The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1813-02-16

4
pose but in pursuit of enemies, or thei.
goods, or goods contraband of war. But
she further contends, that her subjects cam
not renounce their allegiance to her and
contract new obligation to other sove-
reigns. do not mesn to 20 into the gene
raj question Of the right Of xpatriation.--
III, as Is commended. ali nations deny it, all
nations at the same time admit and prac-
tice the right Of naturalization Great Bril-
tain herself does. Great Britain, in the
very case ot foreign seamen. imposes, per-
maps, fewer restr ANTS upon naturalization
than any other nation. Then if subjects
cannot break their original allegiance. they
may. according to universal usage, contract
new .ollsgiance. What is the effect of
this double obligationl Undoubtedly, that
the sovereign having the possession of the
subject would have the right to the services
OF the subject. If he return within the ju-
r'sdiction OF his primitive sovereign, he
may resume his right to his services, of
which the subject. by his own act, could
not divest himself. But his primitive sove-
reign can have no right to go in quest o.:
MN, ont OF his own Jurisdiction, into the
jurisdiction OF another sovereign, or upon
the hieh seas, where there exists either no
jurisdiction. or it belongs to the nation own
ing the ship navigating them. But, sir,
this discussion is altogether useless. 1t is
nor to the British principle, Objectionable
as 1t IS that we are slone to look. 1t is to
her practice. No matter what guise she
puts on. II is in vain to assert the inviolability
of the obligation of allegiance. 1t is in vain
to set up the plea of necessity, and to al
] edge that she cannot exist without the i'm
pressment OF HER seamen. The naked
truth Is, she comes, by her press gangs, on
BOARD our vessels, seizes OUR native sea-
men, as well as naturaized, and drags
them into her service. 1t is the case, then.
of the assertion of an erroneous principle.
ana practice not conformable to the prih-
ciple-a principle which. ifit were theore-
ically right, must for ever be practically
wrong. we are told, by gentlemen in the
opposition, that government has not done all
that was incumbent on it to do to avoid lust
cause OF complaint on the part of Great
britain-that, in particular, the certificates
OF protection, authorised by the act of 1895.
are traudulently used. Sir, government
mas done too much i'll granting those paper
projections. i can never think of them
without being shocked. They resemble the
passes which the master grants to his ne
gro slave, 4" Let the bearer, Mungo. pass
and repaass witheut molestation.'' What
do they imply! That Great Britain has a
right TO take all who are not provided with
them. From their very nature they must
be liable to abuse on both sides.
IT Great Britain desires a mark by which
she can know her own subjects, let her give
them an ear mark The colors that float
from the mast head should be the creden-
tails of our seamen. There is no safety to
US, and the gentlemen have shown it, but
in the rule that all who sail under the flag
not being enemies) are protected by the
flag. 1t is impossible that this Country
should ever abandon the gallant tars, who
have won tor us such splendid trophies
Let me suppose that the genius of Column
bia should visit one of them in his oppres-
sor's prison, and attempt to reconcile him to
his wretched condition. She would saw to
MN, IN the language of gentlemen on the
other side, SC Great Britain intends Won. no
harm she did not mean &c impress yaa, but
one OF her own subjects having taken you
by mistake, will remonstrate,. and try to
prevail upon her, by pcaceable means, to
release you, but cannot, my son, fight for
YOU Ii he did not consider this mockery.
he would address her Judgment and saw.
" You owe me, my country, protection !; l
owe you, in return, obedience. l am no
British subject, am native of old Mas
sachusetts, where live my aged father, nv
wife, my children. I faithfully discharge
my duty. Will you refuse to do yoursH'-
Appealing oher passions, he would contin-
ue, p" lost this eye in fighting under Trux-
ton, with the Insurgcnte Il got this scar
before Tripoli | broke this leg on board
tie Constitution, when the Guerrero
struck" If she remained still unmoved.
he would break ont, in the accents of min
gled distress and despair,
Hard, hard, iS my fate once freedom episved.
Was as happy as happy could be
OH how hard is my fate, how CALLING these
chainsi'
will not imagine the dreadful catastro-
phe to which he would be driven by an
abandonment of him to his o2pressor 1t
will not be, it cannot he, that his coun-
try will refuse him protection.
y = sa.d that GE9a. n::.a.:: l:a. i;cS.; .,
ways willing to make a satisfactory ar
rangemcnt of the subject of impressmert
and that Mr.. King had nearly concluded
one prior to his departure from that coun-
try. Let us hear what that minister saws
upon his return to America. In his letter
dated at New York in July, 1903, after Civ
ing an account of his attempt to form an
arrangement for the protection of our sea-
men, and his interviews to this end with
Lords Hawkesbury and st. Vincent; and
stating that, when lie had supposed the
terms of a convention were agreed upon. a
new pretensOn was set UP (thc mare clau
sum- he concludes ?" regret not to have
been able tOput this Business on satisfac
tory footing, knowing as do It's very great
impo rtancc to both parties but flatter
myself that have not misiudged the inter.
ests OF o1r own country, in refusing to sane
ton principle that might be productive of
more extensive evils than those it was our
q. 1.