Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1808-05-24

the men) Or, that the men sver. cxsr.
ofilisn SUBJECTS Or, that Trey have en,er-.|
ana taken the bounty Ito Which the nf;cs-
know how to reGuce themj: Or. that th.,
nave been married, or settled in ENGLAND =
IN an these cases without further ceremenv.
their discharge is refused. Sometimes tbt:r
! lordshlps, in vein of humor inform the >.
gent that the man had been discharged as a,.
serUiceabte. Sometimes In sterner 1one
they say he was an imtostor. Or, perhans
by way CT consolation to his relatives AMI
/ friends they report that he has fallen in bar.
tie, against nation in amity with his coun-
try. Sometimes they coolly return that ,her,
is no such man on board the ship and ri,at
has become of him, the agonies ola wife and
children in his native land may be left to COR.
lecture. When all these and many other
such apologies for refusal fail, the ma i've 4.
merican seaman is discharged ard when bv
the charitable aid of his government he has
found his way home, he comes to be inform.
ed, that all is as it should be; that the nn,D !.
Der Of his fellow sufferers is small thu, il
was impossible to distinguish him from, 8,
Englishman; and that he was delivered nv.
OH duly authenticated proof!
Enough of this disgusting subject car
not stop to calculate how many OF ties.
wretched victims are natives Of Massachu-
sets, sid how many natives OF Virginia-i
cannot stop to solve that knotty QUESTION as
national jurisdiction whether some Of tse,,
might not be slaves, and therefore not CHI.
zsns Of the United States. | cannot stay /,
account for the wonder, why poor, and isao.
rant, and frieDdless as most of them are, e..
voice OF their complaint is so seldom heariin
the great navigating states. admit that We
have endured this cruel indignity through all
the administrations of the general govern.
ment. | acknowledge that Great-Bytain
claims the right Of Selling her subjects il
our merchant vessels, that even 1t We couli
acknowledge it, the time Of Discrimination
would be difficult to draw I'VE ars net
in condition to maintain this ri pit, by, var,
and as the British government have been
more than once on the point of giving tnp Of
their own accord, would still hope ior re.
turning Justice to induce them to abandon IL
without com2ulsion. The degree Of pcotec.
ton which We are bound to extend to Them.
cannet equal the claim Of our own citizens /
would subscribe to any compromise fthis
contest, consistent with the rights o;sove.
reignty, the duties Of humanity and princi-
Piles of reciprocity but to the right Of fore
ing even her own subjects out of our mer-
chant vessels on the high seas, Can neqer
assent
The second point upon which Mr.. Picker.
inr defends the pretensions Of Great Britain,
is her denial to neutral nations Of the prose.
cutting with her enemies and thcir colonies,
any commerce from which they are exciud--'
ed in time of peace. His statement OF this
case adopts the British doctrine as sound
The RIGHT as on the question of impress
ment, so on this, it surrenders at discre-
tion-and it is equally defective in point CT
fact.
In the first place, tire claim of Great BIZ
tain, is not to 's right of imposing on this
neutral commerce sone limits and restraints,
but Of interdicting it altogether, at her
pleasure of interdicting it without moments
notice to neutrals, after solemn decisions of
ilcr courts of admiralty, and formal acknoW-
icdrcnlents of her ministers thar 1t IS law.
fll trad.-snd, on such sudden, unnotifed
Introduction Of bouncing upon neutral com-
mere navigating upon the faith of her deci-
sions aad Acknowledgements, and of gorsias
with confscation the greediness Of her cruz.
ers. This is the right claimed by Britain;
this is the power she has exercised. Wins:
Mr.. Pickering calls " limits and restraints"
she calls zeIaxations Of her right.
Ito be continued
Frs., the Paris .frr1s of the 33&k ldrch