The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1813-03-26

posed and 2dly, the preparations ma kin.
IN America for war. which you and you,
friends as strenuousiy OPPOSED. No thank.
chen To yol & your friends f,r this repea,
10 the Republican party be fall the praise
given.
But enough on this ,heme.-I come to
the impressment Of our scsmen. Yo1 say,
that our rulers insist tina, the fag OF our
merchant vessels shall protect all the for
eisners, our merchants may think proper
20 employ in their service, whether nat
uraiized or nvt'-and that we make war
tor the rights of British and no, american
sailors" am asionished and indignant at
such pititul assertions. MIR. Russell prupo-
sed to give up the use Of British seamen al
together IN our service he even proposed
to naturalize them OF the sea no longer.-
he law passed by the last congress respec-
ting seamen is calculated to drive the Brit
ish seamen from our service. Mr.. Madison
is prepared to go all lengths as to their
seamen to secure our own from their i'm =
pressment. 1t is incorrect, therefore, to
say that we make war for the right of
British and not American sailors"
admit, that the British do not claim the
right OF imPressing our seameu. But i, is
the Practice which is the subject of contro-
yersy. IT Documents sanctioned by our
Consuls abroad and by the highest authori-
not less than 5000 native born citizens I'M
pressed into the British navy.-5u, you Aay
they are given up as soon as their nativity
is proved. Indeed but how hard is it for
| seaman, to identity and to prove his citi-
zenship-Conhned to floating dungeon ::
restrained from going ashore saifted from,
station to station, and from vessel to YES
sell; dispatched TO the East Indies or the
most remote sections of the globe. His re-
lations are first to be informed that he is
limpressed-Then trace out the part of the
ocean ON which he is aaoat-pursue and
present to British officer the proofs of his
citizenship. How difficult even for his re-
llations to know of his situation! In his
letter OF LIST Dec. 1912, Sir John Borlasc
Warren tells Mr.. Mitchell, American A
Igent at Halifax, that he "cannot permit
1.-THE Interference of any applications from
men belonging to his Majssty's ships, but
through their commanding officers ;" and
Mr.. Mitchell then adds, by way of cIinch-
ing the tate OF these poor men, " that their
lcdhfdfns had refused to report them to the
admiral"
You say, that terms were offered to
Messrs. Monroe and Pinckney, which were
rejected by Mr.. Jefferson. Doyou forget that
the only assurances given by the b. Com
missioners were III letter-that they were
not in the treaty and that the British mi
mister afterwards said that nothing would
be binding which was not contained in the
treaty itselfe Do you also forge. that the
high priests of your own synagogue,
Messrs. Pickering. Stodtlarr and Marshall,
formerly disclaimed making any arrange
ment whatever which did not secure our
vessels from iplpressment
You say, that " our government" has ia
ken no steps to prevent "the admission of
British seamen into ships. l point to the
law of the last Congress as the answer
And. ask. in my turn, what G. Britain has
done to prevent the impressment of our
Citizens from our ships? What officer
has she fined, confined, punished or degra-
ded in any respect whatsoever
SIR have done with you'll bow to the
majesty of the people and if the people
should re-eieet you, shall bow with sub
miss. on. But shall not envy the feelings
of the man who has without shadow of
proof branded all his opponents with arti-
fice-and positively declared "that heace is
nor their object" when he must have seen
that they were only torn frsm it by the dir
est necessity that the moment the sword
was drawn, they sought for peace; & when
he sees that at this minute, the mediation
OF Russia is accepted & every honorable step
is taken which promises a restoration OF
the beams of peace.
n Citizen of the. District.