Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1841-11-26
THE RIGHT OF SEARCH.

what shall we quarrel about" was the basis
of another chapter in one of the city papers.
The Review saw no occasion for alarm
and the city print,-tho Journal Of Com
merce, we bolieve,-nothing whatever to
quarrel about. We can see no great danger
of war with England, but unlike the Jour-
nal, we see enough to quarrel about, and
presume the day is very far distant when
thore will be no bone Of contention and no
division Of opinion among us. 1t Will not
be before the Millennium at least.
A serious question between England and
the United States is that growing out of the
right Of search. 1t is no new question either,
and and has already been the subject OF a
long and expensive war. The right of
search was the great question Of the war Of
1872, and the treaty of Client unfortunately |
passed over the vexed question without a
settlement. The outrage of England in
claiming authority over subjects born within
her dominons, if found on board of Ameri-
can vessels, was not repeated after the war,
but the claim unfortunately was not given
up.
A new controversy now exist, in part
involving the same principle, and in part
making new issue. The right of search
is practsed as before, but for a new purpose,
and so extensive has the practice become
that it has aroused the pride and indignation
of many of our people. The call for redress
is indeed general one, and we but seldom
open newspaper from any section of the
Union, in which there is not complaint
coupled with call for redress. These calls
we know very well are much mere easily
made than attended to. They serve,
however, to show what public opinion
is, and in our country law makers are not
long in finding out that the will of the people
is the supreme law of the land. We are,
; however, neither alarmists nor panic makers,
but the only way to prevent a real danger is
to be prepared to meet it.
The great difficulty growing out Of the
. right Of search upon the coast of Africa, to
our mind, is connected with the probable
h cause of the practices of England. 1t is
stated that the cause of the difficulty has
|, grown out of the higl,-handed course pursued
; by Great Britain under the convention OF
; treaties among several European nations fol
n the suppression Of the Slave Trade. The
Government of the United States did no
choose to enter it, because it did not wish tc
:, become entangled in any such alliance will
= foreign powers, whereby a measure of ma
tional independence must have been sur
. rendered 1t is said, moreover, that it wa
:. fully adequate to the execution of its owl
h laws against the slave trade, which were a
e prohibi,ory and as direct as those of an,
e other country in relation to that traffic.
Of What follows is from the Baltimore Amer
&c can :-Erpress.
- The British Government has seen fit to disregar
a the solemn determination OF this Republic. A hi
=. was passed in Parliament not more than eightee
W months ago authorizing the searching of suspecte
vessels the of Africa, 1t strongly oppos
h ed BY the Duke of Wellington for the reason, anon
others, that It's provisions would conflict with the lay
I'd of the United States the subject of the slave trade
and so clearly did he the difficulties 10 which sue
measure must give rise that when the bill tualI
passed in the House of Lords, the Duke entered HI
protest against II on the journal oil the House.
&c The arrogant assumptions of Great Braip on III
RS pont are yelled under the pretoNt oI pIinahtiroP!
h, 1t is believed that motive q'hte as sruh4 as an
IL desire Of hers suppress the Save traihc Ia TO
i'll f,nnd in her anxiety break up The American trad
no on The coast of Africa She would Ike to be who'
he Of lie real policy of England IN reference to the saN
H. trade. An extract of letter OF recent date from
highly respectable source IN Rio Janerlo to me
IN chant of Baltimore, says
d. 'Thc English supplying, as wanted, goods IL
Africa-any slave dealer can get as many goods SCI
nc direct from England to Angola on order hence, as
ii, would pay for"
w. trade so far from being diminished under the syste
un ofmcasurcs adopted by the British Governments
10 continually increasing, and IN a late petition to Par
- ament from the Association To which the above nan
In ed gentlemen belongs, may some of Il
in causes of the increase The following extract fro
" the petition isdrectly corroboratve of the fact stat
Ma in the Rio de Jancro letter which we have Just gu
, "That your petitioners would call the attention
ne your Right Hon. House to the fact, that there ha
rs been formed at different periods during the last
teen years various Mining Companies in this count
cs' with large capitals at their disposal, who carry
md their operaans in the empire of Brazil or IN
80 Spanish Island of Cuba, that their mines are work
'se principally by slaves purGbasedby the agents lof
yer Companies that the greatest part, II MOI the who
in of these victims of oppression have been lllcltly
!" ported into these countries since the perord VIII
1t such mportations were declared conrraband, fco
SOS ous or praca, and your petitioners are lntor
ed aud believe, still contrlve 10 purchase newly 1
40 ported Africans 10 supplying wastes OF loIa'Si
md 10 meet the other exgencles of their establishment
"Your petitioners lament TO say that officers of
Maesty's army and navy, us well as functionar
uii- in the civil service, hFve accepted engagements
Om connection with these companies, and they are
formed and believe that such persons have been
om agents employed in the purchase of slaves on
bly count Of the same.
e' 'Your petitioners call the attention of your Ri
-io Honorable House TO the fact that banking com
nies with large funds at their disposal have a
will been formed IN this country and that they EN-
wa have already formed, are in the process of form
The branch establishments IN countries where the SIT
tho trade is carried on, where slavery in all It's h
Wv rors still exists
the "Your petitioners grieve to say that there are mi
hon ufactured in Ibis country, in enormous quantities,
c t,es which are known by the name of coast gooC
in which are empo we'd exclusively in the African s
non trade in barter for human beings, and that these 70
= " a considerable branch of the export trade of I
ng country to brazil and Cuba and the western coast
ave Africa.
-. "'rhe consignees of British merchants and maj
lhls facurers or branch houses of their establishment
u al f',,I Of n