The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-03-19
From the Baltimore .amsriean
THE RIGHT OF SEARCH.


From the Baltimore american.
THE RIGHT OF SEARCH
The refusal of the French Chamber of Deputies to
ratfy the treaty relative To the right of search has
placed that question IN position most interesting,
and TO this country highly gratifying 1t was the de-
sign Of England TO lay false issue before the nations
of Europe TO represent the United States as unwil
ling to enter into the proposed agreement because of
their desire TO continue the Slave Trade and thus
the Republic of the West was to be singled out to
bear the reproaches of the civilized world and her
resistance against unwarrantable encroachment was
to be stigmatsed outrage against humanity.
Our Minister at Paris, Gen Cass, took prompt
measures TO have the real question understood. He
published pamphlet exhibiting the true state of the
case, and caused il to be widely circulated. The
French were made to see that England had Interior
objects in view that II the absolute dominion OF
the seas she was aiming after-a supremacy so com
plete that flag if her pretensions allowed,
could be unfurled upon the except by her per-
mission that the right Of search which she claimed,
though nominay nothing more than what she was
willing TO concede to other powers, in fact a
right which would enure TO her exclusive advantage
that the United States were much disposed Eng
land to suppress the Sade Trade, and that their
laws against il not only as those of any
other natiop but that they also enacted first
and that this country in resisting the right of search
claimed in this case acting with perfect con
sistcncy, and yndicang her rights and the rights
Of neuas upon the plainest principles Of the laws OF
nations
The effect of these eNpostions was to open the eyes
OF the French people. NJ Gulzot, Nj. Theirs, and
others Of the abes statesmen of France took decided
ground against the ratification Of the treaty. NJ
Theirs remarked
81 am uneasy when | see this America thus firm
and susceptible indeed, susceptibility belongs to firm
ness, And we, (the French) we who were the ma
ton which, for three hundred years sustained inyiO-
ably the rights of neutrality-who have sustained
them by negotiations and by warwho, for that great
end have formed extensive coalitions that $780, and
that of loO0-are we now to become the approvtrs
OF treaty which America repulses And il is Ame-
RIGA that defends the rights of neutrals against all the
world-against France herself! There is lesson in
this profoundly instructive If the rights of neuuals
were not deeply implicated, ask why America
should resist Yes she does resist, to the risk
of possibility, nay, probability of a war"
In the course of the same debate NJ. Guizot said
'But the United States have in their present resist
ance to the claim of visit, reason which NJ Theirs
has not recoected. England claims in the vessels
of the United States right Of impressment Eng
land maintains that, where, for any reason whatever,
she has the right to examine American ship, she
has the right to seek for English deserers, 10 take
them, and send them to England. She does not
claim the right to enter the American vessels with
this special object No, she does not go so far, but
she contends that whenever she enters an American
ship, for any purpose whatever, she can exercise the
right Of mpressment upon all the English sailors she
may find aboard.
Here is the great motive Of the energetic resist
ance Of the Americans to the English right of entry,
under whatever form and under whatever pretext il
IS presented, and in my opinion the americans are right
If the English claimed to come to seek English sail
on board French vessels certainly we should re-
sist like the Americans"
1t is said that every newspaper in Paris except one
"a religious journal-uphods the American Gov
eminent in its course OF resistance
The correspondent of the New York Express says:
sThe action of the French Chamber, partially
stimulated by Mr. Cass, who the London Times says,
has been very busy, employing all the machinery
of intrigue to enlist France amongst the protectors
of the infamous commerce has been most opportune.
Great Britain had wanted the five great Powers, I'M
der the stimulation of suppressng the Slave Trade,
to form treaty the effect of which would have been
ttaadg,ye bsr the Lead in what she most wants, the
Great Britain and has not yet concluded to ratifv
the Treaty, in which step, doubt, she will be f.,i
lowed anon by some, if not all the other powers who
have no desire to play into the hands Of Great Brit
ain at the expense of the United States"
1t is worthy of note that portion Of the English
press beginning to doubt of the proprley Of the
British assumptions The London Spectator one of
the ablest of the English journals, goes so far as to
contend that the claim set up by Lords Palmerston
uHteHaDlc ought 10 be abandoned.
The Spectator denies that the question shouldbe con-
sidered merely with reference to the slave trade and
says that the repugnance of the Americans arises
very naturally and justly, in great measure from
the exceedingly possible extension of the search to
British seamen The Spectator cites Martens--a
high continental authority on international law
against the claim, where he says that the protection
of the simple fag-"ie simple partition neaire"--can
only be disregarded in time of war; and clearly
defines the right of visitation as belgerent right ex-
clusively.
The authority of distinguished British Judge, Lord
Stowel is still more clearly to the point
lt is said that every country has right to enforce
its own navigation laws and so il certainly has, so
far as 1t does not interfere with the rights Of others
1t has right to that its vessels are duly nayi-
gated, but it has right in consequence pisit and
search all the apparent vessels of other countries on
the high seas, in order to institute an inquiry whether
they not in truth British vessels violating British
laws. No such right has ever been claimed nor can
it be exercised without the oppression of interruptng
and harassng the real and lawful navigation of other
countries 1t is objection to say that British ships
may thus by disguise eude the obligations of British
law, The of the foreigner is ready-that YOU
have right to provide against that inconvenience by
imposing burden upon his navigation
This ought to be good authority in Great Britain
1t is altogether to the point, and covers the whole
issue.
From the Neie York Sun.
THE NAVY