The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1813-05-18

one of the most prominent, which we have
therefore, extracted at Icngth, is the Report
of the Committee of Foreign Relations, in
PRODUCING Bill to prevent the employment
/ OF British seamen on board of American
ships. Against the Bill We can have no oh
lection. 1t imposes a penalty Of 1000 dol
lars on the Commanders of men OF war, *
of 500 dollars on the Masters OF merchant
men, for every foreign sailor empl,ycl by
th0m, to be recovered in the manner cf a
9uitam action by common inf5rmer. We
are far from saying that this, connected
with oher precautionary measures, may nns
form the basis of a fair arrangement for the
sushension of our undoubted right Of impres
sing our native born subjects We wil go
further and say. that the mere exemption
ut those seamen, that, ZIP to the present
time. have actually been ,Satrralized in A :
merica, is not a Circumstance worth dsnu
ting about. We know the exter. of die evil,
and we know it CANNOT materisl!y in; are US
1t is only against principles. against pretcu
sions of indehnite extent, or of rdinoos mar
nitude. that nations can Be Justified IN cen
tending by war.
But whilst We applaud the principle OF
| the Bli-for every step towards real re
Cancellation of Great Britain and America
deserves the gru'itudc ofmankiid,- we can
| by no means ascent TO all the arguments
contained ~ the accompanying Report {: but
upon the whole the latgnage of the report.is
| more moderate and reasonable than we
have beea aCcutomed to hearirom the sup
poiters Ut the American Executive. We
wish we could have traced In Il any latent
tsparSs OF that more comprehensive and no.
oter policy, before whiCh he question OF
impressment sinks into insigniicance. Why
should the u. States be backward to de
4 hRi RI lss
ciples against whieh this Country has SO
long and SO honorabiy struggled Eow
comes ~ that they Go not feel il 20 be their
duty to range themselves on our side, in
defence OF the great cause of national indie
Pendence, against one who has openly de
clared that he will acknowledge neither
the rights nor even the name CT neutrality
When nature, when reason, when policy all
plead so powerfully for the intimate and
cordial union of two nations sprpng from the
same high heroic stem. Oh! why should
they suffer mere technical objections, and
! matters of casual inc6nvenience, to turn
them aside from their honorable and bro
| therly career Pin our last paper we had
| occasion to censure the weak policy of no,
putting forth our who's strength in the ma
val war with America; but the warm and
vigorous prosecution Of hostilities, whilst
they unfortunately exist, is not in the leas,
incompatible with the racst sincere and ear
nest desire for an honorable peace.
! The American papers ihform us of the
feXtraordinary honors which have been paic
to Commodores Decatur and Bainbrldge.-
The former, on his arrival in his native city
l(Philadelphia) was receited by miitar,
iescort, and complimented with the address
es from the municipal authorities the lat
ter landed at Boston amidst salutes of artil
ll.t-p h
and military officers present, as well as from
the delighted populace.--To have so re
ipeatedly conquered the English on thei
own element. intoxicates the new repubIi
cans with an exultation the more inordinate
1 as 1t was totally unespecscd.