The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1808-04-05

gaze, security against tho future practice
ct the British naval commanders. in impress
ing from merchant vessels of the U. States,
on the high seas, such of their crews rs they
might undertake to denominate British sub
Ijects.
TIC this association Of the two subjects, the
President was determined. lst, BY his regar-
ding both as resting on kindred principles !;
the Immunity of private ships, with the
known exceptions made by the laws of natl
ons, being as well established as that of pub-
lic ships I; and there being no pretext for in
ciuding III these exceptions the impressinent
| Qt It could be freed from its enormous and
notorious abnses) of the subjects Of bell;ge-
rent by the officers of that belligerent. The
rights of belligcrent against the ships of
neutral nation, accrue merely from the rela-
ton OF the neutral &c the other belligerent,
as I'm conveying to him crntiaband of war, or
in supplying blockaded port.
The claim of a belligerent to scare h for
and seize on board neutral vessels on the
high seas, persons under his allegiance. does
not therefore rest on any beliigerent right un-
der the law of nations, but on prerogatve
derived from municipal law and involves
the eXtravagant supposition, that one natl
ON has a right to execute 1T all times and
IN all cases, its municipal laws and regulate
ons, ON board the ships of another nation,
| not being within its territorial limits.
he President was led to the same de
termination, 2dly, by his desire of convert
ing particular incident into an occasion
tor removing another and more extensive
| source OF danger to the harmony of the two
countries: and Sdly, by his persuasion. thar
| tle hberallty OF tic propositions authorised
with his view, would not fail 10 induce the
ready concurrence OF his Britannia majesty !;
| and that the more extensive source of irri-
| it,r ht,ip
tistactory adjustment of the particular Incl
\ dent would be the less difficult. The Presi-
| uent still thinks that such would have been
the tendency OF the mode for which he had
provided; and he cannot, therefore, but re-
greet that the door was shut against the ex-
pertinent, by the peremptory refusal of Mr..
Canning to admit it into discussion, even in
The most Informal manner, as was suggested
by Mr.. Monroe
The President felt the greater regret, as
The step he had taken towards more enar-
geo and lasting accommodation, became
mus bar to the adjustment of the particu-
lar and recent aggression which had been
committed against the United States. He
| round, however, an alienation in the sirni-
ned purpose of his Britannia majesty, to
charge with this adjustment special mis-
sion to the United States which, restricted
as 1t was, seemed to Indicate a disposition
from which liberal and coEciliatory ar
rangement Of one great object at least
might be confidently expected.
In this confidence, your arrival was a
waited with every friendly solicitude and
our hrst interview having opened the wav by
an acqulescencc in the separation of the two
cases insisted on by his Britannia majesty,
Inotwlthstandingt the strong grounds on which
they had been united by the President. II
was not to be doubted that tender of the
satisfaction claimed by the United States
tor distinguished and acknowledged insul,
by one OF his officers, would immediately fol-
low.
1t was not, therefore, without a very pain
fui surprise, that the error of this expecta-
ton was discovered. Instead of the salts
faction due from the original aggressor, it
was announced that the first step towards
the adjustment must proceed from the par
ty injured: and your letter now before me.
formally repeats, that as long as the proc
lamation OF the President, which issued on
the I'd July, 1907, shall be in force. il will
be an .nsuperable obstacle to a negotiation
even Oil the subject of the aggression which
preceded it; in other words, that the proc
lamation must be put out OF force, before
an adjustment of the aggression can be ia
ken into discussion.
In explaining the grounds of this extraor-
binary demand, i. is aiiedged to De SIM
tported by the consideration that the proceed
ing and pretenslon or the offending officer ba c
been d savowed that general assurances
are given Of disposition and intention ia his
Britannlc majesty to make satisfaction thar
a special minister was dispatched with
promptitude for the purpose of CARRYING in o
effect this disposition; and that you have a
lpersonai CONVICTION that the Particular terms,
which you are rot at liberty previously to
disclose, will be deemed by the United
States satisfactory.
W ith respect t. the disavo;yal i would he
UNJUST not TO regarlit as proof o. candor
and amity towards the United States and
as some presage of the voluntary reparation
which it impned to be due But the disa-
vowal can be the less coniounded with the
PREPARATION itself; since it was sufficiently
required by the respect which Great Britain
owed to her own honor; it being IMPOSSIBLE
that an ightened government, had hostiii-
ty been meditl ted, would have commenced
it in such manner, and in the midst OF ex-
listing professions of peace and friendship.
She owed 1t also to consistency with the dis
| avowal on former occasion in which the
pretension had been enforced bv a British
squadron against the sloop of war Baltimore.
belonging to the U. 5. and finally to the in
terest which e.. Britain has, more than any
othernation, in disclaiming principle which
would expose her superior number of shiDs
OF war, to so many indignities from inferior
| nations.
| AS little can the general assurances that