The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1813-04-02


frigase, expressly states, Shat he lad many
americans on tourd, whom ne permitted to
be spectators, from Il reluctance to compel
rnein to hgnt against their country. Aud,
can the reader believe, that this was the
only instance III which native Americans
were unwilingiy serving on board OF British
ships OF war What, then, again ask,
must be the state OF those Americans ? Aud
what are we ~ think OF those writer's, who
abuse Mr.. Russell for proposing 10 US .her
surrender AS step preliminary to any fur
ther arrangement The Declaration com
plains, that America demanded the aban
donmsnt OF the practice of mipressrnent as q
Preliminary TO her passing e law tn prevent
British scameh troRi being received Oh board
her Ships. The hireliiss writer's have
treated this demand ~ oHieufing too inso
lent to be tor a moment listened TO- The
:. DECLARATIONS" does not treat il in this
lofty style; but II speaks or IT in Pretty
strong terms, as thus ~" The proposal of
an armistice, and OF simultaneous repeal
OF the restrictive measures on both sides,
subsequently, made by the comsl andrg Off
Ger of his majesty's naval far,es on the A.
merican Coast. were received in TIE same
hoStile spirit by the government of the. u.
States. The suspension of the practice of
impress nent was insisted upon in the COR
respcndenCe which passed on that occs.i
as necessary frelimirury to a cessation of
hosiiiities.- Negotiation. it was stated,
might take place without any suspension of
the exercise OF this right, and also without
any armistice being concluded but Great
Britain was required hreUionsLy to- agree,
without any knowledge of the adequacy of
the system which could be substituted. To
negotiate upon the basis of accetcing the
Legislature regulations Of a foreign, STATE, az
the sole equivalent for the exercise of q
right which she has feit 10 be essential 10
the SUPPORT ct her mGritinse hower."--,
Well, and what then; " II rirh.'' it is
called again but, if America, denied it to
De right. as she has unfortunately done,
what wonder was there that she made the
proposition Great Britain might /" fseI,''
though | should have chosen the word
" Deem. as smacking less of the boarding
school MISS style. Great Britain might
" jcet," it feel she must, that the practice
complained OF was essential to the support
OF her maritime power; bat, d. d it hence
follow, that America, and that imDre ssed \
Americans, should like the practice the
better for that We have so long called
ourselves the GeHUercrs OF the world, that
we. at last, have fallen into the habis OF
squarins up all our ideas to that appellate
on and seem surprised that there should
be any nation in the world inclined to wish
4
mericans, however, clearly appear to see
the thing in different light They, in
their ho'ne-sru way, call us any thing but
dehoerers /; and it mus be confessed, th at
whatever may be our general propensity
we do not seem to have been in haste TO
dehuer impressed American seamen.
That one nation ought not to yield right, |
depending for compensation solely upon the
legislative provisions of a foreign State, is |
very true but if the right be doubtful if
it be unsupported by any law, principle,
maxim, or CUSTOM, then the case is differ
ent and then, indeed, the offer of le-
gislative provision is a proof of sincere
desire to accommodate. If my view of
the matter be right, and verify believe it
~, this is the light in which the offer ought
to be viewed and ! n:ost deeply lament
that it was not thus viewed by the minis
tiers. These lamentations, however, are
now useless. The sound Of war is gone
Acknowledgement and reasoning are ex-
hausted; the swords 20 decide whether
England is, or is not, to impress, at the dis
erection of her naval officers, persons on
board the American merchant ships on the
high seas.
(Io be continued. J r-sss