Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-03-04

the circumstances OF the moment. his
proposition wa. therefore necessarily de.
cIined. --,ss.4 49,
| After this exposition Of the circum.
stances which preceded, & which have
| followed the declarations of war by. the
| United States, his royal highness the
| prince regent, acting in the name and on
! the behalf Of his majesty, feels himself
called upon to declare the leading prin.
ciples, by which the conduct Of G. Bril-
tain had been regulated in the transac.
tons connected with these discussions
His royal highness can never acknow-
ledge any blockade whatsoever to he IL,
legal, which has been duly notified and
is supported by an adequate force, mere
ly upon the ground Of Its extent, or be-
cause the ports or coasts blockaded are
not at the same time invested by land
His royal highncss can never admit, that
neutral trade with Great Britain can be
constituted public crime, the commits
sion of which can expose the ships ofany
power whatever to be denationalized,-
His royal highness can never admit that
G. Britain can be debarred of its rights
of just and necessary retaliation, thro'
the fear of eventually affecting the into
rest of neutral. His royal bighness
can never admit that in the exercise Of
the undoubted and hitherto undisputed
right of searching neutral merchant ves-
sells in time of war, the impressment of
British seamen, when found therein, can
be deemed any violation of nestral
flag. Neither Can he admit the taking
such seamen from on board such ves-
sells, can be considered by any neutral
states as hostile measure, or jusi6-
able cause Of war.
There is no right moro clearly esta-
blished, than right which sovereign
has to the allegiance Of his subjects,
more especially in time of war. Their
allegiance is no optional duty, which
they can decline, and resume at pleasure.
1t is a call which they are bound to obey;
it began with their birth, and can only
terminate with their existence. If ST.
milarity Of language and manners may
make the exercise of this right more
liable to partial mistakes and occasional
abuse, whea practised towards vessels
of the United States-the Same circnm-
stance make it also right, with the ex-
ercise of which, in regard to such yes
sells, it is mora difficult to dispense
But if. to the practice of the U States
to harbor Bcilish seamen, be added their
assumed right to transfer the allegiance
Of British subjects, and thus to cancel
the jurisdiction of their legitimate So
vereicn, by acts of natuI alization and
certificates Of citizenship which they
pretend to be az valid out Of their own
territory, as within it, it is obvious tina,
to abandon this ancient right of Great
Britain, and to admit these powell pre-
tensions of the United States wnuld be
to expose to danger the very foundation
OF our maritime strength.
Without entering minutcly into the
other topics, which have been brought
forward by the government OF the U.
States, it may be proper to remark, that
wha,syer the declaration of the United
States may have asserted, Great Britain
never did demand, that they should force
British manufactures into France; and
she formally declared her willingness
entirely to forego, or modify in concert
with the United States the system, by
which commercial intercourse with
the enemy had been allowed under the
protection of licences; provided the Z.
States would act towards her, anG to-
wardsFrance with real impartiaEty. The
government of America, if the differ
ences between states arc not intermlna-
BILE, has as little right TO notice the affair
of the Chesapeake. The aggression, III
this instance, on the part OF a British Oh
fcer, was acknowledged, his conduct
was disapproved, and reparatlon was
regularly rendered by Mr.. Foster on the
Dart of his majesty, and accepted by the
government Of the Uniaed States. Its
| not less unwarranted in its alluslon to
the mission of Mr.. Henry mission
! undertaken without the authority, or
even knowledge of his malesty's go
vernment, and which Mr.. Foster was
authorized formally and officially to dis
avow. The charge of exciting the In
dams to offensive measures against the
United States is equally void of founda-
ton. Before the war began, a policy
the most opposite had been uniformly
pursued and proof of this was rendered
by Mr.. Foster to the American govern
ment. Such are the causes OF war which
have been put forward by the govern
ment of the United States. But the
real origin Of the present contest viii
be found in that spirit, which has long
urhappily ac,uated the councils OF the
United States, their marked partiailty