Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-05-16

SneSdpeakcS nof All tue Quiet injuries ana
insults We have received from foreign
nations, atrocious as they have been, can
be OF such dangerous, lasting and perni-
clous couseq renee tn lh,s country, a. lh,s
proclamation, if We have servilily enough
to submit TO il.
What W ,ul1 the author OF my tex, have
advised! Would M counsel the Pc silent
To stipuiatc ia a trea.y with Greai SSraiti,
that his navy officer should forever hsie.
alter have nsi., ~ visit AL American
merchant ships, and impress fion them
all English, So,ch aud Iri,h seameni Wui
he be so good as 10 explain The distinction
between ships of war and inerchan, ships
Ate moi mcrchant ships und: r the iuns.
dIction and entitled 10 p o,e:t on Of TIE
laws OF THEFT cpunIy upon the h gh seas,
as much as ships o. VA. is no a ale, hant
snip a, much the ierri,ary of the Uni,ed
States as ship of wa! Nv You'd me au
shor OF my tex. advise he President and
Congress TO acquiesce, in silence, under
Tits proclamaIoi, aud perUi, II 10 be ex
ecuted f'rev1r ne. eaf C w :uld MOI such
tme ADD silen acqliescence as eifecIual
~ yieid The po.nt AID establish the prac-
iice, II not tae lay, as an express stIpula
ton IN solemn ,reaty? If me u. Staes
had as pow=iiu! navy 30 Gteat Britain,
| and Great D'Is'n aS feeble 4 force AZ sea
as ours, wold he advise the President Ell.
Their to cGncedc me de by ;rea:y or
| acquiesce 10 1t by sieucs Does II, cir.
cumstance OF great power % e eat weak
ness make any alteration in the principle
! or the right! IN ola Inc Captain or crew
OF an American msrchantrnan rcsiata b.
iIsh Prcs, ga g on the high seas, i ia de-
! fence OF thetr iioerty, XIII The commander,
x u und r. him, 6 h.p make their escape
and alter retu ming TO Salem b- pros ecu.
ted would the writer of nay text, a.
Judge or Juror, give his Judgment for
hnd'ng them Sulty OF murder or piracy !?
! Although the enlba,go WAS made the
| wa chword In on. late elections, the votes,
III our great nurseries # seamee, for ex
ample, in Salem, in Ma,blshead in Barn.
able, Sarttlw Gil aud oth=r places on Cape
Cod, in Nantucket and M Vineyard aud
| olher places, seemed 10 shsw, that cur sea
men preferred 20 DC emba' y cd, rather
Than SO 10 sea to be impressed.
NO doubt, It will be said, that we have
nothing 10 do with I've gu sl,un in Enp4ai d,
concern'ng The legality or illegally of iID
r, pressmen,s. This as long as th.y comfine
the law andt the prac,;ce TO their Own coun-
Try, To their Own ships aud thei, own seq.
MEL, IS readily acknowledged. We shall
leave them to Justly their own us.ges,
whether u IS mere abuse or leg,dmI,e
custom, TO their own ConscieRces, To their
own senss oil equity, huma1i;y or policy.
ou' "hen trey arfoea'e right, and pre-
suh'e, In TACT, 70 transfer ,heir usuf pa ioa
TO foreign nations, or ga II 10 AIDcr.ca,.s,
waon they Presu ae TO distinguish from all
o'her tore'gn nations, i, becomes he im;c-
resi' The rign,, and The ind.sp usAbic du y
oil our government 10 enq.ure Inio he ne
farIous nature OF 1t n t.1glaDd 10 order 10
expose the greassr tufp,,uda of IL, Vhsn
transferred TO as as well as TO oppose and
resist II to the umost Of their power; and
II is equally the dnly of The people 10 sup.
port their soyerumen; in such opposition
j 10 the last extremity.
Permit me now 20 enquire, hat will be
the effects Of an established law and prac-
tice OF British Improvements OF seamen
from American SHIPS, upon The commerce,
tue navig atien and The peace OF The Un,-
ted States, and, above all upon The hear.s
and minds OF ouT seamen.
Az considering those innum=i able dan.
ger. ON wind, ana seas, eek aad shoals.
TO which all ships are exposed, in heir
VOYAGES. the owner and master mus, s;i
down together, in order 10 de,errn;ne the
number of seamen necessary FIR the vow
age. They must Calculate tbs chances Of
impressmeat, and engage supernun,e
/ rary list OF sailors that .hey may be able
TO spare as many as the British leutensnt
shall please 10 take, and have enough left
to secure the safety of the ship and car
go, and ao1ve all, the lives OF the master
/ and crew. They know not how many Brit
ish ships of war they IN y meet, nor how
many sailors the conscience of each lieu.
may allow him to impress. For the lieut..
IS to be judge, jury, sheriff, and iailo,, TO
every seaman in American vessels. He is
to try many important questions of law 9.
oil fact~a-Wbether the sailor is a native Of
America; whether he has been lawfully
naturalsed in America. Whether he is
ar Englishman, Sceichman or Irishman |;
! whether he emigraed 10 America before
the revolution, or since, Indeed, no evi
q nee is to be admitted Of any naturaliza
! ton nv our lave in any Of The eta,ao ...z.