The Wheeling repository — Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.], 1808-04-14 00:00:00, page 3

•whatever from our waters, is in fact so
much required by the vexations & dan
gers to our peace experienced from their
visits, that the president makes it a spe
cial part of the charge to you, to avoid
laying the United States under any spe
cies of restraint from adopting that re
medy. Being extended to all bellige
rent nations none of them could of right
complain, and with the less reason, as
the policy of most nations has limited
the admission of foreign ships of war
into their ports, to such numbers as be
ing inferior to the naval force of the
country, could be readily made to respect
its authority and laws.
As it may be useful, in enforcing the
justice of the present demand, to bring
into view applicable cases, especially
where Great Britain has been the com
plaining party, I refer you to the ground
taken, and the language held by her, in
those of Falkland’s island and Nootka
Sound, notwithstanding the assertion in
Spain in both cases, that the real right
was in her, and the possessory only in
Great Britain. These cases will he
found in the annual registers for 1771,
and 1790, and in the parliamentary de
bates for those years. In the latter you
find also, two cases referred to, in one
of which the French king sent an am
bassadour extraordinary to the king of
Sardinia, in the most publick and so
lemn manner, with an apology for an
infringement of his territorial rights in
the pursuit of a smuggler and murderer.
In the other case, an ambassadour ex
traordinary was sent by the British go
vernment to the court of Portugal, witli
an apology for the pursuit and destruc
tion, by admiral Boscawen, of certain
French ships on the coast of this last
V.ingdom. Many other cases, more or
less analogous, may doubtless be found ;
see, particularly, the reparation by
France to Great Britain, for the attack
on Turk’s islands in 17G4, as related in
the annual reg:ster, and in Smollet’s
continuation of Hume, vol. 10; in the
j proceedings in the case of an English
merchantman, which suffered much in
her crew and otherwise, from the fire
of certain Spanish xebecks cruising in
the Mediterranean ; and the execution
of the lieutenant of a privateer, for firing
a gun into a Venetian merchantman,
which killed the captain, as stated in the
Annual Register for 1781, page 94.—
The case of an affront offered to a Rus
' sian ambassadour in the reign of queen
A nn though less analogous, shows, in a
general view, the solemnity with which
reparation is made, for insults having
immediate relation to the sovereignty
of a nation.
Although the principle which was
outraged in the proceedings against the
American frigate, is independent oflthe
question concerning the allegiance of the
seamen taken from her, the fact that
they were citizens of the United States,
and not British subjects, may have such
an influence on the feelings of all, and
perhaps on the opinions ol some unac
quainted with the laws and usage of na
tions, that it has been thought proper to
seek more regular proofs of their na
tional character than were deemed suf
ficient in the first instance. These
proofs will be added by this convey
ance, if obtained in time, if not by the
first that succeeds.
1 he President has an eviuen right
to expect from the British government,
not only an ample reparation to the
United States, in this case, but that it
will be decided without difficulty or de
lay. Should this expectation fail, and
above all, should reparation be refused,
it will be incumbent on you to take
proper measures for hastening home,ac
cording to the degree of urgency, all
American vessels remaining in Bri
tish ports. Where there may be no
ground to distrust the prudence or fide
lity of consuls, they will probably be
found the fittest, vehicles for your inti
mations. It will be particularly requi
site to communicate to our publick
ships in the JVIeditcranean, the state of
appearances, if it be such as ought to
influence their movements.
All negociation with the British go
vernment on other subjects, will of;
course be suspended until satisfaction on '
this be so pledged & arrged as to render
negociation honourable. Whatever may
be the result or the prospect, you will
please to forward to us the earliest infor
mation.
The scope of the proclamation will
signify to you that the president has
yielded to the presumption that the hos
tile act of the British commander did
not pursue the intentions of his govern
ment. It is not indeed easy to suppose
that so rash and so critical a step should
have originated with the admiral, but it
is still more difficult to believe, that
such orders were prescribed by any go
vernment, under circumstances such as
existed betw een Great Britain and the
United States.
Calculations founded on dates., arc also
strongly opposed to the supposition,
that the orders in question could have
been transmitted from England. In the
same scale, are to be put the apparent S;
declared persuasion of the British re
presentative, Mr. Erskine, that no or
ders of a hostile spirit, could have been
issued or authorized by his government;
and the coincidence of this assurance
with the amicable professions of Mr.
Canning, the organ of the new admini
stration, as stated in the dispatch of
April 22d, from yourself and'Mr. Pink
ney.
Proceeding on these considerations,
the president has inferred that the jus
tice and honour of the British govern
ment will readily make the attonement
required : and in that expectation, he
has forbom an immediate call of con
gress ; notwithstanding the strong wish
which had been manifested by many,
that measures depending on their autho
rity, should without delay be adopted.
The motives to this forbearance, have
at the same time been strengthened by
the policy of avoiding a course which
might stimulate the lintish cruisers, in
this quarter, to arrest our ships and
seamen now arriving and shortly expect
ed in great numbers from all quarters.
It is probable, however, that the legisla
ture will be convened in time to receive
the answer of the British government on
the subject of this dispatch, or even
sooner, if the conduct of the B. squadron
here, or other occurrences, should re
quire immediate measures beyond the
authority of the executive.
In order to give the more expedition
and security to the present dispatch, a
publick armed vessel, the Revenge, is
specially employed ; and doctor Bul
lus is made the bearer, who was on
board the Chesapeake, on his way to a
consulate in the Meditereanean, and
will be able to detail and explain circum
stances which may possibly become in
teresting in the course of your commu
nications with the British government.
The Vessel after depositing doctor
Bullus at a British port, will proceed
with dispatches to a French port, but
will return to England with a view to
bring the result of your transactions with
the British government. The trip to
France will afford you and Mr. Pink
nty a favourable opportunity Of commu
nicating with our ministers at Paris,
who being instructed to regulate their
conduct on the present occasion by the
advices they may receive from you, will