Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1807-07-18

/ every Other ;urisdicsisp, the rights and itii'
mnpi,ies due 20 them. If ID rho courss
Of their payigs.ion ewes on the high seas
u 1.-The document should have the effect OF rs'
pslling wrongs Of any sort. i is an incident;
! al Advantage only, Of which they sy .'l
Iihemselyes, and is BY no means 70 DC mis-
construed into right 80 exact such 9 proc
or to make any disadyansaSseus inference
| from the want oft.
/ Were it even admitted that certificates &c
for protection might he Justly require 9, g
time of war from Amcrisap,s ssauasn, tney
could oniy bersquirsd Is CASES where tn y;
lapse Of time from its commencemeni, nao
given an opportunity for the a uerica,a sea
men, to provide Themselves with suen
document. YET i, IS certain that IN "a.
riety OF instances, teameu have beeo I'M 90
pressed from American vessels, on the
plea thar they hadnottbis proof Of c,.xsn
| ship, when the dates and places OF INC, I'm
pressmen.s demonstrated the imposslbl'lsy
Of their knowing 10 .ims TO provide the
proof. that state ofwar had rendered .'s
necessary.
Whether therefore we consult the law
7 Of nations, the tenor of ,rea les or the DIE
taos of reason and jnsiice, no warrant, 40
pretext can be found fer the British practice
of making impressmen,s from Amerlcaa
vessels on the high-ssas.
c.. Britain has The less 70 say 10 excuse
for this practice, as il is in ditect CONT a.
diction to the. principles, on which she
proceeds IN other cases. Whilst she claims
and siezes 90 the, high seas Der owu.sub
jects voluntarily serving IN American YES.
sells, she has constantly given, when she
could give, as reason fer her not. discharg
ing from her service American eitssens,
that they had voluntarily engaged In II.
Nay more, whilst she impresses her own
subjects from the American service, al,ho'
they may have been settled and married
aud even naturalized in the United States
she constantly refuses TO release from hers
Americans impressed into ii, Whenever
she can give for a reason that they were
either se,,lsd or married within her domi-
Mons. Thus when lhc roluntary consen,
of The individual fayors her professions,
she pleads the validity OF ;has consent
When the voluntary consent cf the indivi.
dual stands ia the way Of her pre:ensions
it goes for nothing! When marriage or
residence can be pleaded 10 her favor she
ayails herself of the plea; When smarriage
aud residaoce or even na,ur al sasios are
eainst her, 40 respecs whatever is paid to
either. She takes by force herown sub
jects voluntarily serving in our vessels =
She keeps BY force American tisizcos 10
voluntarily serving 10 hers More asgrans
Inconsistencies cacnoi be imagiasd.
Notwithstanding the powerful motives
which ought to be- felt by the British go.
vernmsnt to rslinauish practice which
exposes it to 50 many reproaches, i, i.
foreseea, tina, objections of Ieren. serss
will be pressed on you. You viii be told
FIRST. of the great number Of British sea-
men 10 the American trade, and Of the
necessity for their services in time of was
aud danger. Secondly, OF the right and
the prejudice of the British nation WITH
respect 20 what are called the Bri'isn
or narrow seas, where It's domain would b..
abandoned by the general stipulation re.
quired. Thirdly, Of the use which would
be made of such sanctuary as thatcf A
merican vessels for dessrsions aed trato'
Gus commuaication TO he, ene mics, espts-
cially across the chaunel to France. al.
,sF ~: " ssI :
LIST. With respect to the British seamene
serving 10 our trade, j. may be remarked
{ 6rst, that the number, though considerable:
is probably less than may be supposed; Sc.
condly, that what is wrong in itself eaano.
be made RICH. by considerations otexp Sdi !
ency Or advantage; thirdsv, ,har il is prey.
ed by the fact tAas she number Of real Br' !
nsh subjects gained by The practice inaues {