Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1807-07-18
DOCUMENT ON IMPRESSNENT.
Extract Of a letter from the Secretary 81
State 70 ames l'4lnr0e, esq .tNinistsf at
London, dassa nh sanuafy 1905.
,TcoNcLuDEp ]

Taking re ason and justice for the test.
5 Of this practice, il IS peculiarly indenslble
because IL deprives the dearest rights OF
! reg0lar trial, 10 which the mess ioconsider
abe arueie Of properly captured on The
high seas, lseasi,led; aud leaves their des
tiny 10 the will of an officer, sometime:
eroef. Of 60 igsorant, asd generally int,
: Yessed by his want. Of marines. inh's own
! secisioDs. Whenever property touadi 10
nsusral vessel is supposed to be liable 90
any grounds 10 capture and condemnation,
thsSsule in all cases is that the fuesion
s,f.sIl moi be decided BY the capsor, but be
earned before legal tribunal, where Q
! regular ',rislS may bc'had. aud where the
~captof a,snsslf isss~ble 10 damages, for 40
ab4ss of his power. Can il be reasonable
then, or iuss, ghssa belligefe ut command.
er, who is shus restricted and thus respon.
sibss 10 case of mere property OF trivial
amount, should be pssmitsed, without re.
: earring 10 any tribunal whatever. to exa.
Z fnine the crew Of a nspsralvessel, to de-
s'ciac ,hs. Important question OF their re-.
specsiye aIlsg'snces, add te carry that. de-
tision into instant exeaation, by forcing
every individual he may chuse, into ser.
y,ss abharrvot % his feelings. cutting him
ca ton his most tender connexions, ex.
5 possog his aind aud h;s person 10 the most
Siaumslissipg discipline. and his life to The
gYraess dangers! Reason, justice aud
: humanity unite IN protecting agains, so x.
.lfav sgant preceding. And what 10 the
!. pfttcx, fyr IL? II rs that he similarity OF
language and of features between Are.
siSan ciEszens asd British subjects. arc
sacti as aot easily to be distinguished
and that without this arbitrary and
summary authority TO make the distane-
tlos, Blush subjects wo aid escape, under
the name OF AneTicsn citizens. from the
! duty which they owe &c. their sovereign.
u sheo the difficulty Of Distinguishing
mariner ST one sconatry from the mariner
of the other, aud the importance of hts
s services good plea for referring the cues.
sioo whether he belongs TO the one sr 70
,rhe other, 10 an arbitrary decision on tie
ypa:s. by an interested and unrespcnsibls
s;osliisrs ii at other cases, the difficulty
aud the Importance CT questions are con.
lssiidered as reasons for requiring greater
care and fornalisy IN inv essiSa,ing them,
aud greater security for a right decision
on them. Tosay that precautions OF shas
sors are Incompatible with the object isto
admis The objection is jasliaable since the
only means by which II can be pursued are
such as cannot be justified.
. The evil takes a deeper die, when view
ed inits practice as we'll as It's principles.
Were i. allowable that British subjects
should be taken out of American vessels
on the high seas, it might al least be reqolr-
ed thar the proof of their allegiance should
lie on the British eide. This obvious and
Jus, rule - however reserved aud every
seamen on board, though going from an
American port, aod sailing under the a.
uerican flag, and some times even speak
iug an idiom proving him MOTTO be Bri.
tish subjec,, is presumed to be sush unless
showu 10 be al American citizen. 4 NAV
: safely Be affirmed that this 10 an !. outrsge
: and 40 indsgni,y whifh has no preeedens,
and which Great Britain would be among
the Lass na,ious in the world TO suker, II
: oHefed 20 her own subjects sfhcr OVID dag.
Nor is il always sgains. the right pre-.
sump,ion alone which is In favor OF the
xisizenship corresponding with the Gag
that the violeree 10 eommisted. Not un.
frequently il takes place ip defiance ofthe
!. most positive proof, sertihed 10 due form
~ an American officer.
s Let ID not be said that in granting to
Americas seamen this protection tor their
rights % such, the point is yielded
that the proof lea on the American eide
aud that the want of it ia the prescribed
form iiustihes the inferencesthas the sea'
man is not Of American allegiance. II is