Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1808-04-01
G. II, ROSE.
icoPY.
Department Of State, March S, 1903.

SIR,
have had the honor to receive and Law be
fore the president, your letter of the twenty
sixth January, in which you state that youarc
expressly precluded by your instructions
from entering upon any negotiation for the
adjustment Of the differences arising from the
encounter Of his Britannia lalesty's ship the
Leopard, and the frisate of the U. S. the Che
sapeake, as long as the proclamation of the
president of the 2d of July, 1907, shall be in
force"
This demand, sir, might Justly suggest the
simple answer, that before the proclamation
Of the president could become a subject Of
consideration, satisfaction should be made for
the acknowledged aggression which preceded
it. This is evidently agreeable to the order
of time, to the order Of reason, and, i may
be added, to the order Of usage, as maintain
ed by Great Britain whenever in analogous
cases, she has been the complaining party.
But as you have subjoined to the prelimina-
ry demand, certain explanations, with view,
doubtless, to obeiate such an answer, it will
best accord with the canIcr of the president,
TO meet them with such review of the whole
subject as will present the solid grounds on
which he rcgerds such demand, as inadmis.
sibIe
| begin with The occurrences from which
The proclamation of July second resulted
These are in general terms referred to, by the
instrument itsef. Amore particular notice Of
the most important OF them, will here be in
place.
Passing over, then, the habitual but minor
irregularities Of his Britannia maiesty's ships
OF wal, In making the hosptalilies of our
ports, subservlent TO the annoyance of our
trade, botn outward and inward, practice not
only contrary to the principles of public law,
but expressly contrary to British ordinances
enforced during maritime wars, to which she
bore neutral relation I an constrained, un-
welcome as the task is, to c>lI your atten-
ton to the following more prominent instanc-
eS.
IN the summer Of the year 1904, the Bril-
tish irlgate the Cambrian, with other cruizers
IN company, entered the harbor of New York
HE commander, captain Bradley, in violation
OF the port laws, relating both to health and
revenue, caused a merchant vessel. Just arriy-
ed, and niesscdiy within the limits and un-
der the authority Of the y. S, to be boarded
by persons under his command, who, after
resisting the officers of the port, in the legal
exercise OF their functions, actually impressed
and carried OFT number of sealnen and p.ss
sengers into the service of the Ships of war.
On an appeal to his voluntary respect for the
laws, he first failed to give UP the offender to
justice, and finally repealed the officer charg-
ed with the regular process for the pur-
pose.
This procedure was not only fragrant in
suit to the sovereignty Of the nation, but an
intraction OF It's neutrality also, which did not
permit belligerent ship thus to augment its
force within the neutral territory.
To finish the scene, this commander went
SO far as to declare, in an official letter, to the
minister plenipotentiary Of bis Britannia ma
Jesty, and by him communicated to this 60
vernment, that he considered his ship, whilst
lying IN the harbor Of New York, as hav-
ing dominion around her, within the distance
ct her buoys.
All these circumstances were duly made
known to the British government in lust ex-
] pectation of honorable PREPARATION. None has