The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1809-05-17
NEWPORT, WEDNESDAY. MAY II, 1909.

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ofthc King OF Great Britain commanding his
naval officers 10 practise such imprcssrhenis,
on board, not the vessels of his own subjects,
but, ofthe United States, foreign nation,
could not furnish the slightest ground for an
Embargo! II is not necessary for me TO say,
that any thing could fnrnisha sufficient ground
for an embargo, for any long time; this, l
leave to the responsibility of our President,
Senators and Representatives in Congress.
But, say with confidence, that it furnished d
sufficient ground for a declaration Of sear.---
Not the murder. of Peircc, nor all the mur-
ders on board the Chesapcak, nor all the
othcrSiniuries and insults, we have received
from isrtign nations, aiiocious rs thew have
been, can be of such dangerous, lasting and
pcrnicious consequence to this country, rs
this proclamation, If we have seryiljty enough
TO submit 10 it.
Whs& would the author Of my text have
advised. Would he counsel the President to
stipulatc, in a treaty with Great Britain, that
his navy officers should forever hereafter have
a right 20 visit all american merchant ships,
and impress from them all Of English, Scotch
and Irish Seamen Will he be So good as to
explain the distinction between ships of war
and merchant ships I! Are not merchant ships
under the jurisdiction and entitled 10 the pro-
lection Of the laws OF their country upon the
seas, as much as ships Of war; Isnot mer-
chant ship as much theterritory OF the United
States, as a ship OF war !---Would the author
fmy text advise the President and Congress
to acquiesce, in silence under this proclama-
ton, and permit il to be executed forever
hereafter Would not such tame and si-
lent acquiesccncc,as eiIcctually yield the point,
and establish the practice, ifnot me iaev, as
an express stipulation in solemn treaty If
the United States had as powerful navy as
q. Britain, and Great Britain as feeble force
at sea, as ours, would he advise the Presi-
dent, either to concodc the principle, by rea-
ty or acquiescc IN it, in silence Does the
circumstance Of great power or great weak
ness make any alteration in the principle or
the rightl Should the capt. or crew Of an
Americas merchantmen, resist British
press-gang on the high seas, and in defence
of their liberty, kill the commanders, and all
under him, and then make their escape, and
alter returning to Salem, be prosecuted, would
the writer of my text, as Judge or Juror,
give his judgment for finding them guilty OF
murder orpiracy AIt,oughthc Embargo was
made the watchword, In our late election, the
votes, In car greatest nurseries Of searncn,for
example, In Salem, In M1t5ichcet, in Earn-
stable, Sandwich and other places ON Cape
Cod, i'm Nantucket and the Vineyard and 9TH
cr places, seemed to shew, that our seamen
preferred 20 be embGryoed, rather than SO to sea
TO be Impressed.
No doubt It. will be said That we have moth
ing to do with the question in England, con-
corning the legality OF ilcgality of impress-
ments. This, as long as they GO. inc the
law and the practice to their own country, to
their own ships and their own seamcn, is rea-
dily acknowledged. We shall leave them to
Justify their own usage, whether it is mere
abuse, or legitimate custom, to their own
conscicnces, to their own sense OF equity,
humanity or policy. But when they arrogate
a right, and presume, in fact, to transfer their
usuipation to foreign nations, or rather to A.
mericans, whom they presume to distinguish
from all other nations, il becomes the intc-
rest, the right, and the indispensable duty Of
our government to inquire into the nciarious
nature of it in England, in order to expose
the greater turpitude oil it when transferred
to us, as well as to oppose and resist il TO the
utmost of their power; and it is equally the
duty Of the people to support their govern
ment in such opposition, to the last extremity.
Permit me now to enquire, what will be
the eficts Of an established law and practice
of British impressments Of scamen, from A.
mcrican ships, upon the commerce, the navi-
cation and the peace of the United States,
and above all, nlhon the hearts and minds f
their sramea,
In considering those innumerablc dangers,
from winds and seas, rocks and shoals, to
which all ships are exposed, in their voyages,
the owner and master must sit down togcth-
er, in order to determine the number Of sea-
men necc ssary for the voyage. They must
calculate the chances Of imprcssment, and
engage supenumcrary list Of sailors, that
they may be able to spare as many as tho
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