, not coucraona 01 war, ana not proceeaiog 10 places bvGfgd or. blocked j.t, uoder the pretext of ihcii b;iog engaged in time of war ia a trade wiili li.T enemies which was nQi allowed ia time of peace : ' And whiTa the government of the United 8(3 us has icpcKrdly retnoaltrated to the Dri tiili g!it imeut t$tk(t ihefe injuries, trii ' demanded fatufaftiou iheiefor, tut without litical coofidcratioDS, lo that our dtofiosi be rife te.lult of a found hidiMicrit, uuinflueatf ' ' cither by improper pirttaHiy or prriiidlce. a wviuc notiiic conauct-or pne oati"i8tq which I hate alluded, and from '.the, yoioft manner in which the PifUeut ha's recomn&o ed preparations fbr dtfrnce, an idea appears t have gone forth that we are to be immediately ingged iowat. Thtsopinion has received ad ditional taneslcy from a report madeby a ftlcft committee of the Houfc, tcconftqeil4iug an ap". uropriattan ofraof.ty to a ooCderhle toiount for the piirpnfe of ircing fortificatianj for the defence of our per tad harbore, and For build ing guo boata and (Ivpi of the line. Did Wy fentimen'i accord with this opinion, I (liou?d ctrtainljr gite this report ojr coualtoance fo far ai refpeds fort iticatisHSi which fiom their I Gtua:ion are thought to be capable. of affording r - C. U 11 . . I . r t - ujr luyuatrwii protection, trtn atrltuugs ate, I raajr perhaps be.induced to Tote in ravor of the appropriation for gun boa'a, to rdicvithe anx ictjr,of fomeofour feIlov-citizen, whlfe afrm& appear to btgrtraJy cJtcitr.d ; aod becaufc I b l(tire, from alfthe in.foraiauon I hate been able to colled from nsril lad mil tiry gtatlcmen, gua Kczt? will afrnrd t'icras'l e:ttul ijrorefti- t t!rc cvctiL of.Tcter Siilt owafc.'tMito'have r'--. . -l t. ! f r l ( tj oVckr w-:u:vcr iH eatft : - - . Tc-r fore.' Rst .h'r.l. i';i'.f. Hi.;':!-: erj:t; CfchJ'f asv! rafViSory.'arjfis-enJtfi'B ob i;cfc pekts v?wj ;'jt Is 'etn . vjhje two jNwe!irit. --aCXt, gi'4 Wr-:8i t?"i;rcHjttHixf, Cf .ib;3:hi,.piii fcjpctitaiifs-j tlrcar; iSthaio, Jt icf sJiuK or depewdtociei thtrreof, ught tQ b imported into the Pa&eftj Statti. Prided, howeVcr,, that rUVeVjr" anaogerneata deened ftUfanry by-ibt Vtiti , ent of the Uuited State hall nke place, it (hall be lawful for hiaj, by prodeniat:oQk ,to fix a day on which tue probioiiiou afoVcfatd Aalll beafe. . - Mr. Gutce. Mr Chairman, I cannot but coogratuUt;lhe bomrutttce' oa our hiring at length tkttLopUhe buflnrfi to which' I btlreve the people of thi cout! try uniyerfa'ly expefted wo wou!d tiae triroed oiir artttin on the fuft tnoraent of affeabliogin our legifl uive capacity. Before t kf our hornet, we had learned tars' the channel 'of rc wf paper that ootrjjjca of a mod atrocious k'utd haJ been cothihittcJ on the perfonBandrcperty of AnitfiiciB citizeni, by fve-of the bcliiget:qt nations of Europe. This trlliirrnee has heeti ofGeialtv coofirraeJ bv ruodrycofflmunicitiona which we VtocitoU 5?LfF in from TOeWaVer art)7 &V Fronrtbcfel My, fr.inr the lacil.ty which dtficw, tint fome of our ? people hid the migfortoce to be made prifoaers by the Algerines, an J at a later period when forae others fell ino the' -hands f the Tiipolitaos, the feelings of tbe gocrnreot od of the whole country were alive. All voiccf Bolted in requiring the eoergy of the govern -went to be exerted, and its putfetobe opened, fo that no means, to obtain the liberty of the captires might be left untried. Succefs has crowned ihefe endeavours, and thofe whj wcie unfottunate flaves, are npw enjoying their frte clom. In what refpfft, I would aSc, dees the fituttibn of thofe who hare been imoreffed from on board their own vefTclirand who are forcibly detailed otf b,pard Britilh fliips of war, differ frona that of the Algerine aud Tiipolitan pti foneri, So far as refpeQsthe goternmeot, the wringemeaisoi ifsngutiwc greater in the tor mer than 'w the latter cafe. Tbe fitoation of the individnal is no better. A wound inflifted by t firitifli cac of iioe tsils, is not lef"fcvtre. ly felt, than if it had proceeded from the la fh of an Alrrine. The patient ftihmiffion with which t7 have fa long endured tin's flrnt f iitrage on the f.