The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1813-04-09

and the time may come when the principle
would be equally important To America
herself But, say the American ministers,
II IS not so much the righ. itself, az the vi
oleHt and insulting Eaode of exercising il
That we complain of for we have. upon
reflection, agreed in tie principle of inter
national law, That tree bottoms do not make
free goods, and therefore we have no OBJ
lection 20 the search OF our merchants SHIPS
tor contraband OF war; but in that case,
whenever warlike stores, &c. are found an
board an American vessel, she is detained
sud Carried into port for adjudication by
a competent court. Whether the a5judi
Cation be always impartialor not is another
affair; but in this respect nations are on
an equal footing, and these Admiralty
Courts, well or ill conducted, are recogni-
zed by all maritime nations. But with
fSapect 20 the impressInent of .samen, the
act is violent, because summary, * because
&c is subject 10 no revisal--to 10 abiudica-
tion--and because the individual seized has
no means of redress. BY this sort of rea
SEEMING there is "A tacit admission on the par,
of America, that it is not to the act itself
which they object much as to the manner
OF the act; anc; accordingly we see various
suggestions made by Americans, for enter
ing into an anicable discussion on the means
of getting over the outrageous way in which
the right is exercised, and of giving secu-
rity 90 both nations against the abuse in
Question. On tho other side. Lord Castle
reagh declares the readiness of the Britisl,
government 70 receive and discuss any pro
position On this subject coming from the
American government; thoIsh he would
not entct into I negotiation, a preliminary
20 which should be the concession of this
right, and so far we think he was cleGrl,
a nj
people Of common origin, and of almost
Iinssparahc interests, should remain at war
on point upon which there is so little diff
terence between themf Surely, without
any sacriHcc OF etiquette on either side, the.
eXpedients might be canvassed, by which
this mighty cause oewar might be removed
Let each party promulgate their thoughts
ON the subject, and if there be an honest
disposition to peace, it must follow. The
agreement ought to be so drawn to make it
most dangerous to the Captain of an Anne
r!can snip to employ British seaman on
board +; and on the other eide, to make II
equally dangerous for British Cattein "a
seize and carry of an American seaman
under p'eteNt of his beinga British SUB
,Ject. Or in other words, it ought tn he
made their interest TO abstain from those
two causes of national offence. Various
modes have been suggested FOR this purpose.
Inc most effectual uIfd0ubt ediy would be to
ordain by treaty, that the subjects of
each power, If found on board the rner-
chants vessels OF tbS other, saou&i BE- con-
sidered IN The ns'i.re ofcon!ra6and If zyar.
inasmuCh as their natural Sovereign wa,
thereby deprived of their service in war.
and tastthat should be cause to detaip
'tAe vessel for adjudication. By this the
American captain or his owners would
most seriously suffer by having British sea-
men on board; sna, on the other hand, the
t"t'.h Captain would equally suffer, if he
had all the risk and loss to incur of an i'm
proper detention. Against this, however.
the arguments arc strong. The American
Captain may have bseu imposed upon by
similarity Of language, &c. and when
Drought tGlo one OF our ports, where there
IS comp9tent court to adjudge the point,
real American seaman might find il i'm
possible to asfluce proofs of his nativity
Besides in both events, the penalty wonld
be inordinatc. Another suggestion has been
made, that the British naval officer i'm
pressing p seaman on board an American
vessel ard Uice Uersd; should be bound to
make certificate in duplicate Tor what
The French call Process verbay } TO the
fact. one copy OF which he should deliver to
the American Captain, and transmit the
'ther to the Admiralty TO be fled and that
tie seaman seized SIS luld have his action
for damages in the Courts of Law. the
certificate to be produced By the Admtcalty
as proof OF the trespass, if the person can
prove himself TO be a native of the country
that he reteDded to be. We confess we
think that this oagh. to satisfy bo.h govern
meDts, for this would make officers Can't
Gus IN exercising the right which ut the
same time canhot be safely surrendered. +"
L his IS poor paltry trash. But, It contains
enc assertion which declare to be false,
It Is here asserted that I" the right Of
impressment Of scanen on board OF trading
ships, is right which has, At all times been
asserted, and acquiesced in by SOVEREIGN
states respectively". l give this an un.
quaiiied tvuid. say, that this IS a right
"hich no nation ever ac1uiesced in. Let
the Morning Chronicle name the nation
thst has ever done either; let him cite an
stance OF such q practice as we insist
upon Let him name the writer, any
English writer, OIL public law, who has
made ever an attempt to maintain such a
doctrine AdI, let him name the writer
who has LAID down any principle or maxim
IRON which such right can possibly be
deduced. And, il he can do none of these.
what assurance, what desperate devotion
20 faction must it be 20 enable a man to-
make such an assertion The assertion OF
the "vaine OF the cause" being slight to
America, in comparison TO what il is TO Us.
has no better foundation. The value
what is OF value, what is Of any value AZ
ail, II the liberty AID lives of the people of
! 4 me RIGA cve of no vatr~3 not -. 49,.