The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1813-04-22

subjects Of each power, II found on board the
merchants vessels OF the other, sh0Ald DC
eonsidered in khc rasLrs efco.frd6and Of spor,
inasmuch as lbeirnatura Sovereign was there
Ey del prived OF their service in war, and that
that should be cause TO detsin the vessel for
adjudication. BY this The American Captain
or his owners would most seriously sugcr by
having British seamen on board and, OH the
other hand the British Captain would equally
suffer, il he had all the risk and loss to incur
OF an improper detention. Against this, how
ever, the arguments are strong. The Ameri-
Can Captain may have been imposed upon by
similarity of language, &c. and when brought
into one of our ports, where there is COM
petent court to adjudge the point, "a real A
merican seaman might find it impossible to
adduce proofs OF his nativity. Besides IN both
events, the penalty would be inordinate. a.
mother suggestion has been made, that The
British naval officer impressing seaman on
board an American vessel and Oice Versq,
should be bound to make certificate in du-
picate (or what the French call troces ver-
bat)to the fact, one copy of which he should
deliver to the American Captain, and trans
nit the other to the Admiralty to be filed
and that the seaman seized should have his
certificate 10 be produced by the Admiralty
as proof OF the trespass, il the person can
prove himself 10 be native of the country
that he pretended 10 be. We confess We
think thai this ough, to satisfy both govern
meats, for this would make officers cautious
in exercising the right which at the same
time cannot be safely surrendered" This is
poor paltry trash. But, it contans-one asser-
lion which declare to be false.
1t is here asserted, that the " right Of i'm
pressment OF seamen on board of trading
ships,is tight which has,at all times been as
serted, and scquiesced in by sovereign states
respectively" give this an unqualified de-,
NAL | say, that is right, which no nation
ever acquiesced in. Let the Morning Chroni-
Gle name the nation that has ever done either
let him cite an instance of such praticc as
we insist upDn (; let him name the writer,
every English writer, on public law, who has
made even an ATTEMPT to maintain such doc
trine nay, Let him name the writer, who has
laid down any principle, or maxim, from
which such Ri; ht can possibly be deduced.
And, If he can do none Of these, what assur-
ance, what desperate devotion TO faction
must it be to enable man 10 make such an
assertion The assertion of the " value Of
thC SaoSC oeiuS SUSnt 10 hHcllCa, III COM
parison TO what it is to US, has no better foun-
dation. The value what is of value, what
is of any value at all, il the liberty and lives
oftbe people of America are of no value
And, when we know, when no nan will
deny, when official records of the fact exist
that hundreds Of native Americans have been
impressed and sen, TO serve on board our
ships Of war when this is notorious when
1t neither will nor can be denied, what is of
value to America, il this cause be not of val.
ue AS TO the proposition Of making Eng
lish seamen {" con riband of war;, =" il is so
iinpudent, 1t is so shamfuI, ii is even so bor-
rid, that will do no more tina, Jus, name il,
that 1t may not escape the readers indignation.
Indeed, there needs no more thar the rcadipp
of this one article to convince the Americans,
that all the factions in England arc, in effect,
OF one mind upon the subjec, of,his war !;
and am afraid, that this conviction will pro-
dnce consequences, which we shall have sor-
ly TO lament, though shall, for my own part,
always have the satisfaction to reflect, that
every thing which it was in my power to-
do has been done, to preven, those conse-
quences. VIM COBBETT.
BoHey, l4ti Jan 1918