Berkeley and Jefferson intelligencer. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va.) 1802-1810, 1808-05-27

I
proofnearly conclusive that her cabinet
never intended to make for that wrong
any reparation at all.
Bot this 10 not sll-It cannot be for.
gotten that when that atrocious deed waS
committed, amidst the general burst Of
indignation which resounded from eve.
| ry part Of this union, there were among
| Us small number ofpersons, who upon
the opinion that Berkleys orders were
authorized by hs government, under.
took TO justify them in their iulles.e extent
These ideas pobably FIRST propaeated
by British ofii,ial characters, in thia
country, were persisted in until the dis.
avowal Of the British government took
away the necessity for perscvering ID
them and gave notice where the next posi-.
ton was to be taken. This patriotic
reasoning however had been so satisEac.
tory at Halifax. that complimentary let.
tiers were received from admiral BerkleY
himself highly sPproving the spirit il
which they were inculeatsd, andremark.
ing how easily peace. between the Uni.
ted States and Britain might be preserv.
ed, ifthat measure ofour national riehts
could Be made the prevailing standard
Of the country.
When the news arrived in England.
although the general sentiment Of the
nation was not prepared for the formal
avowal and justification Of this unparel-
ieled. aggression, yet there we're NOT
wanting persons there, ready to claim
and maintainthe right Of searching ma
tional ships for deserters-1tw was said At
the time, that for this we must ofcourse
rest upon the credit Of Unofficial authori.
ty, to have been made serious question
in the cabinet council; nor was its deter.
mination there ascribed to the eloquence
Of the gentleman who became the Official
organ Of its communication-And to
this a cireumstapee, which without
claiming the irrefragable eredenee Of .
diplomatic note, has yetit weight upon
the common sense of mankind that In
all the daily news papers known to be in
the ministerial interest, Berkeley was
justified and applauded in every variety
of,form that publication could assume,
excepting only that Of Official proclama-
ton. The only part ofhis orders there
disapproved of was the reciprocal offer
which he made Of submitting his own
ships TO be, searched in return-that wac
very uneauivocallg disclaimed-The
rutfian right Of superior force was the
solid base upon which the claim was
asserted, and so familiar was this argue
ment grown To the casuists Of British M.
tional Jurisprudence, that the right Of .
British man of war to search an Amer.
can frigate, was to them q self evident
proofagainst the right Of the American
frigate 10 search the British man Of Nar.
The same tone has Been constantly kept
up, until our accounts of the latsst date,
and have been recently further invigorS.
ted by avery explicit call for war with
the United States, which they contend
could be of5no possible injury 70 Britain,
and which they urge upon the ministry
Is aHording them an excellent opportu.
nifty for then to accomplish . dsmem.
6erment Of, this unioa- Thess senti.
ments have even been avowed in parlia-
ment, where the nobleman who moved
the address of the house Of lords, in IN.
swer to the kings speech, declared
thatthe right OF searching national shipS
ought to Be maintained against the A.
mericans. and disclaimed only with res
peet to European sovereigns.
In the mean time admiral Berkeley,
by court martial Of his own subordinate
officers hung one of the men taken from
the Chesapeake, and called his name
tenkin Ratford. =. There was, accord
ing to the answer SO frequently given by
the lords of the admiralty, upon spPliea-
tons for the discharge of impressed:
no such man on beard TIE
ship. The man thus executed had been
taken from the Chesapeake by the name
Of Wilson,. tits said that on his trial he
was identified by one or two witnesses