Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1808-05-10


enCes with Britain. has b. en- that size would
not acquiesce in the only principle upon
which fair ncgocia,ion between indcpend
ent nations can be conducted, the principle
of reciprocity, that she refuses the applica
ton to us OF the claim which she asserts for
herself The forcible taking of men from
AN American vessel, was an essential part
Of the outrage upon TIE Chesapeake. Ii
was the ostensible purpose for which that
act OF war unprecedented, was committed.
The pres .denI's proclamation was a suisse
quent act, and was avowedly founded upon
many similar sgsressions, of which that was
only the most aggravated.
if then Britain could with any colour of
reason claim that the general question of
impressmcnt should be laid out of the case
altogether, she ought upon the principle of
reciprocity to have laid equally out Of the
case, the proclamation, measure so easily
separable from it, and in its nature merely
defensive. When therefore she made the
repeal of the proclamation an indispensable
preliminary to all discussion upon the ma.
ture and extent ofthat PREPARATION which she
had offered, she refused to treat with rs up
on the footing of an independent power
She insisted upon an act OF self degradat
on ON our part, before she would even tell
JUS, what redress she would condescend to
grant for great and acknowledged wrong
This Was condition which she could not
but know to be inadmissible, and is OF itself
proof nearly conclusive that her cabinet
never intended 10 make for that wrong any
PREPARATION at all.
But this is not all---it cannot be forgotten
that when that atrcciouS deed was commit
ted, amidst the general burst of Indignation
which resaunded from every part of the
,inion, there were among Us small number
of persons, who upon the opinion that Berk-
ley's orders were authorised by.his govern
ment, undertook to justify them in their full
lest extext-shese ideas, probably first pro-
psgated by British official characters, in
this country, were persisted in until the
disavowal of the British government took
away the necessity for persevering in them,
and gave notice where the next position was
TO be taken. This patriotic reasoning how
ever, had been so satisfactory at Halifax,
that mpliinentary letters were received
from admired Berkiey himself highly APP
proving tae spirit in which they were in
cutcates, and remarking how easily feace,
between the u. ). and Britain might
pr served, If that measure of our nationa
rights could be made the prevailing s:and-
ard of the country.
When the news arrived in England, al
though the general sentiment of the nation
was not prepared for the formal avowal and
Qualification of this unparalleled aggression.
yet there were not wanting persons here,
ready to clam and maintain the right of
searching national ships Tor deserters 1t
was SAID ut the time, but for this we must
of course rest upon the credit of Unofficial
authority, 70 have been made serious ques-
ton in the cabinet council nor was its de.
/ q "a her nth vol 70 he oil
of the gentleman who became the official
organ of its ommunication-add to this a
circumstance, which without claiming the
! irrefragable credence of diplomatic note,
has yet its weight upon the common sense
of mankind; tina. in all the daily newspa-
pers known to be in the ministerial interest,
! Berkeley was justified and applauded in eve.
| ry variety of form that publication could as.
sumo, excepting only that of offici al procia-.
nation The only part of his orders there
disapproved was the reciprocal offer which
he made of submitting his own ship to be
searched in return-that was very unequl.
vocally disclaimed-the ruffian right Of SUI
perior force, was the solid base upon which
the claim was asserted, and so familiar was
this argument grown to the casusis of Bii
tish national Jurisprudence, that the right
| of British man of war 70 search an Anne
rican frigate, was to them self-evident
| proof against the right of the American fri.
gate to search the British man of war The
same tone has been constantly kept up, un-
| til our accounts of latest date and have
! been recently further invigoraIed by We
nv explicit call for war with the u. States,
which they contend could be of no possible
injury to Britain, and which they urge up
on tae ministry as affording hem an excel
lent opportunity to accomplish dismeg,
berment Of this union. These sentiments
have even been avowed in parliament,
where the nobleman who moved the address
of the house Of Lords in answer TO the kings
speech, declared that the right of search
ing national ships, ought to be maintained
against the Americans, and disclaimed on :
ly with respect to European sovereigns.
In the mean time, admiral Berkley, by a
court martial Of his own subordinate off
GERS, hung one of the men taken from the
Chesapeake, and called his name Jenkin
Ratford. There was, according to the an
swer so frequently given by the lords of the
admiralty, upon applications for tue dis
charge of impressed Americans, no such
man on board the shin. The man thus exc
cuted had been taken from the Chesapeake
by the name of Wilson II is said that on
his trial he was identified by one or two
witnesses who knew him, and that before
he was turned off ne confessed his name
was Ratford and was born in England but
liz has also been said, that Ratford is now