-elings of humanity and pu the kononr of our couutry, rnuft have excited the ftonilhrnent cf the whole world ; but it mud alfo. have iinprefled them very forciby with an recjr.e totrpt4;mf.r;y any etwuen Jea of the moderation of our governojent, and sxu t-i5 rr. -r-tHt:r lite UC t i-.i ittong prcdilectioo for peace. - I'tiuft, owjvr, wt win now (new there, that tbere is a point' Lcvoitd which we will nm fnftcr. tint Itie prcfcSt &:34lion otthe aaiidoiof liarcw although we mavW thinV'ii auIf-Kl A iurnifaciaogrMdfor rttrtaiofuchpDre. .ritike reoiifals, we will at leall withdraw our henSona. .'filetr )e8t;cDe!iinit'furtt(b "trieodly inerc'ourfe from that governinent, laaple fmploynBsnt for alt their rtrofCes RpT.hf whofe whole lyfletn of conducY towirds Us has .?-nf ' " r!lc wporttntcoritelt 'Soft th that of diftrefi and degradation and that which Mrcopies tbeir attention, it not liltelf io ai'the hufioefsia tow taken jb it w!tt be piufued uc ucwugui to ipecay r.crminaiion. :xfta u tne i wttH zeal-ana ardour, until relief ia txtenitd fource we have derived the inf.r.-natioD, that irruptions bave been made into our territory on its fouthero1 frontier by f'bjcl4 ;f Spain t aud that depredations to a very confijerable extent have been OKirsitted on our commerce, by the ctuizcra of that nation. The manly fpirit with whicli thefe irrupt io'is wtie refifted by the ejects sf cur govrrnment, appeai for the"pre lent to bt e checkrd the further progrefs of that evil : And it teems that the lyflem of At piedation h6 beea difontinacd, in purlaancc ol infliudiooailTued by the miniiter of (late anci of marine to the diretr gehtral of the fleet Tht fe orders were ilTued on the d day of Sep tembt, oj, aradar's; Underltood to have been, produced by the teoaooilrances of. our -minifter t that court; v 'From the fe lavourable fy mp tnrn, srpttfunptJoa naturally and neceifariiy arifca. Ahit an f mieable actjaftmest of the points id diipute betwixt that government and ours, io not to be dtfpaircd of. Simuld, we howe vcr, be deccited io this calculation Iheuld li dir agrthions be repeated, we arc not dtfli tute of meins to obtain ledrefs, and on fuch an event taking place, J pre fuoic we would cot he- fitatejn reforting "'jo the complete excrcife of tnele means. I wilh the rofpeS of an arcomnaodation of ur differences with Great Britain was equally bright & flattering. But the fyftematie hottility -f that government towards our cqmKercercvita bftinate pcrfeveraace ia the imprlfTnaent of our fearocn, aotwithftandiag the repeated remons Frances of our micidci s, have ao room to cx pect an accomoaodation, until we re fort to fuch meafures, as will o.ake h'er feel our impor tance to her, as the purchaTers ani oofurais ofh:r rnsuttf.(Sturc8, drid of the great injury ' Ihe will fuflain tl.ro' a total ptit aiion of. cU fiieadfhip. - " . This it nuii be acknowledged is a v?ry impor tat foHcft, and cr, mlui'h caonot- fail - to en Jake the racueil sttenticrcot or-ly of this com- nsittrebpt muil aif excite the anxious folifi tuMt. 6fmqr membtr of 'the community. Q1) the ccurfc wVcwy now take, on the meafurrs we m.-y acv pKjoe.vwill, in a" great tnea. . fare.': 'depend, iu tnyjriew, .the' dcttrmiaa- ff.tion rf the qufftionjwhetliiJ we at ldbc a fvtc add itidependeot nation !$r 'whtlher we re t3 furrendcr that boa (led privilege, acd ; tamely fubtcit to fuch indifufiy and oppreffio, s tii refit Vers even their Rate, of co'.oni station weuld have rtGftrd wuh indignation. I a the difculEon ftt iquidma-of futh magni. rvd, in the deetfio'i ot u),icl we arc-all f na. . tt rta'ly inletcftedscd ou which the h'.'uor and" tibc icterrft of our coutry fj tsoch depends, 1 ' lr- .' il,'d'.Teftjb'ui(cits'of 1 party fc:ingsT wtchir afiR from our difft rer.tpurfaits in Ux, flcmgegjgrapicarnftaciofis,or from po- mtnor po wcrs lh ould ' w it h J r a w fro en the qo n fe def aey , there n j profptft. o f a fpeedy : peacf betwixt the two great rival r.atione. " "ThVy will mft probably foon retuni to the fituatiott they refpsllvely occupied at the comrucncemcoV'of the prtfent campaign. The fecne of Boulogoe will probably be ac4ed evct agaia. The fleet of