Alexandria daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1803-1808, 1808-04-13
MR. MADISON 70 Mr.. MONROE.
.TcoNTINuED.]

The objection 10 tsclt has certainly NOT
The ssigssess foondation. The time has
been indeed, when Epglasd GOT only claim
cd bus exercised prc,ensious scarcely int.
rior TO foil sovereignty over The seas eur.
rounding the British isles, aod even as far
as cape Finistere to the souih, and VSnssa-
ten 10 Nerway, to the north. ) Ii was
time. however, whrn reason had little
share 10 siete, nainiug the law and The inter
.oarse Of nations whsu power alone DC,
cided questions Of right; and ~hen the
ignorsIce ard wan, Of eoucert amorg other
maritime ountries facilitated such so u
sufps;ioo. The progress of civilization
aud iaio,nTa,ion has produced a change IN
al shose respects, aud no principle 10 The
cpde of public law, is at present better e.
sr@bl;shed, than the common freedom OF
the seas, beyond very limited distance
from the territories washed by them. This
distance is not indeed 6xed with ahselate
precisicp. tits varied 10 a small degrees by
written sa.horisies ADD perhaps ii may be
Reasonably varied, in some degree, by local
peculiarlsies. But the greatest distance
which would now be listened to any where,
would make a small proportions OF The mar.
rowess part ofthe narrowess seas inqucs.ion.
What are IN fac, the prerogativss claim.
ed and exercised by Great Britain over
these seas? If they were really part of
her domain, her authority would De tie
same there as within her other domains.
Fnre;ga vessels would BE suhjec, 10 ali the
laws snd regulations framed for them, as
much az If they were within the harbors or
rivers Of the country. Nothing Of this aost
is pre.epded. No!hipg of this sort would
be tolerated. The only instances in which
these seas are Distinguished from other
seas, or in which Gteas Britain enjoys
within them any Distinction over other ma.
t'eus. are frat, the compliment paid by o.
TIER Asgs TO here; secondly, the extension
OF her territorial Jurisdiction 20 certain
10 the dissaoce of four leagues from
The cocst. The 6issis relic of socient
usnrpaSioo, which has thus long escaped
the correction, which znoneru and more
eofighseoed times have applied TO other j.
snrpasions. The prerogssive has been OF
ten ccn:esisd, however, sven at the ex-
pence of bloody wars, AID is still borne
with i'll will and impatienCe by her neigh.
bors. Ar the las, treaty of peace ct Ami.
ems. the abolition of twas repeatedly ADD
strongly pressed BY France, ard it's not
imprpbabl: tia, at 90 semose day it will
follow the fate of the title OF king OF
France" so long worn by the British mo.
naschs. aud asieegih SO properl, sacrifice
10 the LESSONS OF magnanimons wisdom.
As far as this homage 10 the British fig
has any fouodasion at present, it rests
merely 90 long usage and locg arqo'es-
ceuce, which are construed, as ia a few
other cases Of maritime claims, into the
effect of general though sacit convention.
The secoud instance is the extension Of the
territorial Jurisdiction to four lesgaes from
the shore. This too, IS far as the distance
may exceed that " hich is generally allowed
rests on like foundation, strengthened
perhaps by the local facility of smuggling,
and the peculiar interest which G. Britain
has in preventing practice efectirg SO
deeply her whole system of revenue, com
merce and manufactures whilst the limita.
lion itself to four leagues necessarily i'm
plies thar, beyond that dissaoce no terrific.
rial jurisdiction is assumed.
Bot whatever may be the origin or the
value of these preroga,ivss over foreign
Says IN one case, and within limited por-
ton of ihese seas in ane,her, j. is Obvious
that peither OF sheH will be violated by the
exemption OF American vessels from i'm.
pressments, which are no wise connected
with either, having never been made Oh
I the pretsxt either of Withholding the wont
ed homage 10 the British flag, OF of smng
Cling IN defiance of British laws.
Thisex,ension Of the British law 10 foar
leagues from the shore is Inferred from an
&c r,arliar,ne Il