Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1813-05-20

From THE NATIONAL INTELLIGEEcER
The following observations, in the House
Of Commons in February, in the debate on
he American war, deserve attention, COM
ing FROM Mar. Croker, Secretary Of the Ai-
miraity
The right hon. gentleman had said, that Il was
not uii The moment the news arrived Of the capture
al ths Afaoeasn,an that we showed any signs of Ac-
tiyitJ, aud that then indeed the Chesapeake was
slut up by pcber blockade. The right honors-
bic gentleman, hsdfofsot, thstthe came wind which
broaant inteiseu.e OF the LOSE d. the Macedonian,
also Conveyed t.lis news, that the Chesapeake
aCiHi.lJ .ocl.aoSd and the very same post which
brought that news also mentioned Al unpleasant
report OF the loss Of the Poistiers, which ship had
been two months bockadng tbst h2rbor When Il
Va kuox,SheTe that the blockade actually in
force =, Aep ag.f siof til then, became the duty
Of cur govei Wont 80 ,ios.iy 10 10 neutral to.SeFs
6ut il Was unlsr, AID in point o. Tact untrue, TO
dato the actual measure Of hostility from the pub
iic notiee OF IL, which not gwen for two months
tH.er ClieGr, hear. The whole question between
the two countries had lAtterly nrned upon the point
OF impress nent; aud on ts. subject the honorable
gentleman O9pCste hat. ken up the opinion oi SIR
Monroe, Wish was, that u. Britain nsturalized 10
gsigaCrs IN the same manner al which the AmcIi-
eans cid sBnt.sh soaEcG IL was needless for him
10 say any thing in Tlfutatlon OF that opinion Us
ilse:ris!,t hon. ec,i. Mr. Csnning) had completely
pt5vsd, tuat tiere was TO analogy between the
clkas of the two couNtIiss. Ia his profession
y
reisusrs, Who had been two years in the British
navy aud although they we're discharged IS TO-
lei Sncrs yet ss that very moment, II they applied
to tie 2drliIaty 10 sss,t them 10 rccoyerin. pay
msnt of any debts, they wore IN this respect,
sdefsd 40 British subject. The principle uYon
which this gOyeU ameDt proceeded IA these nbt.ss
WIS simply this---it considered every individual
rs invested with two uiStIsct characters oIs be-
longing 20 him azan Individual The ether rs mem
bor of STATE. ~ thif,r.t character, foroigu
nam ne li voluntarily eater service, aud Il he
did ne was not afterwards allowed to ohsags bis
mind, but kept, IS far regarded has oyl per-
So1dz 1o.sheS, 10 the epss semeUt winch he hsd "
unfairly made bur Il such seaIuga Yag cicimet,
not AT lis own request, but by his sovereign, who
had right 20 MS siauce, h. TcGs giren up, and
the voluntary enztmsut, though good against the
individual, not held TO bar the right Of the So
yereisn 10 the services OF the subject. Air aon-
roe bad said, that there WIZ equation 10 Great
Britain for preventing the imp essnent OF foreign
ers. This was gross mistake, Tor there was sRch
regulation that Ames1 ans we're sometimes i'm
pressed by mistake he lid not deny, but be assert
ed that the British navy neilber wished nor wanted
American assistance, and that ndfiIe american
who wa known 70 be such, could properly he i'm :
! pressed, o. evsr sas f5r one hspr desaiHed"
THIS language IRON such source on such
an occasion, As 10 the nature Of blccbads,
looks like symptom ofrenrning reason -
| A fGhe- blockade is mot dsiended and a
| Hofiyfcdtfn TO neutral powers, through their
\ public ministers OF otherwise, Is aHulttcd
| 70 he Illegal until an actual blockade by
force, shall have taken place. Hitherto, the
! practice has osen to ro!Yy 70 neutral am
| bassadors, tive intention to blockade, to con
! slider the blockade rs ia fotce from the date
Of the notification, and TO proceed against
| neutral vessels accordingly.
On the subject Of lmpressment Nj Croker
asis much astrsy as on the other subject &c
! is in the right. HE'S wrong both in his prin-
ciple, and in MS fact. lie attempts 20 recon
Gle thc British practice Of naiuralizlng TO
reigners with denial Of the right Of foreign
governments to naturalize British subjects
by saying that the British naturalization did
not interfere with right Of the sovereign Of
the person nayuraliscd, TO his allegiance *
his service nor restrain that goycrnme nj
from giving him up when claimed by ms
own country. Now this is directly contra
ry TO the terms Of the British statute wnlcE
gives TO the naturalised person all the risht
OF a natural born subject and consequent
ly a right OF projection, if required by th'
naturalised subject. Croker says, h'
is ~ the daily practice of discharging natu
raised foreigners abiding dou2tiess t9 th