Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-03-08

eng County,
.unerior claims of the native country,
when the citizen leaves the adopted ma
ton or places himself in the power OF
h;s native sovereign. We all know that
Great Britain denies the right OF expa-
tr;ation-we also know that her natura-
iiza,ion laws are expressed IN the same
or broader terms than our own. How
is il then possible 10 reconcile this ap'
parent Inconsistency without resortlng
10 those great frs. principles OF civil
society which. have stated! by doing
which ali is rendered clear and intelI-
rihIe. lam also authorised to state that
the same doctrine is held by our courts,
and may BE illustrated by plain case
svppcse . naive American citizen, pos
sessiag real estate in this country, where
aliens arc not entitled to hold real estate,
should go to England aud there become
natura!!xcd; would he, by thus being
naturalized il. foreign country be cor.
sidered in all respects as an alien and his
lands subject to conRscatlon as IN case
of aliens? Ipre:ume there can be DO
difficulty in deciding that the person
thus situated would not be considered an
chen, and were he TO return to this coun'
try he would enjoy his lands, receive the
protection Of the government and be
obliged to perform the duties OF CHI
zen.
Il is unnecessary to say more on this
mart Of the subject, or to further demon
stra,e the incorrectn:ss OF the gentle
mans position, that there is 10 disunc-
ton between native and naturalized clu-
zens. | hope we shall seldom be under
the necessity OF making distinction /;
but it is important that we should know
our du,v, and always if possible DO right.
Mr.. Chairman-the eighth section CT
this bill is peculiarly objectionable. II
is inconsistent with the idea so much
insisted on, that this measure is intended
a. beneficial, permanent regulation ;
because you trust to the convenience or
good pleasure of other nations, whether
il is ever to have any effect or operation
whatever, You exhibit the strange
spectacle Of an independent nation de-
pending on foreign governments Tor the
effect of laws which you say are intend
ed as general and permanent and not
arising out If the particular circum-
stances Of the country. AS measure
of pacihcation, it is altogether unneces-
sary, and may prove injurious-unne-
cessary because We never have COM
planned of the employ even OF our sea-
men by other nations-ths superior IN
ducemcnt to men in our employ Is the
best security for their serVices-and no
thing but the continuance olyourwrctch-
ed restrictive system can drive them
from their country. 1t may and in all
probability will prove injurious; because
Great Britain will not formally abandon
the right of impressing from on board
neutral merchant vessels, In consIdera-
ton of that kind of security which is
given by this bill, that none Of her sub.
ieets shall be on boasd-she will not
thus barter away the right OF expat1'a.
ton, against which she has so long and
invariably contended-and unless she is
extremely DESTROYS of putting an end to
this war, which VIC ourselves have de-
clared, she may not be disposed to ex-
cIude from employ those American sea-
men who have voluntarily entered the
service anG may wish to continue.
In point OF principle this section is
also highly Objectionable, and is the very
opposite extreme CT al! those doctrines
about personal rights, with which we
have been so repeatedly assailed by gen.
,lcmen in the ira ority. We here re-
qaire ether nations to exclude our ma
tive citizens from their maritime ser
wee. Have gentlemen well considered
the extent of this principle +? Do they
recclect the maxim, that what we do by
aBothcr We ourselves do? ask then II
we have the right not only Of denying
to our citizens the privilege of expatrl-
alton, but of loco-motion-the right OF
leaving the country in time of peace,
and seeking such temporary employ in
interest may point out! If VIC cannot
do this, We cannot procure it to be done
through the fundamentally OF others.
Ifyou admit this power in the govern
ment over the citizen, all your fine the
cries about personal rights vanish. You
admit more than Grca, Britain has ever
coniended for-more than / deem COR
rect and more than is necessary or p,o-
per as heace c6srmy. II indeed this
war was commenced or prosecuted for
any thing like the principle here inyolv-
ed-,he fact is, ne principle is in con-
test, and isthere were, we give it up by
this blli-for although it is said in the
report which accompanied this bill that
the flag shall protect these who sail I'M
der it, yet in the same breath all those
are excluded from it whem our enemy