The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1809-05-24

merican seanen, as the Six-nations Of Ins
dams said to the southern tribes, whom they
had conquered, He haze fuf fefficeafs orr
yon." In such case, many would have too
much reason 70 say, let us no longer rejoice
for Independence, no longer hope for any rank
in the world, bnt bow our nccks again to the
yoke Of Great Britain.
II the spirit Of a man should remain in our
sailors, they win sometimes resist--Should
British cutter demand to search an American
merchant ship, of FIVE hundred tons burthen,
armed as they sometimes are and have right
10 bc--The commander of the cutter calls
for q muster of the men, in order TO impress
such as he In his wisdom, shall Judge to be
British sukiects. h il credible that the capt.
and crew ofthe merchantmen will submit to
such usage---No, he will sink the boat and
cutter too, rather than be so insultcd,, and
every american must applaud him Tor HE
spirit. W
Is this right ofmpressment to be all on one
side, or is it to be reciprocal British nodes
ty may say i" Il is AN exclusive privilege,
which We claim, assert and will maintain, be-
cause it is necessary to support our dominion
Of the seas, which is necessary to preserve
balance ofpower in Europe, against France,
and To prevent the French Emperour from
sending fifty-thousand men to conquer the
United States of America" All this will
not convince American scamcn. They will
answer; !" We think balance Of power OH
the ocean as necessary as on the continent Of
Europe. We thank you for your civility in
kindly giving us hopes, that you will defend
us from the French army of fity-thousand
men bnt We are very willing to take our
n 1ac, lvrp II kav N rtu
to impress seamcn from our ships, we have an
equal right to. impress from yours"
Should one of our gnn-boats meet British
East-Indiaman, armed with Fifty guns. Tho
gun-boat demands searchfor American sea.
men calls for the muster.roll, commands tho
men TO pass in review before him would tho
East-India captain submit I No. He would
sooner throw over board the prcss-gang, and
run down the gun-boat Such wili be the
perpetual alterations between Britons and
Americans, at sea, and lay am iinmoveablc
foundation of eternal hatred between the two
nations. The kings proclamation will be-
found as i,npolitick step as ever the court Of
St. James has taken.
Itis said, in the context, The British ships
of war, agsscably % a ,fgaf, rhimcd and cy-
crcised for agrs---o riyhf, claimed and cxer-
ciscd during the whole ofthc administrations
Of Washington and Adasns, and OF Jefferson,
continue to take some Of the British scamcn,
found on board our merchant vescels, and
with them small number of ours, from tho
impossibifty cf always distinguishing Eng.
lishmcn from the citizens ofthc u. States"
We have before seen what sort Of right tn
impress men from their own ships has bccrt
claimed, in what manner IL has been cxcrcis.
ed, and in what light u has been considered
by the English nation. II amounts to a right
Of getting their officers, lawfully killed. hut
surely, no right was ever before claimed To
impress men from foreign ships. If such q
pretended right was ever exercised, or, in
other words, IL such a crime was ever COM
mittcd, presume 1t would be no better proof
of a legal right, than robbery, burglary, or
murder, committed on shore would PROVE
that such actions are innocent end lawful.
To argue from single facts or few instances
to general law, is a sophistry too common
with political writer's, and is sometimes inn
putabIe TO compilcrs ofthc laws Of nations !:
but none Of them ever went to such extra
vagance as this No claim or pretcnsion OF
any right to search foreign vessels for sea-
men, ever existed before eur rcvolutisN and
no exercise Of such right ever prevailed
since, except such az resemble the exercise
of the right Of committing robbery, burglary
and murder in some of our cities No ages
have passed since our revolutions The right
was never asserted or claimed, ill the late
proclamation Of the King appeared. and that
proclamation viii make an epoch of disgrace
and disaster TO one nation or the other, per-
haps to both.
From the peace Of 1880 the commence
ment Of our government, under the present
national constitution, whenever any American
scamcn were imprcssed,thcy were immediate.
ly demanded in the name Of the old congress,
and immediately discharged, without ever pre-.
tending to such right ofilnpressmcnt. During
the administration Of Washington, whenever
information was received Of any impressment,
immediate orders were sent TO demand the
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