American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1824-08-31

lects--or, that they have entered, ana taken tue
bounty; Ito which the officers know how to reduce
them)-or, that they have been married, or settled
in England In all these cases, without further ce-
remony, their dischage is refused. Sometimes
their Iorjshps, in a vein OF humor inform the agent
that the man has been discharged as unserrlced0te
Sometimes, in sterner tone, they say he was an
imposter. Or perhaps, by way of consolation to
his relatives and friends, they report that he has
fallen in battle, against nations in ami,y with his
country. Sometimes they coolly return, that there
is no such man on board the ship; and what has be-
come Of him, the agores of a wife and children in
his native land may be left to Mcclure. When
all these and many other such apologies for refusal
fall the native American is disc harged-and when,
BY the charitable aid Of his government, he has
found his way home, he comes TO be informed,
that all is as it should be-that the number OF his
fellow sufferers is smalt-thst it was impossible to
distinguish him from an Eneshman--and that he
was delivered up, on July authenticated proof.
Enough of this disgusting subject cannot stop
to calculate how many OF these wretched victims are
natives Of Massachusetts, and how many natives OF
Virgiaia cannot stop to solve that knotty question
Of national jurisprudence, whether some of them
might not possibly be slaves, and therefore not cili
zens OF the United Staes-l cannot stay to account
for the wonder, why. poor, and ignorant and friend
less as most Of them are the voice OF their com
plants is so seldom heard in the navigating states.
admit that we have endured this cruel indignity,
through all the administrations of the general gov
eminent. acknowledge that Britain claims the
right o. seizing her subjects IN our merchan
vesses, and that even if we could acknowledge IL
the line Of discrimination would be ditiiru to draw
We ale not in condition to MAINTAIN right BY
war, and as the British government have been more
than once on the point Of giving il up OF their own
accord, would still hope tor the day when return
ing Justice shall induce them to abandon II, without
puslon.-ller subjects we do not want. he
degree of protection which bound 10 extend
to them, cannot equal the claim of our own cis
2 ms. | would subscribe TO any compromise OF thti
contest, consistent with the rights OF sovereignty
the duties OF humanity, and the principles Of iecl
proclty but to The right OF forcing even her owl
subjects out Of our merchant vessels on the high
seas, never can assent.
The second point npon which Mr.. Pickering dc
tends the pretensions Of Great Britain. is her denial
to neutral nations OF the light OF prosecution With
her enemies and their colonies, any commerce rnn
which they are excluded in time Of peace. Hisl
statement Of this case adopts The British doctrine a.
sound The rght, on the question of impress
ment so on this, is surrender al discrectOn-snd il
IS equally defective in point Of Fact.
In The first place, the claim Of Great Britain, is
not t. " right imposing this neutral commerce
some limits and restraintS," but OF interdictng it
altogether, at her pleasure Of interdcting it with
cut moments notice to neutras. after solemn de !
,isOns of her courts of admiralty, and formal &C
OF her ministers, that it is lawful
on such sudden, unnotiied nterdc-
ton, OF pounding upon all neutral commerce uavi.l
eating upon the faith OF her decisions and acknowl |
adements, and Of gorging with con6scation The
elness of her crnizers-ths is the right claimed
~ BritsIn-hs is the power she has exercised
what Mr.. Pickering calls g limits and restraints"
she calls reaxalions Of her tight.
II is but little more han TWO years, since this
question agitated both in England and America /
with as much ZEAL energy and ability, ever was
displayed upon any question Of national law. TheI
British side was supported by sir William Scott |
Mr.. Ward. and the author Of War in Disguise |
But even in Britain their doctrine reiuted 10 dc
by the Edinburg reviewers. In Anne |
RIGA, the rights Of our country were maintained BY |
writer's profoundly skilled in the science
1f national and maritime law. The anSrer to War
IN Disguise was ascribed to gentleman whose tai
ents are universally acknowledged and who by bis
official situations had been requited thoroughly ol
investigate every question Of conflict between neu
raj and begerent rights which has occurred in the |
history OF modern war. Mr.. Core and Mr.. Pinkney !
our two commissioners at London, under Mr. Jay'sI
reaty, the former, in train Of COOL conclusive ar
8ument addressed 10 Mr.. Madison, the latter in a
Of splendid elnquence from the mere hants
at Baltimore supported the same cause; memorials
drawn by lawyers Of distinguished eminence, BY
merchants Of the highest character, and by states
men Of long experience in our national councils,
came from Salem from Boston, from New Haven,
from New York. and from Philadelphia, together
with remonstrsnces to the same effect from New.
ouryport, Newport, Norfolk, and Charleston. This
accumulated mass Of legal learning, Of commercial
information, and of national sentiment, from almost
every inhabited spot upon shores, and from one
extremity n he IN he oth 81 H.,
The unanswered and unanswerabIe memorial of Mr.
Monroe to the British minister, and by the elaborate
research and irresistible reasoning of the eramina-
tioa OF the British doctrine, was also made sub