Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-01-27
SPEECH
Of THE
HON. JOSEF PEARSON.
CONTINUED

nMissieu-n otncj are inJuFea -
our neglect, with what proprle'y Can We
complain i. that injury should haPpea u
be made TO recoI upon ourselves uH'
less, indeed, effectuai means are taken
t, prevent its recurrence. ltthis pos
uon is true, lie, it be applied to the ques.
ton now in dispute. conceive II 'nu>'
i-resistably follow that our own hanu'
are not entirely clear, and that tits o"s
duty to make them so, before they ave
further stepped in blood. Before en-
ter into the examination of the question
of impressment-the only avowed exist
ing object efth war-Perlnit me 70 a''
clare as the firm conviction OF my IN
derstanding, that it this question, as II
at present stands, under the peculiar
circumstances of the two nations cou!o
be fully and fairly understood by the peo
pie of this country, they would not sas-
isinEthe War in which ae are involved toF
one single hour. No, sir, war never
Can, il never ought TO be sustained Tor
he protection OF British subjects, or 10.
reigners of any description who may
come among us, unless they remain
within he territorial jurisdiction OF the
United Safes. Ga the contrary, til
Britain will not be satisfied to arrange
ihis subject fairly. SD as TO exempt Us
from Inc abuse OF the practice OF I'M
pressing from our vessels, when such
security as is in our power to give. and
such as she ought to ask, is gwen her,
that none of her seatarlng subjects Shall
be employed in our public or merchant
vessels, then we shall have Cause OF
war land be united in it) more worthy
of the energies of this nation. How tar
we have the right, or how expedlent 1t
may be. for the Legislature to restrict the
claims of one, though very inconslder-
able, class Of seamen, viz those British
oeamen who have previously to the ex.
listing war, been regularly naturallsed a.
greatly to the laws If The United States
How far, say, it would be constitutional
and just to interfere with the claims and
privileges now enjoyed by this particu-
lar description of persons, ! am not at
this moment prepared to say believe
however, the number is SO inConSldcra-
bic that it would not produce any serl
Gus obstacle to an arrangement which
would be otherwise desirable to the two
nations. The whole number vt seamcu
Of tets description during the whole pc
rlol from 1896 to 1911, agreeabiy TO
report Of the secretary OF state, a.noant
only to 1882, and from the opinion OF
gentlemen we'll informed on this subject
it is highly probable a, toe period of the
dcc,arauon Of wa, and perhaps at this
moment, there are not Ole hundred re-
,ularly naluralIsed British sca;ren In
our service. It's probable, therefore,
that 40 negotiation CONN enced pro-
seculed VITA friendly disposit,ons--the
abstract question Of right. might not >
r!sc-and !! II did, botp parties regard
inE and looking To the future, more ma
TIC pas, would not pc tslt so lnCons!-
deiaDlc pract!Ca. aud past evil, 10 I've.
COME serlals oOj2ct of cunttsi"tlon.-
As to those .relgners VINO may be here
alter natucalized, we have complete con
troll over the suoJect-they ought not
10 have q clam to protection, II they
are not coatcnt with the blessings OF
our law 5 aud our hSG, without placing
themselves in the power OF their native
sovereign. Sir, it would seem, If indeed
any reliance is 10 be mad Oh very ex-
traordnaiy document furnished by the
executive during the present session OF
cong esq, purportlng TO be the detail II
AL uteresf2SS conversation between Mr..
Russvi. aud LORD Csstlereagh on the
ION Sspte ,nber last, that Nj Russell,
though not authorised by his govern
ment, so to do, did propose that the laws
to- he passed BY US, and TO take effect on
the dlscontinuaDee of the Practice OF lm-
pressmcnt, should prohibit the employ
snsnt Of the natrve subjects or citizens
of the one state, excepting such only as
had already been naturai'zed, ON board
the private or public ships Of the other.
This proposition, although not autho-
rised, and not considered as binding on
the executive,i is certainly entitled to due
consideration by US, from the time aud
manner of its beng made, and the sane
tion most urques,ionably implied from
the silence of the exec utive, in relation
to this prupnsition Thus the subjec, is
reduced by the showing OF our own Ca
blnet, not so much to the Uiolation et q
right, as the occasional abuse OF the
cxarcise of right
How then does the question really and
fairly stand, far which it is aliedged this
war is and ought to be prosecuted, al
the hazard every thing dear 10 pros
perous and happy people. The claim
of ihe BRUSH government is, to take
from the mel chartyessels Of other oouu
tries British subjects. We complain
that in the Practice, commanders OF Bril-
,i>h Ships of War often take from mer-
Chant vessels of the United States Anne