Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1812-11-06


British government. Fifty leagues may
be bleckaded in fact as truly as one, the
former receiving the larger force. tits
one of the great articles Of the French
doctrine in all her recent declarations,
and for Great Britain to allow it, would
be for her 10 give up her own defence
and her means of annoying her inyete-
rate enemy.
2dly. All American seamea who have
been impressed, and are on board of Bril-
fish ships, are required to be discharged.
This was proper condition Of the pro-
posal of an armistice. But already our
government have been Informed by the
British minister, that all Americans
should be discharged as soon as such or
ders could be executed, and already we
have been informed that theBritish ships
have discharged many impressed Ame-
ricans even since the war. To this mea.
sursGreat- Britain fully assents, and con-
sequentIy the war is not continued for
this reason.
But, thirdly, the President Madison,
has required that Great Britain shall i'm
mediately cease her practice Of impress
ing her own subjects on board of Amc-
rican merchant shifts upon the high sea,
and having so ceased, then an armistice
may take place, and the nations shall
use their ehdeavors to come to some ar
rangement to prevent American seamen
from serving in British ships, and Bril-
fish seamen from serving in American
ships.
Great Britain has most solemnly and
uniformly, in various documents, declar-
ed, that even British subjects shall not be
taken & impressed when on board Ameri-
can Public ships Of zpar. She has discIaim-
edthe right, & forbid hcrnaval command
ers to impress American seamen on
board of any ships, but she insists on
her light to impress and bring into the
service Of his country every British sea.
man who may be found in a INGREDIENT
ship. Tie service Of her subjects she
has right to claim during war. The
service Of her seamen is essential and
indispensable to her defence against
France. Her law does net permit a
sub jcct to desert his country in the hour
of its trial and peril, and to follow his
seafaring vocation in alien ships.
The President announces that the re-
tugnamee Of Great B'7tcin to accede to
this condition, that is to say, her refusal
instantly to cease her impressment Of
her own subjects out Of american n'er-
chant shifts, has prevented the arristice.
In the name of humanity and of heaven,
is there to be DO cessation of hostility
until Britain shall cease to take her own
seamcn from merchant ships, into the
defence of their own country The
President, Madison, declares there shall
not.
But will the people not change such
ruler, and place at their head bet
ter and, wiser man VIII the poo
pie support him in his endeavors to
make our merchant ships an asylum for
British sesmen, who shsli be willing so
dishonorably to desert ;heir own country
during its war with France
What more can France require US to
do for her, than to carry on war until the
right of blockading is limited to her
rules, and until an American merchant
ship shall! be sanctuary for British sea-
mcn
With President who has announced
to US these as two cf the conditions Of
an armistics, no hope is left of seeing
peace in the days of his power. There
is but one rcmedy-it is. in the power Of
the people at this moment. Let them
change, by their elections, the conductor
of the nation, and place in his high STA
ton some other worthy and distinguish
ed citizen.
81 w.
CONGRESS.