Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-10-23

are necessary 20 dry up this ever-nowing foun-
tain of bitter waters.
In all treaties between nations, as there are
conflicting rights and interests, there must me-
cessariIy be mutual concessions. PrePeh-
derance of advantage must decide the utility
of such compacts If this can be gained, the
exercise of doubtful or disputed rights may DC
suspended for future discussion and arrange
ment informal agreements may be SUBSTITUTE
ed for permanent stipulations, and points Oh
minor importance absolutely yielded. An en-
larped view of national interests must exist In
the government, or no treaty could ever o0
made. or if a nation were to exact the luii
measure of its preconceived rights or lnte-
rests. no other nation could treat with 1t On
footing of equality.
Great Britain claims right to the services
OF its own subjects. We cannot deny the Just
ice of this, for we claim and exercise as So
yereipn state the same right; SO does rance;
and 60 did every civilized nation oil Europe.
It has long been recognized as a principle vi
n,blic law. and the decisions of the proper
tribunals, touching particular cases. nave al
ways been governed by 1t. 1t Is as much the
law in the United States, and the oupreme
Court have so decided, IS it is In England,
that a man cannot diyest himself OF his ale
qiance. It is not then so much the abstract
right, as it is the abuses connected with It's ex-
eroise, which furnish the ground OF COM
plant. On this point, Great-Britain has
more than once discovered willingness TO
provide against future abuses, by such con.
cessions and informal stipulations, rs would
have given Us all the security which the ma
ture Of the case admits. The British govern
ment proposed first 10 Mr.. King, and alter
wards to his successors, to limit the exercise
of this right to the narrow seas. over WINCH the
right of dominion has been claimed tor centu-
ries. And Can it be expected that tireat-bfl-
tain, under any circumstances, Will ever tor
mally abandon the mere right to reclaim her
own subjects, while her navy continues to be
the guardian Of her independence When
the king of Great-Britain, with the consent
of his people, does homage for his crown, and
consents 10 hold his empire as het OF the u
nited States, this right may be yielded.
There are intrinsic difficulties in the case.
for which neither peace nor war, treaty or no
treaty, can provide remedy. Identity of Ian
guage, the resemblance OF persons and man
ners. between the subjects of the two nations,
will occasionally originate mistakes with the
best intentions in those who commit them.
Native Americans will sometimes be impress
ed, either through mistake or caprice. These
impediments to good understanding neces-
sarily exist, but SO long as they cannot Justly
be imputed to the government, they ought
not to stand in the way of accommodation.
During the administration of Washington
thew did not for he made treaty with u.
Britain, containing 70 express provisions a
gainst the abuses complained OF, although
they then existed. He did not deem 1t cxpe-
dient to reject treaty because it did not pro-
vide for ilnpossibilities.
The high wages which our late fourishing
commerce enabled our merchants to give, al
iured British seamen to desert; and 1t is neto-
rious that thousands of Scotch, Irish, and Bril-
fish sailors, with American projections In
their pockets, have found profitable employ
ment in our service. Yet the reclamation of
one of these has been recorded as the i'm
pressment OF a native American, and made
the subject of much angry defamation
When it is added TO this, that our commerce,
for more than ten years, came in contact with
the British naval power in every sea, it is ex
traordinary that so few bona tide Americans
have been impressed Of this number Great
Britain has never refused to restore one On
application accompanied with the usual evil
dence. If the injustice SO often charged up
on the government had in fact existed, our
vessels would have been stripped of their
crews, and our commerce have languished
for want of seamen.
But let the administration with its partizans
exaggerate these evils; let them be re-
presented as so intolerable or disgraceful as
to Justify war; a reply is not wanting which,
if honor or shame had not lost their power,
would silence them forever. Mr. Munroe &C
tual!y provided for the security of our sea-
men, as far as it is practicable, by an Internal
but honorary arrangement in the year 1906;
butas this did not, in point of form, constitute
part of the treaty, it was, chiefly for this
cause, Indignantly rejected by Mr.. Jefferson,
without submitting it to the constitutional tri-
bunal of the coantry. Yet the same admin
stration instructed the same minister, by the
very letter which gave him notice of the re-
rf the treaty. tn enter into informal