Portland gazette and Maine advertiser. (Portland, Me.) 1805-1818, 1813-02-15

10 redress herself! What mean, - sa'
she but impressment When s,s a''
away your servant or apprentice ~ e
offer OF higher wages, or Other sdas,. IN
ges' the common law gives Won an
ton tor damages against me rh ~ &c
dictated by natural Justice. Tbs ~ .
Is IN some respects like the che ss Ss's
Is now the cause of dispute between r''. ~
and G Britain. Is i, not reason.h'. Us u
Just, that we do all that can Ne d0n
prevent the injury Of which she w 70
plains? ' eOm'
She POUNDS her claim to the se,,;...
oil her seamen on tie doctrine maiu,s;s'
ed by the nations of Europe, ",b,, ,b.;. .
SUBJECTS have no right to exna,r;s,s
themselves, and that the nation has !
'ine oil war, right to the services :,
all its citizens" VI
When a foreigner comes her. -,
asks the benefit of it, we do M, ;om,;.
into the obligation he may be under =
another country. he chooses to en-.
barrass himself with conlrsdic,orv -,
inconsistent obligations that is his own
concern. We protect him here. v.
treat him as a citizen, but do no, tOow
that We Can abrogate his prior obiy,
tons. Some Of our most distinguish.
ed citizens some years ago, became I'll.
izens OF France, but were they therrhv
discharged from their duty ofalI.giaue.
to this, their native country!
II man thinks that he can Obtain,
better subsistence, tba, he can imnrov.
his condition by removing from his ~.
tive country, he may leave it & seet &,
!" fairer fields, and more genial Cline y
but he retains the privileges u rema;'.
subject to the duties Of his natural ALL.
glance. On this subject Of imprrs,,
ment, sir, | have always had ali "A.
sensibihty which its nature deserve,
The sensibility prevailing in the coun.
Try from the impressment Of America,
seamen is natural and proper. lido not
wish to diminish ii.-And, sir, | an.
piaud our government for INSISTING.
that IN any arrangement made rrspec:.
ing this subject, the practice Of search.
ing our vessels for seamen shall be r..
linquished ON the part ofG. Britain.
Not, sir, from any consideration Of sb.
stract right, nor for the purpose Of pro.
teeling British sermcn, but becauxi !,
affords the best security for our naive
seamen against the abuse and indienity
10 which they must be exposed as long
as the practice Of imprrssment con,iu.
ues. Yet, sir, l would not expose the
country TO the calsmities OF war on this
account would not go TO Canada, Be.
cause do no, believe that you will Y.
cure the immunity Of your flag as to
seamen by such means. would pro.
test against the pretensions and practice
of Great Britain, with respect to i'm.
pressment on board of oar ships on
the high seas, and wal, till we are able
10 enforce our rights.
Bat after all, Mr.. Chairman,
what is the extent of the evils,
and how stands the account be-
tween us and &. Britain 1? In the
whole period of the European
war, according to the statement
furnished by the secretary OF state
6258 seamen have been impres.
sed from American vessels. This
includes persons Of all nations,
Danes, SWedes, Germans, Dutch
Sc. All but 1900 have been
discharged. Probably at no one
time have more than 1900, or at
the utmost, 1000 men, including
British subjects, impressed from
American vessels, been employ
ed in British service. And it
will be remembered, that not long
before war WIS declared, the Brit
ish minister offered to restore all
American seamen that had been
impressed.
We are supposed to have in our GER
vice 10000 seamen-of these, from
ten to fifteen thousand, at least, arc sup
posed 10 be British subjects SO, sii
it appears that the complaints OF Great
British on this subject, are not unioun-
ded, nor unreasonable.
Ii is sonewha, strange, sir, tna'
though three fouths OF the native A.
merican sailors belong TO New iork@
the eastern states, yet these States arc
c>,..d into the war by the people 81 the