Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1824-08-17

they ssont the men. They regret the necessity.
but they must have their complement. When We
complain Of these enormities, we are answered
that tho acts of such officers were unauthorized;
that the commanders of men of war, are an un-
ruy set ofineti, for whose violence their own go
vern'pent cannot always be nnswerabe; that
enquiry shalt he made--a court martial is some
times Northumberland the issue of Wlitby's
court martial has taught us what relief is to be
expected from that. There are even examples
am told, when such officers have been put up
on the yellow list. But this is a rare exceptiop
tho ordinary issue, when the act is disavowed
IS the promotion the actor.
). The Impressed native American citizens.
however, upon duly authenticated Pro2f, are de-
livered up. Indeed how unreasonable then
were complaint! how eifectual a remedy then
for the wrong An American vessel bound.
To an European port, hls t,vo three or four
native Americans impressed by a British man
OF war, bound to the East or West Indies.
When the American captain arrives a. his port
OF destination, he makes his protest, and sends it
10 the nearest American minister consul.
When he returns home, he transmits the dupi-
cate OF his protest to the secretary of state. In
process OF time, the names of the impressed men.
and OF the ship into which they have been i'm
pressed, are received by the agent in London
he makes his demand that the men may be de-
iivered uIs>-the lords of the u,lmiralty after :,
reasonable time for cnqury and adviserreut re-
turn tor answer, that the ship is foreign sati-
on, and that relationships cam therefore takcuo
further steps in the matter--or that the shiplas
been taken, and that the men have been re-
ceiVed IN exchange for French prisoners-or
that the men had no projections 1.-THE impressmns
officers often having taken them from the men9
or that the men were probably British SUBJ
Jects--or, that they have entered and taken the
bounty; ITO which the officers know hcw to re-
duce them)-rr, that they have been married.
or settled III England. In all these c;.ses, with
out further ceremony, their discharge is re-
fused. Sometimes their lordsips, i'm
VEN OF huinor, inform tie agent that the
man has been discharged as u,scruicenbIe. Some
tunes, In sterner tone, they say he was On i'm
poster. Or perhaps, by way of consolation to
his relatives aud friends, they report that he has
fallen III battle, against nations in atnity with his
country. Sometimes they cooliy return, THAT
there IS no such man on board The ship, aud what
has become of him, the agonics of wife and
children IN ms native land may be left to con ec-
ture When all these and many other such o..
pologies for refusal fail, the native American is
dischargcd-and when, by the charitable aid of
his government, he has found his way home he
comes To be informed, tat all is as il should be-
| that the number of his fellow sufferers is small
that il was impossible 10 distinguish. him from
an EngiishnlaI,-and that he was delivered up,
on duly authenticated proof.
| Enough of this disgusting subicct-I cannot
stop to calculate how many Of these wretched
| victims are natives of Massachusetts, and how
many natives of Virginia. cannot stop TO solve
that l1notty question of national JURISPRUDENCE.
whether some ofthcmmgbt not possibly beslaves,
y therefore not citizens of tile United States-l
Cannot stay 10 account for the wonder, vhv, poor
and ignorant, and friendiess as most of them
are, the voice Of their complaints is SO seldom
hed'd IN the navigating states. admit that we
have endured the most cruel indignity, through
all the administrations of the general govern
l H'ent. acknowledge that Britain claims the
lrfo1. fofc< E.,- 4
sells, u that even if we could acknowledge il, the
line OF discrimination would be difficult to draw.
we are not in a condition 10 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 for the day
when returning Justice shall induce them 10 "a
sandoD II, without compulsion-fIer subjects
we donot want. The degree of protection which
we are bound to extend to them, cannot equal
the. claim of o,Ir own citizens. ] would sub
scribe to any compromise of this contest con.
sstent with the rights of sovereignty, the duties,
ct humanity, and the principles of reciprocity,
nut 10 the right OF forcing even her own subjects
out OF our merchant vessels on the high. seas Z
never can assent.
4 The second point upon which Mr.. Pickering
defends the pretcnsions Of Great Britain is her
denial TO neutral nations Of the right OF prosecu-
ton with her enemies and their colonies. any
commerce. from which they are excluded in time
OF peace His statement trs case adopts the
British doctrine sound. The rigat, as on the
question ofinpressnent, this, is surrender
at discretion-and it is equally detective in point
offact.
In the first place, the claim of Great Britain,
is not to ''a right ofimposng on this neutral com
merce some limits and rcst,0ints,n but of inter
dieting il altogether, at her pleasure, of inter
dieting it without moments notice to peutraIs.
after solemn decisions of her courts of admiral
ty, and formal Acknowledgements ofher courts of
! her ministers, that it is lawful trade--anf on
such sudden, unuoified intercfiction of pounc-
ing upon all neutral commerce navigating up-
on the faith of her decisions and acknowieJg.
ments, and OF gorgpg with confscation the
greedness of her cr,'izors--tbs is the right
claimed by Britain-this is the power she has ex-
ercIscd-what Mr.. Pickering calls s.lirnits and
restraints" she calls reaxatons other right.
1t is but little more than two years since this
question was agitated both in England and A.
tnerica, with as much zeal, energy and ability
as ever was displayed upon any question of M,
tonal law. The British, side was Supported bv
SIR William Scott, Mr.. Ward, and tie author of
II war in Disguise. But even in Britain their
doctrine was refutcd to demonstration by tile
EdInburg reviewers. In America, the rights of
our country were maintained by numerous wri-
tiers profoundly skilled in science of nationaSz
maritime law. ThednS,cc, to w ar in Disguise was
ascribcd TO a gentleman whose talents are mi
versaily acknowledged, and who by his official
situations had been iredfhoroughIyt oinves-,