Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1815-04-15
PUB ISHE
ON WEDNESDAYS AND SATURDAY VS.,
BY JOHN BURKE.
BRITISH ESSAYS.
LETTERS OF coNcnxAToR.
(coNcLupED.)

It Is deplorable that between nations, SO
relatively situated as c.. Britain and the u
States. there should be any serious cause
Of litigation and war; but in the proud no.
ton OF independent rights which one inhe-
rits from the other. the next best relative
position to both being right, is that both
should be wrOng--sorlorn is the hope of
Cancellation, where the fault is all on one
side.
In the sedulous investigation of the ques
tica we have now to consider, am greatly
mistaken if we shall not find both parties
On error and it the fault bc imputable
TO America only, the impressment Of a
single American seaman, knowing him to be
such, or even not knowing him TO be Bri-
fish subject. is sufficent to deprive us Of the
right OF throwing the first stone.
In retracng the state of man to state
OF nature, we md him wauderer over the
wide world; and Confinement within mar.
row limits is SO repnsnant to our feelings
that millions now IN England who never
have been and never viii. be OUT of II, would
be miserable to be restrained by force from
going to the de scrts of Arabia-Paradise
and old Madeira are imprisonment and ply
sic to the man who is confined TO the one
while the other is poured down his threat.
a d 1t the iigor OF political institution lay
some restraints upon cur vagaboud pro.
Pensities, they should be such only as are
required by special obligation or the ne.
cessity OF the case. And ii every man have
a eight TO batter his situation, he is least OF
all to be restrained who finds 1t difficult 70
procure subsistence st home.
But however diverse may be the opinions
of the writers On the law of nations in res
pect 10 the right OF emigration fad no
thing on our own statute book. 70 Justify that
species as expatTiation for which the Ame-
5 rican government had contended - that a
man should be allowed to lift his Darricidai
hands against the country that gave him
birth. and has done him no wrong, appears
to me, at least, as repugDans to natural
law. as that he should be restrained from
the legitimate pursuit of subsistence within
bounds that nature never prescribed.
have seen a pamphlet. which from the
source it comes from, and the countenance
given to it, may be supposed to contain the
whole professions OF the American governs
pent on the subject: perhaps something
more than the chief magistrate of that coun
try would advocate. The work is entitled
:" Repatriation 30 and have no hesitation
saying that the author appears to me very
far from having made OF. his case. 1t is
due, however, TO the CdDdor expressed in
the work itself to observe, that il invites
discussion, with the difidence becoming a
man who admits that he is exploring a sort
o fcrra ircogniid, and is willing to be avail.
ed of the lights of any fellow traveller in the
same region. But it is the less necessary TO
occupy your columns with con royersy On
the general que ton, rs ] am afraid it will
appear that whatever right ether nations
may have TO repel its pretensions, we have
none.
In the statute of 6 Anne, C. 81, s.. 90, /
find the following strong invitation of foreign
seamen into our service:
" And tor the better encouraging foreign
mariners and seamen to come d .erve on
beard ships belonging TO the kingdom of G..
Britain; be it further enacted, by the au,
thorlty aforesaid, that every such foreign
mariner OF sean an, who shall. from and af-
ter the said 25th day of April. have faith.
fully served OF board any Of her majesty's
ships OF war, or any privateer, or merchant
OF trading ship or ships, vessel or vessels,
which, at the time of such service, shall be
long to any of her majesty's subjects of
Great Britain, for the space of two years,
shall, to all intents aud purposes, be deem.
ed and taken to be a natural born subject
of her majesty's Kingdom of Great Britain,
and have and enjoy all the privileges, pow
ers rights and Capacities, which such TO-
reign mariner or seaman could, should or
ought to have had and enjoyed in case he
had been natural born subject OF her ma
Jesty, and actually native within the king
dom Of Great Britain"
he same privilege is re.euacted, Is Geo.
II. 3 with the exception required by the
intermediary statute OF l Geo. /. G.. q. Of
all na;uralized subjects from becoming
members of parliament, or Of. the 2rivy
council 1t is twice mentioned by Black
stone, who aserts such foreign seamen TO
be Hso fdctO naturaised and is stated by
some OF our latest au,horities to be the law
OF the land at this day.
1t would not be quite right here TO With
hoiu from the reader Dictum Of WcQue iort,
especially as It is introduced in the discussion
OF a subject where II night not be looked for.
Ia the 18th Paragraph ftbe eleventh chsp.er
ne says, the emigrant having become the sub
Ject OF q new sovereignis obliged TO obey him
even against the person OF him who was his So
yerelgn but be ing so no longer, cannot desire
OF him any duties TO the prejudice of tho last
These are strong words but | cannot consi-
der them ofsnifcieHt authority on the grave
question Of battle aud murder: nor am sstis-
he'd that Wicqucfort would have used them
" that had been tile question pmedis. sly be-
jofe him, although in another part Of his work
tc' p 81 he rIdicuIes the ignorance OF those
VINO ass RI that nothing can tree a subject from
'ne jurisdiction Of the sovereign Of the country
WHere ne was borne. The object OF Wicquc-