University of Virginia Library

204. AGGRESSION, Punishment for.—

The interests of a nation, when well understood,
will be found to coincide with
their moral duties. Among these it is an important
one to cultivate habits of peace and
friendship with our neighbors. To do this
we should make provisions for rendering
the justice we must sometimes require from
them. I recommend, therefore, to your consideration
whether the laws of the Union
should not be extended to restrain our citizens
from committing acts of violence within
the territories of other nations, which would
be punished were they committed within our
own. [16]
Paragraphs for President's Message. Ford ed., vi, 119.
(1792)

See Filibusters.

 
[16]

Jefferson subsequently recast these paragraphs
as follows: “All observations are unnecessary on
the value of peace with other nations. It would be
wise however, by timely provisions, to guard against
those acts of our own citizens, which might tend to
disturb it, and to put ourselves in a condition to give
satisfaction to foreign nations, which we may sometimes
have occasion to require from them. I particularly
recommend to your consideration the means of
preventing those aggressions by our citizens on the
territory of other nations, and other infractions of
the law of nations, which, furnishing just subject of
complaint, might endanger our peace with them.”