The Sun.
London, England, 1814-08-06 00:00:00

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AUGUST 6, 1814.

THE SUN REVIEW.

(No. XVIII.)

The Ri.;4t arty Pro-dire of Lvresinient, as.ccneern-
big Great Britain tind .Interica., considered.—
*MuRRAY; Albentajle-street, pp. 68..
_ i(Coatinued from yesterday.)

Having thus ably dissected the American pre-.
tenions, upon the first head into which they were
:divisible., our Author proceeds,' with equal intelli-
gence, to discuss the second point, via. " the
general right of Search of a neutral ship on the
high seas by a. belligerent," which has not, how-
ever, been distiuctly dented by America, thongh
some of her Statesmen have quibbled at
in the particular case of the search of an American
ves:iel- for British subjects tile right•is, if not ab-
solutely denied,_ reated as a matter of heavy am&
intolerable grievance.
" It might, perhaps, :says the Writer; be
enough On this point to say, that it, as I have
shown, the law of nations confirms the'right of
the Sovereign over his subject, the same law im-
plies a right in the titter= ign to search` for. and
to lake that subject. 11 a nation has•a tight, it
h:ls a moral power to Vindicate that right, and is
justifiable in applying its physical power for the
'purpose; for tit is nonsense to talk Of legal rights;
from the: exercise of which one debarred ;
and, in truth,' before 'America, can with any de-
gree of consistency deny our. right to search her
ships for onr seamen, she must deity our' right of
search in the abstract for 011 tyllilt score is the
search after enemy's property to be admitted, if
the search after your own property be denied ? A.
neutral ship is not to he co;lverted into a.mean of
strengthening- our enemy : is it then to be mode
a means Of weakeniug us ? • The belligerent's
right of search exists equally in built cases., he-
cause.the principle, "on which the search proceedi,
in both cases is the saute; namely; selt-preserva-.

6-‘ Again ;• if the right of search fOr contrabgiid
Of rIS • not denied, w7lkv should' the right of
search for inw ?--man,, which is, in trUth, the
highest species .of contrahand of war,. becau all
ottter.kinds are merely materials for his use, mid
useful rwu beWgerent in direct proportion to 'the
no be of mei; which it n.ay Ita"e to e.nploy on
those materials.. Can it be denied, that we have
a right to search a neutral to detect the convey-
anee of. reinforcements to an enemy's army or
fleet ? Cerrainiy not. how then can it he. de-
niedtlgat we have a- right to search alicutral to
detect deserters from our oxt u ?"

. .
it is acknowledged, that the exercise of this
right,of search nary be inconvenient to the neutral,
and t., tt.ii 101 41'14 Ist, br..• La."
.001):intieS our authority,.
inconvenience—he it great or small,
compensated or not—it is to the neutral but alt
inconvenience; while t he aliandoninent of the prac-
tice....might be io the bellig-erent, and would be to
Great Britaino vital injury. It would have the ten.:
.deuce of her fleet,--of • exposing not
ler commerce alone, but her territory, to the in-
.vasion. of her enemy,—and Of Comp, otnising her
very existence as a flee and independent Nation.';
'l.'t, Author next proceeds to examine the prac-
tice of impressment., awl the animpt of injury
sustainO, by America in theexercise of this right
by Great Britain. Upon this he observes, that
there ;Ire b+tt three modes-of 'impressment which
can 'affect America (the first being the grand
source of di,pleasure).
I. Front leer ships at sea.
2, From her ships in port.
3. C't. her sailors ashore or in British-ships.
With respect to the first, the great subject of
clamonr, as a national grievance; it is well known
that Britain has waved HMI renounced the prac-
tice of visiting and impressing her Seanten from
the national ships of %vas of the United States.--
The practice towards merchant-ships is no degra-
dation of the national flag, and 'eau subject them
.to very trifling inconvenience,. either by tire short
.detention neceary, 'or .by the absta,action 'of
Suspected individuals ainong- her crew. The fol-
lowing portion of the pamphlet is so full of facts,
and so coneltisive, that we cannot abridge one
syllable or it.

" I shall.now proceed to consider the real:and
practical amount of the injury i•it which this prac-
tice involves the American ,
• • •
1` Anxious to treat this subject in the most im-
partial and satislaefory manner, 1 shall, whenever,
1 can, employ the documents of the American
Government itself; and on this occasion I shall
make my: 'calculations from the MeSsage of. the
15th January, 1812, of the President of the United
States, transmitting a Report from, the Secretary
of State on-the subject of impresstnents, in obe-
dience to a Resolution of the House of'Represen-
tatives of the 20iii Noveml'r, 1811.

"'I must, however,- pretuis.e that the Message
and Report appear to have been concerted with
great caution and ingenuity, to cover and distort
the trudi.

"The. Legislature called for an retcbunt 'of the
impressments by 'till Nations ;' impress Tents ; by
Great thitain alone are returned, the French of-
fences, being postponed under the pretence of wait-
ing for Nitre ample information.
" The Legislature called for a list ofpersonsp—a
return is' made of the Ivhole number of 02,2)4'07
tions for release, in which, as the Legislature of
alassachuset th''' candidly admits 4 the same name
Is. Often stated twice,,, thrice, . four tiipe§, and
even five times Over,' _

The Legislature called for a list of citizens
impfessed from on board.vessels tendertlwflag pf Ilie
,Ul,64,:!states he rent' comprises a bs!',ol tI
app.iidl`..i"2,lig Made by the Americas) Consul

Li the ltep:)rt of its Cauinittee ui Inc k'rb.