The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-08-14

Prussia. have been torn from our YES
sells.
Protection being irregular.
Being ignorant OF America.
Said to be impostors.
Scid to be married in England.
9 Not answering descriptions in protccti-
ons. sts~s :; r. o..
10 Having ATTEMPTED to desert.
What will the adddressers say to this list,
1t there be such similitude between Ameri-
cans and Englishmen, as to justify so many
mistakes, what will be said to the Impress
ment from under our flag of men who are
neither Englishmen nor Americans BY
this practice the doctrine would be, that
Great Britain had right to seize and car
ny into captivity from one board American
merchant vessels. all seamen, of whatever
country, who, not being American citizens.
we're not to be subjects of his Biitanic ma
Jesty and that citizens of the United
States should be liable To inpressment too,
unless they were furnished with hrotecfionS,
which, when they were furnished with them,
would be disregardcd. And what recihro-
city does Great Britain offer for these mon
strous preteusionse None She offers
none at all. ain Great Britain (says Mr..
Monroe to Mr.. Foster under date of June
9th 1929 we knew FROM experience, that
no provision exists for restoring American
seamen TO our merchant vessels, .even to
She JuJfl1,en. Of their voluntary engage
1ents." sT - -.
) Legislative provision. therefore, on our
part, unless the British cooperate, is out
of the question. In the first instance Gen
Washington, as we have seen, entirely re-
jectedH But that great man afterwards
acquiesced in the propositions propositi-
Oh suggested by u British min:ster-under
Shc cSpcCtatioJ., no doubt, that Great Brit
ain would square her conduct most strictly
by 4 rule OF decision designated by herself.
1t has been seen, however, that the act of
Congress aothorising certificates of citizen
ship, and taxing the sailor for his freedom
to accommodate foreign power. has only
made the grievance worse for the act yir.
tually put out Of the pale of protection all
those who had no certificates and, as the
law was not compulsory, many natives, (and
more native than naturalized Ctizens,) re-
lying On the. rights Of their birth, went to
sea without them, and thus became; the
victims of British despotism. 1t would be
vain 60 try the experiment further.
That, from first to last, the practice of
impressinent has been considered, contra
ry to the assertions of the addressers at pa
ges 6 and lo.) as one that would, if not a.
bandoned. lead to war. is distinctly proved
by the communication of the President to
the Senate of the United States on the 9Th
OF July last. This communication, have
40 doubt, the Editor of the National Intel
lgencer will, in due time, lay at large, be-
fore the public. I have already Quoted
from 1t the representation of MIR. Jefferson
70 our miniser in London of the difficulty,
IN 1892, of preventing immediate rehrisoLs
on British secmeu. The minister of the
u. States then at the court of St. James was
Mr.. Thomas Pinckney: In writing to the
Secretary of State i'll the year 1898, having
had conversation with Mr.. Bond, who had
been appointed by Lord Grenvlle to con-
fer with him on the topic of impressment,
he says, - l answered, that unless we
could come TO some accommodation, which
might insure our seamen against this OPP
preston, measures zvould be taken TO cause
she Inconvenience TO De equally fer on both
sides" This, certainly, was hostile indi-
cation and it is conformable to the senti-
ment of retaliation expressed by Mr.. JEFF
{erson the year preceding.
& MIR. Pickering, when Secretary of State
in writing to Mr.. Rufus King then our mi
mister in London on the 10th of September
1796 tells him, '.sIf the British government
have any regard to our rights, any respect
90 our nation, and place any vaiue on our
FRIENDSHIP, they will even facilitate to us
the means of relieving our oppressed citi
zens." Does this not squint at the probabi-
lily OF an ultimate redress of the grievance
by force, if it should not be otherwise Gu
ed9 -,
Judge Marshal when acting as Secretary
of State, wrote thus to MIR. King on the
goth September, 1900: " Should 7ve inn
press from the merchant service of Britain
not Only Americans, but foreigners, and e.
ven British subjects, how long would such
q case Of injury, unredressed, be permitted
20 pass unrevengeds How long would the
government be content with unsuccessful
yemonstrance, and unayailing memorials ?
believe, sir. that only the most prompt
correction of. and compensation for, the a.
buse, would be admitted as satisfaction in
such case" The judge then admonish-
ss them to- desist, lest they " force our go
vernment into measures which may very
POSSIBLY terminate in an ohen rnhture''-
Does this look as if " war was never sua.-
seSted as the remedy" for the practice of
impressment
If, "dnring the eight years Mr.. Jefferson
stood at the helm Of affairs, impressment
still continued a subject of controversy and
negotiation, it only proves the forbearance
or that iilustrlous man in relation TO
grievance that had provoked the resent
nent Of all his predecessors. Controversy
and negociations however, were very warm
" * very ably maintained on the subject un-
der his administration. Whoever will re-
fer TO the public documents of the first ses-
sion OF the tenth Congress will there find
ample OF proof the great importance which
the topic had assumed in the mind of Mr..
Jefferson. During the joint negotiation of
MQSsTg Monroe and piuknev eeDer;aItv