Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-07-27

cecuing, and peculiar construction of the ,nixed
commissions, would be completely avoided; and,
WIN respect to any embarrassment attending
tnc disposal OF condemned vessels and liberated
m,,es o ~ mas already been suggested bya COM
'hi.'ee Oh The House of Representatives. that the
P pr OF the act eff Congress, passed the Sd
OF march 1919, might be applied to them With
out difficulty or Inconvenience.
Ahe question being thus relieved from all con
heSion with the mixed commissions, every con-
s'itutopai objection, arising out of their alledr-
Gu .nconpat'bil,ty with the institutions of the
Chted states, IS ut once removed from consid-
eration: The remaining obstacles may be re-
auced under the following heads: the unpopu-
iarfty OF the right of search in this country: IFS
tendency, If mutually employed, to produce an
unfrlcnliy collision between the two nations
and acertain supposed inequality, which would
| attend its exercise.
With respect TO any doubt of its utility, crea-
ted by persuasion that very few vessels. under
American colors, have been discovered, for
some time past on the coast of Africa, it reqres
but little reflection TO prove, that conclusive
| inference car be drawn from that circumstance.
Not to dwell upon thu extent and nature of the
slave coast, peculiarly favorable to the conceal
mcIt ofTading vessels, it must he remenb. ,,.1
that the United States have maintained, at no
time, greater number of cruizers than two,
rarely more than one, and lattcrly during seye-
raj months together, no ship of war, whatever,
on The African station. AS late as the 18th of
January, 1922, it was stated, officially, by the
Governor OF Sierra Leone, "that the fine ri.
vcrs Nunez AMI Pongas were entirely under the
control of renegade European and American
slave traders"
But, if 1t were even manifest, that the active
and Ju1icious cXertions of your naval officers in
that quarter, had really effected total disusc of
the American flag in slave trading, the right of
search would still be most highly desirable, in
order to secure and extend SO important an adj
vantage. AS an example, indeed, to other pow
crs, particularly to France, whose subjects, en-
couraged By the loose and cquivocai measures of
their Government, arc convicted, BY a mass of
evidence too strong to be resisted, of being con-
cerned, to deplorablc degree in this atrocious
commerce, the concurrence of the United States
IN system, of which the very first result is to
augment considerably the means of bringing
offenders to justice, can hardly be rated at too
high value. The example which they are call
ed upon to give, is not merely due to the claims
OF humanity: Great Britain and the United
States are not only pledged to put down the slave
trade, within the limits of their immediate ju-
risdiction; they are also bound, by solemn obi
legations, to employ their utmost endeavorsfor its
complete and universal determination. They
have both succeeded i'll thir great and beneyo-
Lent object, SO far as the rigor of Legislative en-
| actments is capable of counteracting the temp
tation of enormous profit, which stimulates the
unpriDCipied avarice of tue slave merchant II
is the facility OF escaping detection, and not any
want OF severity in the punishment attached to
a violation of their laws, which, as far as they
are concerned, requires more decisive remedy;
and, remedy adequate to the evil, can ONLY be
found In such measures as will strip the illicit
| trade of every disguise, and throw the chances
entirely on the side of failure in his nlurnan spe
culatiouS. In the case Of search, at sea, the
,l.,hI IL
OF this CRIME are fortunately, it may be said pro-
vidcntiaily, of such nature, as in general TO
furnish plain substantial body of proof for thc
conviction of the criminal.
For the satisfaction of Those who seriously op-
prehend that the friendly relations subsistine be-
tween the two countries would be endangered
by the admission of a practice which, i'm their
opinion, must necessarily produce vexatious
exercise of authority on the part of the search
ing officer, andfrequeut complaints on that of the
merchant, whose vessel Is subjected TO search
with the supposed aggravation of an uneqna
pressure on one OF the contracting parties His
Majesty's Government would, doubtless agreeto
fixed number Of cru;Zars each side; restrict
ed, in the performance Of this duty, to certain
specihed parts OF the ocean, and acting un-
der regulations prepared, by mutual consent,
for the purpose of preventing abuses. To these
important limitations, If not deemed sufficient
others might easily be added; the arrangement,
for example, might be temporary; adopted, in
the first instance, for short period, and only to
be continued In the event of its being found, on
trial, to operate in a satisfactory manner. With
tins understanding, speedy termination would
atleast, be Ensured, to any Objectionable result at
tending its operations; and, for the sake of inter-
csts as dear to humanity, an eXyerirncnt of which
the advantage, as TO its main object, is certain
aud complete, the Inconvenience, Continent
and momcntary, might surely be rcconciled
with due regard TO considerations exclusively
national.
Surprising tha. Inconvenience should be found
in practice, TO press unequaly on either of the
two parties, Great Britain, and not the United
States, is most likely to have cause of complaint
inasinuch as the greater extent Of her trade, cs-
pecially on the coast of Africa, must naturally
expose her, In greater degree to any inri-
rious consequences of the agreement. Great
Britain, however, is less disposed to shrink from
any sacrifice, by which she can materially adj
vance the sacred cause of abolition, than to la
mcnt, and, if possible, to dispcl those mistaken
notions, and unfounded jealousics which deprive
her cxcrtions of their full effect, and serve but
too successfully, TO protract the existence of a
mischief, which all unite in dcploring. In point
Of principle, the honor of neither flag would be
furnished, by having its protection Withdrawn
for season, from those who perpctrate the a.
trocitie5 of the slave trade; and permit me, sir
to add, that what Great Britain is ready to allow
in matter SO vital to hcrpIidc and TO her power,
may surely be allowed, reciprocally, by any
other nation, however scrupulous i'll the main
tenance of its maritime independence.
That an agreement between our respective
cabinets, founded on mutual right of search,