Alexandria gazette, commercial and political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1812-1817, 1813-03-18

the release WOuio oo ohS VI '"
e,t evidences Of his being an American
There are few if any instances Of ap.
,l;ca,ions made in this way, which nave
pproved unsuc cessful How far this has
besn attended 10 in such applications
will be seen as we proceed IN inc exa'
,n;nation Of the documents. Inc e'i.
dence principally relied on as proof
that = seaman is an American, IS pro-
lection, a document granted IN the nr'1
instance by collector OF one o, inc
ports, a notary public. or consul OF
vice consul in foreign port. ne loose
manner in which these projections are
in the first instance granted the exten-
sive forgeries of these papers, wh'cn Is
known TO be practised, and is neither re-
strained or punished by any law, and the
common practice of buying, selling and
bar,ering them among sailors, has rem
dered them documents on which little
reliance is to be placed. A man or 1t
NAV be a dozen men at time, apply TO
collectors Office for projections, as
American sailors, profe ssing themselves
70 be citizens of the United States
Another man equally unknown comes
forward and swears to the whole dozen,
or whatever is the number, it may be,
in the expectation of similar return,
while, as is probably the case at times
both applicants, and witnesses, have,
within a few short months, It may be
weeks or even days, landed for the hrst
time on our shores. The forms of law
being in this way complied with. pro-
lection is granted as a matter OF course.
Where is the court of law which would
award plaintiff single dollar on no
better evidence than this Several Pc
iuries of this kind have been detected
and there exists but little doubt but ina
nv moreha,e been committed 1t Is to
be lanented that such is the state OF
morals in our own as well as other coun-
tries, that eaths, particularly OF a Ger
tain kind are but little rega. ded. lhe
smuppler who would neither swear a
way the life nor property of another in
a court of justice, will, many times, be-
state but little, to defraud the revenue
by swearing falsely in custom house.
It isl believe an incontestible fact, that
the osths prescribed by law for the Pur-
pose Of obtaining projections, are ire
quently but little regarded among sail
ors. When perjuries of this kind are
detected there exists no law either OF
the United States or of the individual
states to punish them. This has been
attempted In some Of the states without
effect. When therefore these protec'
tons are relied on as the principal cyl.
dence of citizenship, and when 1t is
matter of public notcriety thai European
sailors are furnished with these docu'
ments, Discriminatory with cur native
seamen, and the projections themselves
are frequently mere matters of bargain
and sale among sailors, it affords very
strong pre.ump,ive evidence at least
| that great proportion of these impress
ed sesmen, although furnished with A.
merican projections, are IL 'ea.lty to-
reiepels; at least it is not strange that
little credit should be attached to them
by the British government And as
| neither boarding officer from ship OF
war, or a press gang are very nice IN
| making distinctions. it is not strange II
an American should be sometimes i'm.
pressed, instead of an European Blu.
1t is time to proceed to an examination
Of the documents. l am sensible that
the subject is a dry one it is only the
| importance Of the facts that will afford
any adeq, ate compensation tor the PC
rusal of the details. But as they are
particularly nteresting at this tine, on
account of the present situation OF the
country, I hope this will be sufficient
lndacement to give them cansiG and
impartial examination, although bat 1T
| lie pleasure should be derived from tie
perusal.
| l have not deemed it necessary to be
verv particular in the examination Ct
any documents en- the SUBJECT OF ar
older date than that communicated Jan
uary 10, 1905. Indeed / have been abIe
% lay my hands on but one of an Older
date, and that is a report from the de-
partment of state, communicated March
II, 1898, which l have given somewhat
of ALI attentive peIusal. But it gives no
satisfactory information OF the number
which had been impressed at that time
Tue first item contained in it consists
Of the protests of ~ different sea cap.
aims relative to impressments from ves'
sells uhder their command, to the NUM-.
! Der OF 70 seamen, OF these s. are said
70 be Anne cais: % unknown to what
nation they belonged; 9 British subjects,
end the residue Of different foreign na-
ions. Only l6 we're said TO be furnish
ed with projections, about an equal num-
Der without projections. and majority
OF the whole not known whether they