Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1808-04-13

compliment was pcTemptOiiiy WHhbciu Wy
France, in spite of the remonslrances OF
GYea, Britain and it remains tor your 10.
quiry, whether it3did not continue TO be
refused, Notwithstanding the failure a, A.
mieps 10 obtain fromGreat Britain a formal
reuunciaiop Of The claim.
From every view Of the subject 1t is rea.
sopable TO expect, that the exception OF
the narrow seas, from the stipulation a.
gainssimpressmepas, will not be ipfiexibly
maiptaiued.4 Should il be so. your nego.
,ia,ion will be a, an end. The truth IS,
that go great proportion Of our trade d.
rect and ciscuitous passes through those
channels, and such is its peculiar expo.
sure in them 60 the wrong practised, that
with such 80 exception, any remedy woold
be very partial And we can never con
sent 10 purchase partial re medy by con
srmipg general evil, and by subjecsing
ourselves 70 our own seproaches, as we'll
as TO those of other natioos.
Sd. |, appears as well 10y letter frcm
Mr.. Thornton, in snswer,o coe from me,
Of both which copies are inclosed, as from
conversations with Mr. Merry, that the
facility which would be giveu, particular
iy in the British ehaonel, by the inmnni-
~ claimed for AmsTicans vessels, 10 the
escape Of traitors, and the dcsersion or
Others whose services 10 tlme Of wsr snsy
be particularly important 70 an enemy,
forms one of the pleas for the BRUSH
practice of examining American crews,
and will be one Of The objee,ioDs TO for.
mal reiicquishmsn; Of il.
This plea, like all others, admits solid
and satisfactory reply. In the frs: place,
if it could prevail ct all against the neutral
claim, it would suthariae the seizure Of
the persons described only, and 10 vessels
bound 10 a hostile country only; whereas
The practice OF imprsss'ng is applied 10
persons few if any OF whom are alledged
to be of either description, and TO vessels
whilhefsoever bound, even TO y. brltsln
herself. 10 the next place, it is DOT only
q preference of smaller object 90 one
side TO a greater object on the osher; bur
sacrifice Of right 90 one SIDE, TO expeoi.
ency CD the otker side.
Considering, nevertheless, the possible
a5hei.uce of The British government to
I'M. LAST objection, and the ex,re"e i'm.
po5tapce TO our seasaiing citlzens AID CON
merce, of a stipulation suppressihg prac.
,ice fragrant in its nature, and stiii more
SO 10 the abuses losepar.ble from II, you
are left a, liberty to concur, II necessary,
10 the modification as il stands 10 the Sc
H. stn +.
guards, in all cases, the crews ct cur ses
sells from beicg neddled with; ADD in re-
. fetring for an exception 10 The i@munity
on board cur vessels 10 the Law OF nations,
yields 70 principle n;anssiosd oy the u
S. iuasmuch as the reference wlil De salts,
fed BY the acknowledged exception OF ere-
mics in military service. Should persons,
there fore, other thsu such, be taken under
the pressx, of she law of ns..ous, the i.
S. will be free 20 contest The procee dog,
and there is The less officially in leaviog
the stipulation 90 this footing, as the case
may never happen, asd will be pretty sore
to happen but rarely. You Will observe.
also, that in the passage f.,ln one port to
another ct the respective countries, the
vessels OF the neuier parties are TO protect
all persons without exception. indepen-
IDENTITY Of the general principle asser'edby
The y. S. this respecs is due TO the pecu.
liar character OF the coas,ing trade, AID The
utter improbsbiii,y that 1t vii! at any time
be vehicle TO persons OF any obnoxious
description.
On .Article 2. The reasonableness of this
article IS manifest. Citizens or subjects ofone
country residing in another, though bound
by their temporary allegiance to many COM
mon duties, can never BE iightiHlly forced In
to military service, particularly external ser.
vice, nor be restrained from leaving theirresi-
dence when they please. The law OF nations
+. protects them against both, and the violation