Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1842-04-26
TIE RIGHT nE SEARCH.

.u,or,sed the town and fortress Of kfar in the Cauca
sian province delivered, np t. plumber and carried of!
prisoners number OF lis Inhabitants.
THE RIGHT OF SEARCH.
Lord .7jtrdeen repiy n the note u fr. aertnSon
The undefs gred &c, has the honor of Addressing
u, Everett &c. the observations which he feels called
a:on 10 make to the note Ct Mr.. Stevenson,
dated on the Dist Of October.
As that com:nun eaton only reached the hands OF
The undersigned The day after the departure u! Mr.
Stevenson from Loncon on his return 10 America, ana
rs there has since been Minister or Charge q All.
Crss from the u s. resident ii this country, The under.
sgnsd has looked with anxiety for the arrival Of
Nj Everett, order that he might be enabled 10 renew
po,aatc intercourse with an accredited reptesen-
ta,,ye of the Republic. Had tie undersigned enter
tanned other purpose tian 10 conroreIt The argu.
,nen.s Of Mr. Stevenson, to fory his own in treat
ia or the matter winch has formed The Jet Of their
correspnndtnce he would have experienced little IN
pa,ence but as his desire to clear up doubt and TO
remove msappre tension, he feels that he cannot too
early avail himself Of The presence OF Nh Everett at
his post 10 bring 10 ms kno"eoge the true state .. e
question at issue
The undersigned agrees with Mr. Stevenson in the
Importance of arriving al CHAR understanding Of the
matter really in dispute. THIS ought 10 be The hts OBJ
i-ct in the differences Of States, well as OF indvdu-
ais and happily it is often the first step 10 the recon
citation Of the pa.te.. In the present case this un-
Outstanding is doubly essential because continuance
Of mista.e and may be productive Of the most
serious consequences.
SIR Stevenson persists in conending, that the Bri-
,is Government assert right winch IS equivalent 10
the claim OF searching American vessels IN time OF
peace In proof Of this MIR Stevenson refers &c ,s-
SAGE IN former no,. Of Nlscount Pa!n:erion, address
ed himself against which he strongly protests ana
the doctrine contained in which he says the under
signed is understood 10 affirm.
Now II the intention of the undersigned 10 m
aure the precise import and force OF the expires.
sons of Niscoun, Palmerstnn. These might have been
easily Explained 10 a!r Stevenson, by :heir author, at
the lime they were written; bu the undersigned must
request at his doctrines upon tins SUBJECT and tose OF
the Government Of hch he the organ, may be judged
Of exclusively from his own declarations.
The undersigned again renounces, as he has al
ready done in the explicit terms, any right CT
the part Of the British Government to search Ameri
can vessels in time of peace The right 0! search, e1-
cep, wien especially conceded by t!e.i; - purely
b. lgerent right, and have no existence on the
hgli seas during peace The undersigned apprehends,
however that The rsh; Of search is not confined to the
veriacllioa OF le nationality of the vessel but also
extends 10 the object OF the voyage md the nature Of
tie cargo The sole purpose Of the British cruisers is
10 ascertain whether the vessels they meet with arr
really American or not The right asserted has, in
truth, resemblance to the right OF search ether in
principle or practice II is simply right IT, satisfy
the party who has legitimate interest in knowing ths
truth that the vessel is what her coors announce
THIS ,ight we concede as freely exercise TIE
British cruisers not Instructed to detain American
vessels under any circumstances whatever; on The con
trary they ordered to abstain from all
with them, be they slavers otherwise. But, where
reasonable suspicion exists that the American lag las
been abused for the purpose of covering the vessel
another nation il would appear SCARCELY credible haC
il been made manifest BY the repeated pro,estatIon
or their representative, tia, the Government OF the
s. which has stgmased and abolished the trade itself
should object TO the adoption Of such means as in
dspensably necessary for uscertaining The truth.
lie nd raty ned had confonIpu.
that the legitimate Inference from the arguments 0
Mr.. Stevenson would practically extend even 10 tht
sanction Of piracy, wnen the persons engaged III II
should think al TO shelter themselves under The fag
the u s. Mr. Stevenson observes that this is missp
rrclenson the part of the undersigned: and he de
cares that in deayng the right of interfering with yes
sells under The American flag, he intended 10 limit hi
objection To vessels bona hde American, and not Il
those he!onrng TO nations who might frauduently
have ass .med The flag Of the t. S. But il appears II
the UNDERSIGNED Ina. his iorme: statement IS by M
means satisfactorily controvertcd by the declaration
Mr. Stevenson. How is this bona fde TO be proved
Must not MIR. Stevenson either be prepared 10 main
tain that the flag alone is sufficient evidence Of the
,ionalty ofthc vessel, which, in the face of his
ated admissions he cannot do must he not con
fess that the application Of his arguments would really
afford protection to every law!ess and pracal enter
prise:
The undersigned had also expressed bis belief thai
the practice general of asceraining By visit, the
which there should exist reasonable ground of sus
picion MIR. Stevenson denies this and ne asks what
other na ton than Great Britain has asserted al
tempted to exercise such right In answer 10 this
question, the undersigned can at refer 10 the
avowed and constant practice OF the United States,
whose cruisers, especially in the Gulf Of Mexico, hy
the admission Of their pubic journals, VIGOROUSLY
in the habit Of examining all suspicious vessels, whe
Their sailing under the English flag or any other
In whose eyes these vessels suspicious Doubt.
less in those of the commanders of the American crui
sers But in truth, this right is quite important 10
the United States as to Great Britain is i, easy
to conceive how the mar time intercourse of mankind
could be safely carried on without such check.
1t can scarcely be necessary to remind Mr.. Everett,
that the right thus claimed by Great Britain is NOT
exercised for any selfish purpose. 1t IS asserted in the
interest of humanity, and in mitigation of the suffer
ngs of our fellow The object has met with the
concurrence Of the whole civilized world, including the
United States of America, and II ought TO receive un
verssl assistance and support.
The undersigned cannot abstain here from referring
10 the conduct of an honorable and jealous officer COM
manding the naval force tie United States on the