the one nation tnuft be employed in guarding its coafts agaioft an iavafion by the army of the others If, this fituation neither will difpofrd to dd ta the number of their ensratcs. reit Britain dcrivelionie ativaotage frcm that jjreda tory war which fhc permits and suthorifea t be Jio this ffthippy c)afsof fufferers, abd lecurity-i pbtaineJ. agaioft (imilar aggrellibna on" their per Xona injutuif, by fuch arrangtmeots as ought to he deemed fatisjsclcry. .''In relation to the rrptuie and cfvndemaation 6fur veffcU, contrary to what weconfider, at? J to what I verily believe to be the li cf nations, J (hall not detain the committee with many oh in fixed their leGdeoce anlang ustto enjoy the a-( vantage, of tradiog ujder pur neutral rigbtli than to the real American merchant. , Tbis dsp-f fcription of raeO, coder no iulaeoce erf psitri- f otifni, and tba generally unreftrained by aDy.l, principles of juftice, portue tbeir objeft wbolly recardUfs of the iiitreft of the country, itt'w: ' any i juribui fOftq"ens to which it might bsti fubjeded throirU their iiiifconduit. I barcncK idea of inve'ving ray country in any dixficcltjr1 on account of thefe people or their trade At, they are citizens of the orldt equally artachedi . to every country, I would always willingly fn'rv rcndcr.the" t be poimed according to the law of whatever ipuntry they mijiht he fouod traof ? grefEogi 'Bot to vritbholdiKg proJf&ioo frooi; thefe Jawlcfs idventurers, let us riot wiihdravv; it from tnc real Amnican merchant, .A&ig from motives of rpatiivtifat as well s of gauc he combioci J)i owu inttretl with that of hi conotiy. While he is acrumulatirg HtUb to?' liimfelf, be is adding to the revenue and richea. " of his country, and while be t fearchiag a mar; ktt for the produflioos of the farmers, ;hC-i iif covering fomftthing tht oay rontribat to tbeir convesicBce and comfwt. -He iafnelLry; v link, in the ch-in of our foriety. There Is?' mutual dependence betwixt him'aod the'farflerv -The iottreK of the ooe is promoto) by the ftic. cefs of the ot her. This bciog the c.afe, tbefe' " two claflcs thou Id be exueoxly. catttiua bow they (uffer that kind of jealoufy to grow up be. ; twixt them, that might eventually prove a fource . of difirefs and cslamity tojihem both. - .-.-Vi I hope it will uot be Sofm red from any thirg; ;;: that Ihavefaid, that I am going to be an ad. vecatt for the protection, ev;o of Amertcsi piercbaots, io lb at wild, cxtravsgatt carryiog trade, to which foroa of them appear to extend their vie wh. I flilt oevrr sigree to rifle the peace sind fafety of the nation in fuch a cauic. Ees in doubtful caff s, or where the law was not per fertly clear, if they wculd cmbaik their proper ty, let it be st their own hazjrd. But ia carry iog en the dirsft trade of our country, and eyesi in the carrying trade, wbi'e tbty confiae them, felves within the acknowledged law of natioaa, Andta erti' ti of entering "4 1 thini they are etiutled to protaion. q.ie'air.n, uhc ! aiTo.di-.g this 'po.t.aion I take it that fervations. I have bo irrtfi a d-ff liTion cf iiin zhfh tker a trade:i5 jnlifii'Je in war; ',kl, ij 0ot ! prprroting the real in.ereft of the country 9 pea in .ttwe ct jeKf I wi 1 ooiy oblrrvr, that on the pMOctpies of i eaioo and juftice. and earned 0 aesiuft our roturnerce. and flie lfn JJW-fiic?t tjrhnf as I rMtn-had r finnan nit w w T T . - - - - -t r" varkvi oi cviuuiitsz, me iivni iui which wr conicuu Tiei ficiencics are fupplied bf impreffments of our framen from on board our trading velTcIs. Intererbatvl con. veniecce will induce her to purfue this fyftem, fohmg as ve difcover a difpifi.ioa to yield implicit fubtoiffioo bot lit a national fpirit of difipprobatiou snd refiilattce once dicovtrit feif ; let us once tell her in the proud language' of independence, that we "will no longer fubmit. to this indignity and' opprtfllon, and we will find the practice rcunqu.ihcd, and vur fellow, citizens lilerat ed "from thal tleg radlng" oundage in which they are now held, and reftortd to their country snd fn'ends. Great Britain 13 too wtll verfed in the bufmefi of calculation, aod too well acquainted wrtb ,her own ibtefcii- to perfeTerHn thb la wlefs fjr ftea7 ThV hacard of lofug cuftorocrs, whofd anuoal pnrcbafes of bee msnafaflures aad other racrchanoize exceed!, I bliee,-3 oooco of doliarai , .4; : . Ia featchiog for materials to fubftiotiate tbe faft Rated in the preamble to the refolutionV it is only Bet.