Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1814-03-30

caVu as riBhtS not TO be Abandoned, zohich az
gas ueH andersfood our government and eoun-
fry srould nor suDer TO be invaded ii, future as
l'they had been during fhc past, and which the
British commits sioners themselves, acting un-
der the Immediate orders of the cabinet. had
| IN their note distinctly recognised as ft to be
preserved hereafter from injury aDd violation
fiis conclusion was thought TO he the more
just and natural, when it was remembered that
| It was supported not only by the verbal admis-
| sions and declarations Of the British commissi
oners, which would of course, as they well
knew, be reported to our government, but by
the language OF such parts of the note as look
ed particularly to the future practice of Great
Britain on the subject ofimpressmepts. II was
believed to be fortified too by the obvious con-
sIderaton, that the U s. weuld be AUTHORISED,
notwithstanding any adjnstm by treaty upoi,
otter points, IN case Of the improvement on the
high seas OF single alayincv from on board al,
exs' c, undoubtedly, independently of that no e.
American vessel, TO view it as an act Of agrees
sior, and to resent it accordingly. This right
but 1t seemed notwithstanding to derive from
lit q new and high sanction favorable to its lust
effect; and certainly the sensibility and deter
mination which have been manifested on This
point by The United States, especially of late !,
and by the American Commissioners durinp
the recent negotiation, must have inspired this
| government with the conviction that a perse-
verance in such outrages upon their sovereignty
and the rights of their citizens, would be Who'll
| ly incompatible with the peaceful relations of
the two countries, which it was the professed
object of the British Comrnissi toner's and their
government to preserve"
From these authentic extracts, it will be OBJ.
served, that Messrs. Monroe and Piokney con
sidered the note of the British Commissioners
OF the 9th Of November, 1906, and the circum
stances and explanations attending its delivery
| to be as valid and binding as any part of the
| treaty ITSELF that they understood the British
| government meant to adhere in practice there.
after to correct course of conduct with re-
| spsct to impressment, without formally relin
| gushing the claim; and that they had stated to
the British Commissioners that any departure
from such course in future would occasion an
the two countries.
/ Col. Monroe, it is known, returned to the
Ohited States in the winter of 18O7-S and
III letter dated at Richmond, on the 28th
OF February OF the latter year, addressed to
the Secretary Of State, he furnished an ex
posison-of his views ard impressions, as e:r,
isting atfhe time Of the negotiation of me re
lJected treaty.
In the letter, speaking of the object Of i'm {
pressment, Col. Monroe says,
have always believed. and still do be
! iieve, that the ground on which that Interest
was placed by the paper of the British com
missiorers ct Nov g., 1906. and the explana
| tons which accompanied it, was both hon
able and advantageous to the United States;
that 1t contained a concession in their favor,
on the part OF Great Britain, ON the great
/ principle in CONVERSATIONS, never before made
by a formal and obligatory act of the covers
ment, which was highly fav, fabie to their
interest; and that it also imposed on her the
obligation to conform her practice underit,
till more complete arrangement should be
concluded, to the just claims of the United
| States"
To this opinion col. Monroe, as well as
Mr.. Pinkney, was the more inc lined from a
! particular. circumstance, which is thus ex>
| planned in the letter of the former from Rich
mond:
| Z" In calling your attention lin one letter
to you of November ny to the passage which
treats OF impressment, in reference to the
| practice which should be observed in future,
we remarked that the terms thigh seas
| were not mentioned in II. and added thar we
| knew that the omission had been intenn1nal,
1t was impossible that those terms could
have been omitted intentionally with our
| knowledge, for any purpose other than to
| admit construction that it was intended
| that impressments should be confined TO the
| land"
! Quoting these sentiments. certain mems
! bers OF Congress have set up an argument,
that the question of lmpressment might have
been fairly adjusted with the British govern
| ment; that colonel Monroe has borne testi-
mony to that effect that, therefore. the ma
| King ImpTessment cause of war in the first
instance, and cause for continuing the war
4 afterwards, is unnecessary and unjust.
Let us briefly examine the truth of this To-
| gic.
! Colonel Monroe believed ".tat the ground
on which the interest of impressment was
| placed'-by what? by the paper of the
| British commissioners of November 8, 1906,
and the explanations which accompanied it.,
| was both honorable and advantageous to the
| United States ;" because he believed they
would have been adhered to, as promised.
and haveled TO further arrangements, which.
from the repeated assurances of the British
commissioners, were confidently expected.
! The paper Of the British commissioners
! of November 8, 1906. then, and the expla-
| nations which accompanied il, were the
| grounds Of colonel Monroe's opinion.
| If, therefore, that paper and those ex.
| plantations should have been declared null
and of no effect on the part of Great Britain,
| the grounds OF colonel Monroe's opinion must
fail, and he will have furnished no evdenc /,
| that the question of impressmcnt would have
been accommodated upon the terms to which
he refers.
! Nov, the poin, is. 4rere the paper and ex
! plantations alluded to. disclaimed by the Bril-
tish government s-----Let Mr.. Canning an
swer:
Extract of an o1iciat note from INC rieAs
han. George Canning. 10 1Eessrs. Monroe
| and Pinkney, under date Of October 90,
1907.
! "In order to determine the course which