The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-04-29

piaint--shat he could not find single in.
stance, where they had taken one man out
OF merchant vessel. Who it is, that enjoys
the dignity of first merchant of the United
States, we are not informed. But if he had
applied to many merchants in Boston, as res
pectable as any in the United States, they
coald have told him of a valuable vessel and
cargo, totally lost upon the coast Of England,
late i'm August last, and solely i'm conse-
quence OF having had two of her men, ma
tive Americans, taken from her by impress
ment, two months after the affair of the Che
sapeake.
On the 18th Of October, the king of Eng
land issued his proclamation, commanding
his naval officers, to impress his subjects
from neutral vessels. This proclamation is
represented as merely requiring the re-
turn of his subjects, the seamen especially,
from foreign countries" and then cit is an
acknowledged principle that every nation
has right to the service of it's subjects in
time OF war" Is this, sir, correct state
mcnt either of the proclamation, on of the
question it involves, in which our right is
concerned The king of Engand's right to
the service of his subjects in time of war is
nothing tous. The question is, whether he
mas 4 isght to seize them forcibly on board
OF our vessels while under contract of SER
wee to our citizens, within our jurisdiction
upon the high seas s-And whether he has
right expressly to command his naval Off
GERS to seize them--ls this an acknowledged
principle? Certainly not.-Why then is this
proclamation described as founded upon UNI
contested principle. and why is the COM
| mand, so jussly offensive to us, and so mis-
chievous as it might then have been made in
execution, altogether omitted.
But 1t is not the taking of British subjects
from our vessels, 1t is the taking under CO.
LOT OF that pretence, our own, native Amc-
rican citizens, which constitutes the most
CALLING aggravation of this merciless practice.
Yet even this, we are told is but pretence
-for three reasons.
l. Because the number of citizens thus ia
ken, is small.
2. Becauseit arises only from the imposs;-
bility of distinguishing Englishmen from A.
mericans.
). Because, such impressed American citi-
vens are delivered up, on duly authentica-
red IN oec
l. Small and great in point of numbers are
relative terms. To suppose that the native
americans form small proportion of the
"hole number impressed is a mistake-the
reverse is the fact. Examine the official re-
turns from the Department of State. They
give the names of between four & five thou
sand men impressed since the commence
ment OF the present war.---Of which num-
per, not one fifth part were British subjects
- ne number of naturalized Americans
Couia NOT amount to one tenth-AI hazard lit
Tie IN saving, that more than threee fourths
were native Americans. If it be said that
some of these men, though appear RING IN the
race OF the returns, American citizens, were
Teaily British subjects, and had fraudulent
~ procured their projections; / reply that
TINS number must be far exceeded by the
cases OF citizens impressed, which never
reach the Department of State. The Anne
rlcan Consul in London, estimates the num-
per OF imPressments during the war, at near
~ three times the amount Of the names re-
turned: II the nature of the offence be con-
siaered IN Its true colors, toa people having
a Just sense OF personal liberty and security
1t is in every single instance, eff malignifv
not inferior to that of murder. The very
same act, when committed by the recruiting
officer OF one nation within the territories
OF another, is by the universal law and usage
OF nations punished with death. Suppose
the crime had in every instance, as by its
consequences it has been in many, deliberate
murder. Would it answer or silence the
voice OF our complaints to be told that the
number was small?
2. The impossiblity of distinguishing En-
glish from American seamen is not the ONLY,
nor even the most frequent occasion of i'm
pressment. Look again into the returns from
the Department of State--you will see that
the officers take our men without pretending
to enquire where they were born sometime
merely to shcw their animosity, or their
contempt tor our country sometimes from
the wantonnesS of power. When they ma
nitest the most tender regard for the neutral
rights OF America, they lament that they
soant the men. They regret the necessity,
but they must have their complement. When
we complain of these enormitiess, we are an
swcred, that the acts of such officers were
| unauthorized; that the commanders of men
OF war, are an unruly set of men, for whose
violence their own government cannot al
ways be anSwerable ; that enquiry should be
| made-A court martial is sometimes menti-
| oned-and the issue of WhItby's court mar
| tial has taught US what relief is to be ex-
pected from that. There are even examples
| L am told, when such officers have been put
| upon the yellow list But this is a rare ex-
ception...The ordinary issue when the act
| is disavowed, is the promotion of the actor.
3. The impressed native American cti-
zens however, upon duly authenticated hroof
are delivered up. Indeed how unreasonable
then were complaint how effectual rene
dy for the wrong An American vessel, bound
to an European port, has two, three or four
native Americans, impressed by a British
man of war, bound to the East or West in
dies. When the American capt. arrives at
his port of destination, he makes his protest