-tfTary to refer to the billory of jbe cotVduft of the Brit: fh Government towards us for very fhort period. By turning a few pages of that hiftory we will 6nd, thai a Urge oumber of our fellow citizens have breV forcibly taken front their hornet: (for fa'iq fitlp is a feamana home) 'have been put on board Bfitifh.fkipa of war, and compelled to fight her battles seaiufl a power, betwixt whom" and; their own govern 4 ty was to them the firft promuljatioa of the law meot there ex ills no differeiice. The cencral.r Iaonhcc ef what it was impoCible fsr them to tbe neciflityj know, wis imputed to th'ena as a ctt'm:, an J an notoriety of this truth precludea of a reference to any' particular document to prove the correctnefs -of the ftateroentWaa fuch a reference iieceffary,'-vl might point to at report frornr the department of ftatemadejitjhel lali feffioo-of Congrefstn th'at'report we find, that at that tiftte fifteen hundred & thirtycight perfons clalmiog to be American citizens, had been able to extend their application forreleif to theiro'wo government ; and though Great Britain claimed "fome of ihefe'as her' fuhjefts, agreeably to her doftrine of non f alriaiion, the great mafa was acknowledged to be American), fo "wh fe detention no other calife could be afiigAfd, but beciufe flie flood in need of tbeir fervice. And is it not a fair pifeftimpti that this iiumbtr was but a frnalproportiosv of thofe who were actually jmprtfled I Chanj?cd from Ihip to fliip, and the vefleis io which they are frequently changing their Ifation, guarded with the moft fcrtipu'lffus attentionv it- io almoft iou pnfDble for them to find anylopportanity of ap plying to their own government, oracyxfiu oJTicers for relief. u ' . '. , , ; . -Th '9 open, J his fl-igraat viqlaUon- of our rig'.ts ss men, and as citizens of ad independent oaiititipcertainly de'maads the iotcrpoStion of vfriimcnt.i To hat.cufe are we to afcribe the ncg'e&wMh which thefe unfortunate. men idve been treated ? A f: YWiJgo when does apppeftr to me to.b'e clearly .tftaMifhed. In fome late puUirationa this quc!tion has received a vry Iomi6066 md smpk. ditcvifGon, and the iit-ht ii-fi:'t J on by us ha'sceripiavtd on fuch ground,, an-i fupported by tcafbn to clear, fo cogent, and lb conchifive,- that Gust Britain wilh all her boafted UUriU w .11 find n esircoie. difficult to find anfwera for them. But eveii aJrr itticg the UritM drArine to be correct, what, I would rfk, has been the conduit of tlist governmttt -under it ? "Has it" been that of a nation actuated by motives of Ubirality and fiiendfliip ? Ha it btcn that of a civilized and.polihed D3tioc ? 13as .il been fuch as jnftice and the fair and hocourath con dofl of our jrovcrotneut hag given its a right to expeft I Na perfon, I think, is prrpired to aafwer in the affirmative. It dus oot appear that the principle was pisftifrd on during the Uft,. nor tor fome time a'ter the commencement blithe prefeiit wir. r l wiil not . undertake abfo luitely Irt fay, that they relinquifhed it, but. the trade which it now prohibits ws permitted to be carried on to a great xtenCwithcut any in. terrupt ion from their" cruizers. Njaibrrs al-'ur. ed by the prbfpccY cf gtio, ' were inducd to engage' in the profitable bulincfs, andfuppofmg ' themfejves ffe under the prottCtion of law, had their veffels and eifeas feized to large amount. The capture and coademnation of their proper- honourable dependence en the juflire rf a po- vernraent .roftfSDg to be friendly, was profe cuted with penalty and forfeiture. .j.Buj:eien.. iadepebdeBt-of:or -ju &. -csu f e of complaint arifingfroro this punciplc, apparent ly new thus unjuitly brought iotd -eperaticn, Jitrw has that govcromeBt conduced in relat ion to capturrs in which after the moft minute in veftfgalioa, all the ingenuity of herTeourts hive .not been able to'difesver any principle to war, rant the condemnation The pcrplcxing difS cuttles, the vexatious delays, and the enormous, eipeoce attending the profecution of a claim lhatrgh evt ry ftsge ef its progrefs, . pUct an al- moft iniurmountable barrier in the way of ob taioing jufti. In faft, all her commercial max . ims,1 aad The wb6I: fy Mera of her condncl, dif. cover a manifeft intention, a, fixed det'erminaV tiotr to esmfammate the ruin of the cdui;nerce of tbis couotry W . ' ' :--'! 