The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-05-09
THE
INADMISSIBLE PRINCIPLES
OF THE
KING OFENGLAND'S
II II o L II MA TON.
OF OCTOBER Is, 1907,
CONSIDERED, BY THE LATE
PRESIDENT ADAMS.
{ CONTINUED. J

They will be thought to have no friends in
America, who will care enough for them to
make much noise, and these will be impres-
sed. If there should be any natives or sons
OF natives of any of the West India Islands,
or any part of the East Indies, where the
klng is said to have thirty millions of subjects.
these must all be impressed, for conquest
confers the indelibIe character of subjects,
as well as birth. But if neither English,
Scotch, Irish, Welsh, Italian, German,
Dutchman, Spaniard. Portuguese, East or
west lndia-man, is found, the reverend
Lieufenam will think, if he is prudent e.
nough not to say, "Iura negat sbi lata, nj
MI non arrogat arms.' "Our ship is so
weakly manned. that we cannot fight an e.
nemy we cannot even navigate her in safety,
In bad weather; Procul a love- procul full
mime VIII take as many native Americans
as please. 1t will be long before can be
called to account; and at last, CAP saw that
l saved the Kings ship, and perhaps beat a
frenchman by the aid of this meritorious i'm
Pressment, and am sure of Friends, who will
not only bring me off, but obtain promote
on Tor me, even for this patriotic action. -
TOW many American ships and Cargoes will
De SUNK In the sea, or driven on shore, wreck
ed and lost; how many masters and remain
ing sailors will be buried in the ocean for
want OF the assistance of the men thus kid
mapped and stolen, no human foresight can
calculate. 1t is, however, easy to predict.
that the number must be very great.-These
considerations, it seems, have no weight ia
the estimation of the British Ministry
Their hearts are not taught to feel another's
woe. But all these things the captain and
owner OF an American merchant ship must
take INTO consideration, and make the sub
Jects OF calculation before they can venture
TO sea. In short, there should be corpora
ton erected in every State for the express
purpose OF insuring against impressment of
seamen In course oftime and experience
the chances might be calculated, so that the
insurers q Insured, might at great expence
be secure. But the poor sailors can never be
safe.
lhe law must be settled, or remain unset
tied. 1t such impressments are determined
10 De legal, either by treaty, or by acquiesc-
ence in the kings Proclamation, it will esta-
oiish IN the minds of British seamen pride
OF superiority and spirit of domination. and
| IN the minds of American seamen a conscious
ness OF lnteriority and seryile spirit of sub
| mission, that ages will not eradicate. If the
question is allowed to remain undetermined.
American seamen will fight in defence of
their liberty, whenever they see the smallest
prospect OF escaping, and sometimes when
there is none They will kill and be Killed
some VIII be punished for their resistance on
| D"'s'N ciitioi hSb vi war ana some may
be carried to British port aud there pro-
| secuted for piracy and murder. This Row
ever, Will seldom or ever be done for I still
Deheye, there is sense and justice enough in
the British nation and their juries to acQuit
any seaman, American or British, who should
Kill & Press-gang in defence of his liberty;
but If he should escape and return to Anne
RIGA, and be here prosecuted, | will not be-
Jieve there is judge or juror on the CONT
/ Ient so Ignorant of the law, so dead to every
sense otJustice, so abandoned to every feel
ing OF humanity, as to find him guilty of any
| crime, IT it were proved that he had killed a
dozen press gangs in defence of his freedom.
| We shall have a continual warfare, at sea.
like that lately at Canton. Our Secretary of
States Office will be filed with representa-
lions and complaints our nation will be held
IN constant state of irritation and fermeut-
alton, and our government always Distress
ed, between their anxiety tn relieve their
fellow citizens, and their inability to serve
them.
"A republican, who asserts the duty of lea
lousy, ought to suspect that this proclama-
ton was dictated by a spirit as hostile and
malicious as it was insidious, for the deter
mined purpose of depressing the character
OF our scamen. Take from a sailor his
pride and his Courage, and he becomes a
poor animal indeed. Broken hearted, de-
iectcd, depressed even below the standard
! OF other men Of his own level aud societ, -
| habit of far will he established in his
,tNI a 4 -, L.