The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-05-05

Nl{INH
of our seQBien.
In considering those innuherable dangers.
from winds and seas. rocks and shoals, to
which all ships are expired in their voyages,
the owner and master must sit down together
in order to estimate the number of seamen
necessary for the voyage. They must cal
culate the chances of impressment, and en-
gage a supernnmerary list of sailors. that
they may be able to spare as many as the
British lieutenant shall please to take, and
have enough left to secure the safety of the
ship and cargo, and above all. the lives of
the master and crew. They know not how
many British ships of war they may meet,
nor how many sailors the Conscience of each
lieutenant may allow him tn impress. For
the lieutenant IS &c judge, fir sheriff and
TAILOR, to every seaman in American vessels.
He is to try many importan. questions of law
and of fact. Whether the sailoris native
OF America; whether he has been lawfully
naturalized in America. Whether he is an
Englishman, Scotchman or I,ishman whe-
Their emigrated to America before the reyo-
luton or since! Indeed no prudence is to be
admitted Of any. naturalization on our h15vs.
an any Of The stdtes, since HE reDolution, if
(, before. In truth, the doctrine of the inhe-
rent and indefeasible duty of allegiance is
asserted, so peremptorily,in the proclama-
ton, that the lieutenant nay think it his
duty to impress every man who was born in
the British dominions. 1t hay be the opini-
on of this learned judge, hat the connecti-
on between the king and subject, is SD sacred
aud divine, that allegiance cannot be dissoly :
ed by any treaty the king has made, or even
by an act of parliament. Ind This kious
sentiment may subject nsaH to inihreasHsenk
az once. This, however, en- hassant
| The lieutenant IS to order the captain of
the mei chairman to lay before him a list of
his crew he is ,hen.to command the crew
to be ordered or summoned or mustered to
pass in review tefore him. A tribunal ought
to be erected. The lieutenant is to be the
Judge, possessed OF greater authority than
the chief justics of any of our states, or even
than the chief justice of the United States
L he midshipnian is to be clerk, & the boats
vain, sheriff or marshal. And who are these
lieutenants Commonly very young gentle
men, the younger sons of wealthy families,
who have procured their commissions to give
them an honorable living. instead of putting
them apprentices to trade, merchandize, law,
Iphyslc, or divinity Their education, their
Iexperenee, their manners, their principles
Iare SO well known, that l shall say nothing
of them. Lord Keppel said, that he knew
the maxim of British seamen to be, "to do no
right and receive no zvrorg." The prn-
lCipies OF the ofhCerS, believe to be some
what better; but, i: this, tiiiey all Stem 10
agree, officers and men, and their present
ministry seem to be of the same opinion,
that the world was made for theBritlsh nation
and that all nature and nations were created
for the dignity and omnipotence of the Bri-
fish navy.
1t is impossible to figure to ourselves, in
imagination, this solemn tribunal and vene-
rable judge, without smiling, till the humi-
liaton of our. country comes into our thoughts
and Interrupts the sense OF ritiiCuie, by the
tears of grief or vengeance.
High on splendid seat, which far out
shone
Henley's guilt tub, or Flecnoe's Irish
throne"
| The lieutenant examinesth the countenance.
the gate and air of every seaman. Like the
sage of old, commands him to speak, that
he may know him. He pronounces his ac-
cent and dialect to be that of the Scotch.
Irish, West Country, Yorkshire, Welsh, Jer.
sey, Guernsey, Aldernsy, or Serk. Many
native americans are the descendants of en-
igrants from all these countries, and retain a
tincture OF the language and pronunciation
OF their fathers and grsndfathers. These
will be decided to be tie kings SUBJECTS
Many will be found to b. emigrants, or the
descendants of emigrarts, from Germany,
Holland, Sweden, France, SPAN, Portugal
or Italy. They will be adjudged by the
lieutenant not to be natige Americans.
| ITO be ConEnued