1 am aware, Mr." Chairman, -that many .of the captures aod iandtmnations,' of which we have -hsard fucb loud complaints, are ftriclly wanantea.byjho1w of natiWsfcl-An immedi ate dellre of gain very frequently leads the mer chatiUo engage -ta a trade, which tbe univerfsl con'ect of all nations baa declansd to be unlawful. Th.i.l,frjatioi wiltyV b'owever, perhaps apply : saou prciftry to toicigoers, who have ' .-. ' " ' . - ' - - we arc ..Bf cheriihing navigation to a certain exteat, we fe I cure to ouiftlves at all twies the means of pro - I - ' -. "iC' f.,W . -l.'.l.n . I .... k.-.. c. cmjpg a marvel rut iuwu viv u, lale, we furnifh means for promoting ioduRry, and we snake provifion for the maintenance of rrcn, on wtofe biavcry and exertions in ths evatofwar, we mult always rely very rnutih. for pur defence. On this fu1 j ft, I cjonot ex, prtf my fentinaents better than 1 find thera tx. prff:d in a teport made by the piefent Chiff .jgjftiatc, while Secretary f State. & whiwh I confider as declaratory of the true interefts of the nation. I fhall therefore take the liberty cf leading a paragraph of that report. . It, that is navigation, as a brauch of induf try, is valuable, but as a fource ef dtfencc, eflcntia!. Its value as a brBuch of indullry, it eachanccd by the dependence of fomauy other -branches.on it- In times of gtaeral peace . it- multiplies coropetitoii -'for- employment " in ti6nforttion, and fo lutps that at it proper level; and io times of war, tfeat is to fay, wbea thfe rations ho may be our principal cat riers Ihillbc at war'tyith ccch other, if we have not within curftlves the means of traofportatioa, our produce rouft be exported io bslligerent-Vef. .. fels, at the iocreaftd expenceof war freighvand' inlurance, and the .articles which will not bear that, muft perifh on our hands. - ' But it t as a refource for defence, that our navigation will admit, neither neglecl nor. for bearance. . The pofition and circumftances f the U. S. leave them nothing to fear on their land board, and nothing to defire bevond their v - - 4 r prefent right s.Burop their"fea board they ere open to injury, abd they have there, too, a.;'; commerce that mnft be protefted. . This can only ihe done by pofTcffing a re fpeel able body of citizen fraraep, ar.d of attifta and eSahlifh rpents in trtdinefs for fhip building." . From this very- brief-vie -of ihe-conduft of the BrXtrlh government towards us, and I have confined -it merely to the points, ftatedjn the pieamhle to jJhLCjeipludoiia very cand idr e ver y nnprrjudiced perfoo I think rati It acknowledge that we are anive'd at a crifla 1 that we have ; reached a period at which the honour, the intc re9, afid the public fentiment of the country fo 1 far aa it has been cxprefled, call loudly on us to make a ftand. The evil we have already f uffer. . ed is great, and it is prpgrei&ng. Like a can cerpoa complaint it is penetrating dill deeper ' tovrarda our vitaU While we yield year after year, G. Britain advances flep by flep ; yet at . little longer and oor. commerce will be annihi lated, and our independence fubverted. - Here . the ereat difficulty prefents itfclf. . J What are the fcroper ftepa to be taken, what meafures that we can adopt will-be moft likelr to. effect the objeel we have id view,, and to it a operation produce' .the fmillell.incoorenienee tf ourfclvcs. I, fir, have reflected jn-jch oa tbia ' f nbjeft. I have cbnfidered, fp far as I wax ea-. pable, the bearing which every ,meafnre ( which I hate heard propofed; would have 00 inJThfi, , C Csnt'tnuea in last page. J Nr.
March 24, 1806, edition 1
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