Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-09-27
DOMESTIC.
CORRESPONDENTS WITH BRi1lSH sPECIAL MISSION.
CONTINUED
Impressmea-Cas: of the Creoir Case Of the Caroline
IMPRESSMENT.
Mr. Wttstcr TO Lord .1shJurton.

Washington, Agg. :, ~
NV Lord:-We have had several convcrs tons on
the subject OF impIessmen', hut do not utferstand
that your iordsiip has Instructions from y, = Go
vernment TO negotiate upon IL nor does the y vern-
u,ent of the L see any utility IN opening So ! ne
rotations unless the British Government rs pre- 1red
10 forero the practice in all future No caus has
produccd to so great extent and fo long PERIOD
disturbing and irritating influences political re-
la1ions Of the L. and England, as IL inpressment
OF seamen by British cruisers from AmeticaH merchant
vessels.
From tho commencement Of the French evolution
10 the IRE king out of the between The two
tries in 1872 hardly year elapsed without loud CON
rlsnt and earnest ns:fancc deep feeling OF OPP
posi,ion TO the right claimed, and to the practice
Sod under H. and not unirequenlly exercised without
the least regard TO what justice and humanity would
have dictated il the right itself had been admitted,
took possession The public mind of America, and this
feeling, ii is well known co.oPeraed most powerful
ly with other causes produce the state of hos;lics
which ensued
At different periods, both before and since the war,
negotiations have taken place between the two govern
Inents with the hope oi finding some means OF quiet
lnr these complaints. At times the etfectual abo
,on OF practice has been requested and treated Oh
other times, its temporary suspension; and at other
times again the Limitation o! lis exercise and some Sc
curity against its enormous abuses
A common destiny has attended these efforts; they
have all failed. The question stands at this moment
where il stood Fifty years ago. The nearest approach
10 settlement convention proposed in 1905. aud
which had come In The point OF signature, when II was
broken of in consequence of the British Government
insisting that the should be expressly ex
cepted out Of the sphere which The contemplated
apulatons against imp7essment should extend. The
American Minister Mr. King, regarded this exception
as quite inadmss;be, ana rather chose TO abandon the
negotiation than acGaesce ~ the doctrine which II pro-
posed to establish.
England asserts the right Of mpressing British sub
jects time OF war, Of neutral merchant vessels,
and Of deciding ~ her visiting officers, who among the
n..,.. .,I,., ITO
this as legal exercise ofthe prerogatvc ofthe Crown
which prercgaive is all. ged to he founded on the Eng
lsh law of The pcrpelua! and ntissolube allegiance Of
the subject, ard his ob CATION, under all circumstances,
and for his whole life, 10 render military services to the
Crown whenever required
This statement, made in the words of emnen: Br
fish uriss, shows That the English claim far
broader than the basis platform which II is raised
The law relied English law; the obligations IN
sisted obligations existing between the Crown
of England aud subjects This law and these obi
cations, it is admitted, may be such as England may
choose they shall be but then they must be confined
10 the parties Imprcsstaert o: ssamcn, out Of and
beyond English territory, and from On board the ships
of other nations interference with the rights O:
either nations is farther therefore, Than English pre-.
rogative legally extend; and is nothing but an at
tempt to enforce the peculiar law OF England beyond
the dominicns ard jurisdiction of the Crown. The
claim eXtra.tcrritorial authority Tor the law
of British prerosalivc, and assumes to exercise this
extra territorial authority the manifest injury and
(,
on board their vessels on The high seas.
Every merchant vessel on the is rghisully con.
sidered part of The territory OF the country to which
ii belongs The entry, therefore, into such vessel,
being neutral by tcgcrent, is an act OF force, and
IS pri,a0 taeie, wrong t:espass, which can Be JUST
lied only when done for purpose, allowed to form
sufficient Justification by the law of nations. But n
British enters American ae reliant vessel IN
order take ;herefrom supposed British SUBJECTS oier
ing no Justification therefor, under the Law of nations
but claiming the right under The law Ci England re-
spectng the kiEgs preroaati"e. THIS cannot he de
Tended. English SOIL Euglish territory, English jn.
risdcton the appropriate sphere for the operation OF
English law The ocean is the sphere of the Jaw oil
nations and any merchant vessel on the seas is, by
that law under the protection Of the laws Of her
nation, and may CHIN Immunity, unless IN cases ia
which that law allows her 10 he entered or visited.
this notion Of perpetual aliecan and the cnnse
oucnt poWer OF the prerogat.ye, the law of the
world if II formed part Of The conventional code OF ma
lions, and usually praciised Ike the right OF yls
ing neutral ships, tor the purpose OF discovering and
sezng the caeny's property, then mpressneni might
be defended cclnmon right and there would be NJ
remedy for the ev Till the national code should be al
tered Bat THIS is by no means the case. There's no
such principle incorporated INTO the code OF nations-
The doctrine stands only English law-n)t
tona law and English law cannot be of force beyond
English dominion. Whatever duties re ations that
law creates between The sovereign and subjects,
be enforced aud maintained on'y within he realm,
or proper possessions territory OF the reign
There may be quite as jus; lrefogaiIve rght 20 the
property OF the subjects 10 their personal wees,
in an exgency Of The Stale bu, Government links
OF controlling Ly lis own laws property of lis Ell "cts
situated abroad; much less does any 'vernment t.ink
of entering the territory at another fer the pur
pose Of sezing such property and app ing j; 10 iuer
As laws, the Preroga,iyes Of tie Crown Of
England have no obligation on persons IiopcIy do
Inicilcd or situated abroad.
"When, therefore, says an authority no lEkncwn
or unregardcd either soc a. the Atlantic ave speak
of the rights CT State bind lis native subjects
every who.c speak only o: rs own claim and cXeE
cisc Of sovereignty them when they return wilhin
lis own territorial jurisdiction, and not ct lis right to
compel require bedencc such laws, on the part
OF other nat;o8s within their own territorial sovcr
eighty. On The contrary, every nation has an c1clu
sive right 20 regulate persons and things within ITS
territory, according 10 lis soycrcg will and pubic
polity.'
The good sense of these principles, their remarkable
pertnency the subjec: under consideration and
the extraordinary consequences resulting from The
British doctrine, signaily manifested BY that which
taking place every day. England acknow'
hedges herself overburdened with population of the
poorer classes. Every instance of tie emigration OF
persons OF those classes regarded by her benefit
England therefore, encourages emigration means are
notoEiousy supplied 10 c'gfanis 10 assis; their con-
yeyance from public fluids and the world, and
more especially these United States, receive The many
thousands of Lcr subjects thus elected from The bosom
Of their native land by the necessities of their
dition They come away from poverty aud Distress in
overcrowded Cities TO seek employment comfort, and
new homes in country of free institutions possessed
by kindred race, speaking their own language, and
having laws and usages, in many respects, like those
10 which they have been accustomed, and country
which, upon the whole, 10 found TO possess more arac
lions for persons of their character and condition than
any other on the face of the globe.
II is stated tha, in the quarter Of The year ending
with June last, than twenty SIX thousand emf
grants left the single por, of Liverpool for The United
States being four five times many ms lett the same
mort within the period for the British colonies
and all other parts Of the world OF these crowds Of
emicrants. many arrive in our cities in circumstances
of grea, dcstiuon and the charities Of the country
both public and private, arc severely taxed TO relieve
their immediate wants In time they m'ngle with The
new community in which they find themselves, and
geek means OF living: some find emrloyment in the c..