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

practice: We do not now assert that we
have Al right TO stop American vessels up
on the high seas for tire hzrfiose ofinshres-
sing our seamen; but having stopped them
for the purpose of exercising our old right
of secrch," we have right to avail our.
selves OF the opportunity to take on. persons
whom our own officers, at their discr elton,
NAV Judge TO be british seamen.
This is not even hiaws:5le, in my opinion
for, what right can we have to impress, If
we have no right to stop Cor the purpose of
impressngs may enter another's house
10 search FOX stolen coat, and it / find
there my hat, Il may seize II as well as my
coat, having the authority for the first
but be it observed, that TO steal the hat
was. as criminal as TO steal the coat and
it 1 had known or suspected, that the hat
was there, might have had search war
rant ic-the former as we'll for the lat
ter.
The Laws of nations call the high seas the
common right OF nations. A ship there is a
parcel OF the State to which she belongs, K
the sovereign. rights of that State travel with
her. he sole exception is. as has been be
tore stated, tile belliserents have right to
search neutrAis for goods ofrhe enemy, and
Tor scGrl'ke stores and troohs, Carrying for
the eneE,y's use /; because, as far as aeu-
trails are engaged in such ser vice. they are
deemed to DC an The service ofthc enemy.-
In all other respects 2 neutral ship carries
with her, on the nigh seas, the rights OF So
vereignty appertaining to the State to which
she belongs Now, it is wei known, that no
nation has right to enter the territory of
another TO exercise any authority whatever,
much less that of seizing persons and car
ryinS them away by force and, indeed, is
1t not fresh ia every ones n.emor what
complaints were made against the French
for entering the territory of the Elector of
Baden. and Selling the Dul1s Of Enghen
If we have right TO enter Araeric2n
ships on the hgh seas, and take out Of
them, by force of arms, British seamen,
what should hinder us fror, having the
same right as to any or the sea-pores of A
mesica Nay, Why should we not go and
seize our numerous manufacturers, who
have been Contrary to our laws) car<ed to
America with cloths and cutlery Their
allcdsing, thai they went thither to avoid
the eject of prose cutions tor libel, or for
some other OF our state crimes, would be no
bar ia our Claim upon them and, in short,
they could never be safe 20 the last moment
OF their lives. Ii is said, that the seamen on
beard or American ships are deserters Be
II 60. We may be sorry that they do de-
sert but 1T is no crime in the Americans
that our sailors go INTO America. Is 1t not
the Austrian and Prussian armies, have at
all times, deserted into the neighboring
states; and is it not equally wall known
that the neighboring State has invariably
possessed the undisputed right of giving
them protection. and of inlisting them in
its service Why, therefore, should we
dsem it a crime in America, whose abrn-
dance OF lands and provisions, whose high
price OF labor, and whose happiness to the
lower orders df mankind .,alI o,,r ,ba,r
arms to the whole world ? And here can.
not help introducing a remark upon the
proposition. made by Lord Castlereagh to
Mr. Russell, that the American Gov ern :
ment should stipulate to dekUer ut all Bril-
tsh seameh in the service OF Americans
Mr.. Russell, is said to have C xpres I'd, him,
self ~ having hsen sipckeG at Ems PROPOSE
ton, which has afforded an abundant theme
of abuse ef him By our hir:ling writer's
But, have no scruple 10 say, that firmly
believe, thatit is proposition that never
was before made to any independent State
even 10 the most petty State OF Germany.
There was plan, spme years ago, in agi.
tation amongst the States of Europe, for put
ting IN force nnutual surrender of each
Diners subjects. whereupon the Able Ray,
nai remarks, that, isit had gone into effect,
e tch ut the several States might haYe ia
ken the motto of Dante over the entrance TO
his Internal regions :" He who enters here
leaves even hofe behind" He represents
it as the utmost stretch oftyranny point,
he says, which the world ought to perish
rather than reach. And therefore, though
Lord Castlereagh's proposition did not 20
this length though il was confined to Ri
tish seaDreH, we have no reason to abuse
Mr.. Russell for his expression.
1t will be said, may be. that Mr.. Rusclls
was ordered to stipulate for the surrender,
on our part, of all American seamen. Ave,
but the difference is, that Mr.. Russell pro
posed those only vino had been imhresscd
by rs whereas We wanted TO stipulate for
the surrender Of those British seamen who
had gone into America of their o7yn free
7VtH. We wanted tc have surrendered to
US. men who we're employed in American
merchant SHIPS they wanted us 20 surren
der men whom we had seized in their
ships and forced into our men q 7oar. But
Is II possible. that any one can find any
thing 20 objec; to in request, that as a me
Etmtpdry, we should give up the Americans,
when we had impressed into our service 1!
w hat Is the state Of chose men. now in our
service WHAT'S their state Has the rea.
der rejected upon thisl they nus. be
Useless on board Of ship; they mast no, act !;
they must do no Seamen's duty or. they
must, according 70 our own doctrine, lately
cxenrl'fed at Hnrsemongcr Lane, be
TRAITORS, worthy of being hanged. rip.
ped up. aud cut in quarters. His ROYAL
IL gfDess > Declaration says, that ale glance
to ais father and his successor begins with