Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1843-05-26

all cases to protect the shp2 war against pira.
cy was war against n certain class of men who
were declared TO be tile enemies of mankind If
on. citizens should enter into the practice Of pira
cy, they thereby placed themselves at war with
the United States aud the Unhed States had all
the rights of wal against them.
Is this House, is the country, aware that This
rghi Of visitation in lis fullest erient has besn uni
Jormty exercised by the American flag? Such, sir,
is the fact. On the coast of Africa, with the soe
view OF putting an cad TO the slave trade, our
vessels have visited every vessel found on that
coast They have never hesitated as to the right,
or deemed it doubtful until our own Government
had undertaken TO deny our own right Our shps
have exercised this right on The West India sta
tons. They did not visit every vessel, but thew
visited every long, low, black, suspicious looking
schooner" in search for pirates, without the least
regard to the flag she might carry, IT the vessel
should prove to be English, and the compensation
be demanded, he would pay it, not much per.
maps on tie ground OF strict right as for peace
sake--on the same ground he would make COM
pensaton 10 his neighbor done to his corn in de-
slroying wolf The visit, though it be an nd-
vdual injury, for which compensation is due, is
not per Sc national wrong, a cause of war Ii NAV
he placed on the same ground as captures in time
OF war OF neutral vessels on probable but not suf-
hcient cause; compensation is due for the iIdlvid-
ual injury and the refusal 10 make il is the nation
al wrong cause Of war. IL would make
compensation he would pay them but he woul1
still maintain our right to visit otherwise the
sea might be covered with pirates OF both kinds,
nurderers and savers, aud no cruisers dare inter-
fere with them. Hence all The nations OF Europe,
combining TO suppress The slave trade, had mutu
ally conceded TO each other This right of vista
lion: the United States alone stood alooi aud re-
fused TO come into the agreement.
Ii was vain to place this right of visitation OH
The ground of The RICH; of search: the right OF
spn fhpr a. nIpH mi nnl IN yI,a
character OF the vessel, but also The character
Uf the cargo and the character of the crew. A
cruiser exercising this right might muster the crew
of the vessel search and overhaul her cargo, SO
as in fact to break up her voyage Tie exercise
Of Tie right of visitation is limited by its object 10
such matters, aud 10 such only, as relate to the
national character Of the vessel
What was proposed by this amendment? Sim
ply that the character Of vessel might he ascer.
tnined. No matter if she had cargo OF slaves on
board, if she really belonged to the United States,
a British cruiser might not touch her.
But this right was 10 be exercised in reasona-
ble manner True, the right might be abused,
andrherefIre the amendment required that GER
lificae of the fact should he given enabling The
injured parties TO show who did the act. Helrus-
ted that all such abuses would be severely pun
lshed. But ii was utterly vain 10 say, because
there might be abuses, that therefore right of
such consequence should lie denied und he was
astonished that any reasonable man should attempt
TO deny it. The right of visitation was one which
belonged to all nations.
In reply 10 some query put TO him by Mr..
Holmes
MIR. f.. said that it was the duty OF this Govern,
menl TO declare in what manner this right should
lie exercised In the amend nent he had confn-
ed lis exercise to space within hundred
leagues from the African coast On former oc-
casions we had not been particular. In 1924
we were in favor Of this now SO odious right of
visitation; we even proposed to secure it by an
article of treaty. In the lowering ACT" as it was
called our collectors had been authorized to board
vessels under foreign flag who were found how
erng on our coast With apparent intent TO
smugge. But now when all the nations of Eu-
rope were banded together to put down the slave
trade, the question came up as TO right common
TO all nations, and we put it on the ground of anal
ogy TO the right of search. He wished that the
case should be put fairly before the country, not
as right which Great Britain claimed and which
we refused, but right which we claimed our
selves as against all nations. We never could
stand on the common principles of justice, il we
refused its exercise by ohers-especially in aid of
the suppression of the slave trade.