Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-04-15

IA
a document. Yet il is certain, th,t ~
variety ct instances, seamen have bee. ,r,.
pressed rom American vesse.s, an, ill.,. 81.
that they had no proof OF citi.snsh,p. ,sh,,S
the dates and places OF the iuanrcs, ,o..,,,.
demonstrated tie imposs,bilty of he;
knowing, IN time To provide the proof 49,,
a state of war mad rendered il necessa,,,
Whether, therefore we consult the /, ~
of nations, the tenor of treatics or the H..
tates OF reason and justice, no warrant. NO
pretext Can be found for the British practice
OF making impressment from American ves-
sells on the high seas.
Great Britain has the less to saw in a..
cuse for this practice, as it is in d;rec,
contradiction to the principles on WHICH Go
proceeds in other cases. Wills, size e, has
and seizes on the high seas, her own, su..r.
Voluntarily serving IN American vessels. s..
has constantly given when she could rive
as a reason for not dischsrgins fror, brr
service AmC rican citizens lhaI thev l. ri
voluntarily engaged IN it. Nav ;,,orc
whilst she impressed her own subjects frn,r
the American service, although they NAV
nave oeen settled and married and even
naturalized IN the United States, she con.
stantly refuses, to release from hers. Ame-
rican citizens impressed into il wheneyersh She.
can give for reason that they were ei,ber
settled OF married within her 6ominiona
J 1hus, when the voluntary consent of the
individual favors her pretensions, She
pleads the validity of that consent-Vhpr,
the voluntary consent of the individual
stands in the way of her pretensions. il
goes for nothing When marriage or re-.
sidence can be pleaded in her favor, She
avails herself of the plea. When mar
riage and residence and even naturalization
are against her, no respect whatever is paid
to either? She takes by force her own
subjects voluntarily serving in our vessels.
She keeps by force American citizens i'm
voluntarily serving in hers. More tiaprant
Inconsistencies cannot be imagined.
Notwithstanding the powerful motives
which ought to be felt by the British 60
vernment to relinquish a practice which
exposes 1t to so many reproaches, it is fore
seen that objections OF different sorts win
be pressed on you. You will be told first
of the great number of British seamen in
the American trade, and of the necessity.
tor their services in time of war and dan
lger. Secondly, of the right and the pre-
JUDGE OF the British nation with respect to
what are called the British narrow seas.
where its domain whould be abandoned bv
the general stipulation required. Thirdly.
jof the use which would be made of such a
sanctuary as that Of American vessels for
Idesertions and traitorous communications
Ito her enemies, especially across the cham
mel to France
1st' With respect to the British seamen
serving in our trade, it may be remarked
first that the number, though considera-
bic, is probably less than may be supposed.
lSecondiy, that what is wrong in itself can
not be made right by consid, rations of ex-
Ipediency or advantage. Thirdly, that it is
proved by the fact, that the number of
real British subjects gained by the practice
In question:, is of inconsderaole Importance,
even in the scale OF advantage. The an
nexed report OF Congress on the subject of
impressments, with the addition of such
cases as may be in the hands of Mr. Err
wing, will verify the remark in its applica-
ton to the present war. The statement
made by his predecessor during the last
war, and which is also annexed, is in the
same view still more conclusive. The
statement comprebends not Only all the
| applications made by him in the first in
stance, tor the liberation of impressed sea-
men between the month of June, 1897,
and September, 1901, but many also which
had been made previous to this agency by
Mr. Pinckney and Mr. King, and which il
was necessary for him TO renew These
| applications therefore NAV fairly be consid-
cred as embracing the greater part of the
period OF tire war ; and as applications are
known TO be pretty indisciim nately made,
they may further be considered as embra-
eng, 1t not the whole, the far greater part
OF the impressments, those of British sub
fleets as well as others. Yet the result exc
hi6its 2,059 cases only, and Of this number,
l02 seamen only detained as being British
| subjects, which is less than 40 of the
number impressed, and 1142 discharged
or ordered to be so, as not being British
subjects, which s more than half of the
whole number, leaving SOS for further proof,
with the strongest presumption that the
greater part, if not the whole, were Amer
leans or other aliens, whose proof of citi-
zenship had been lost or destroyed, or whose
situation would account for the difficulties
and delays in producing it. So that it is
certain, that for all the British seamen,
gained by this violent proceeding, more
than an equal number who were not so,
were the victims. 1t is highly probable
that for every British seaman SO gained,
a number Of others not less than ten .or
one must have been the victims, and it e.
ven possible that this number may have
Exceeded the proportion of twenty to one.
it cannot there fore be doubled, that the
acquisition of British seamen by these inn
lpfcesments, wha ever may be its advan-
tage, is lost IN the wrong done to Ameri-
lrm a..