Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-04-01

Ibefore It. The blockades therefore when
England created simply BY proclamation
were an abuse OF which neutrals had ]ast
cause to complain. I.
! The United States did complain, and
these complaints were listened to by the.
British government. The 10th article OF
the treaty Of 1896 has made provision on
the subject: and though England has not
r-noupsed the principle Of which we oora-
plain. vet she is qualified by the notice
which IS required to be given to the Vessei
attempting te entes sbioeksded port pc
,ffore4it is exposed to seizure and coahSca-
Hfion. The pl DIVISION i'll the treaty wonid no
doubt have corrected 10 a considerable &C.
Gree the abuse. froal which we had suffered,
and it was our policy TO have waite iof
better times for competer remedy 1oF the
evil. -,
But, Sir, the last head Of Dispute which
II enumerated was made the CHIEF ariS. most
important ground Of complaint aga'nt tae
British government mean the searching
American, vessels for British seanen. ne
right claimed by England was 70 seize nef
own seamcn on board our private v9Sss'S'
The right to search; g P,ibtlc vessel OF -
seize an American sailor was never asserted
bysfhe government. The claim, which was
insisted on, involved point o. equal In
tcrcss and delicacy to bcrh coun.lle6. acre
is nothing novel in the pretens,on, tha1 a
nation engaged IN war had Alright to recall
Esheresubjects from foreign countries or 'fo,'l
!. foreign scryice.to assist her II the war. i
Every nation in Europe has ciaialcd and
exercised the: right. Our government has
not denied it; but tie. consequences Of tie.
manner Of exercising 1t have termed the
grouad OF ON. complaint. l&as be!liger-
en-. a right to search neutral vessel Tor her
seamen: should soppose no. his cues
tor. between other nations IS OF smaii I'M.
portance, but between the United St&ses aaa
Britain, tits Of great raagnitud-s
!g'be sa,nenegs of manners, %tltioits, Ian
guage and appearance render u .s4~ays dif-.
|, Tcult and sometimes impossible to dlstln
eui6h between an English and an American
sailor If the right to search Tor BRITISH
seamen were admitted, thsrc would no
longer be security .fortl.e Amarlcansaliof---.
eiie right admitted, have no doubt our ma
vication would be ruined. As al Amer
can, therefore, / would never concede- the
principle. Let us see, however, how the
stands in relation to Britain. Her ma
W is the shield Of her salvation--whateser
impairs its strength din'i'rishds her power
aad safety. I Tenacious as she 0as eyer been
Of personal liberty Al home, yet vixen men
are wanted forher Aeets, the tla'1eas corpus
sleeps. Her sailors are her right arm which
witl~rs as sis is deprived of tt m. From
the seduetions Of ON marltimc service .she
has every thing 10 dread. Oar Merchants
can giyc her sealner dollar tor every shil,
ling which she is willing to afford them.
I,hey shall be better fed, more gently
treated, and exposed less to harasAips- and
danger. let them fad secure asylum
on board our merchant SHIPS, and how soon.
viii the decks be thinned q the EngiIst
slips of wa. Which has the most At stake
on. this subject, England or America
will not decide the question /; but this rs cyl
dert, that neither will ever 6nconditonai'y
relinquish the pyinclpse tor which she aas
.contcndld. At the prcseat Crisis 1t was
impossible for oui government to expect the
forma! abandonment by tie British govern
meat, OF this righ.of searcla. What course
then should they have pursued: They
should have tcmPoeised on the point, as
Britain was wiling to do, and waited for
more propitious epoch, for thehnalarrange- !
men. of the dispute.
Your commissioners who negotiatea the
treaty found that it was impsartcabie 70
obtain the cession Of the principle for which
they contended, and upon their own resron-
sibility, to their great honor, to preserve
the peace Of the two countries, accepted
assurances FROM the British ministry, which,