The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1850-12-31
The Freedom OF the Seas.

The renewed aggressions of the British Navy on
the rights of American merchantmen are bacOu.
ing the subject of application 10 The Department o.
State, and of discussion in the columns of the news.
papers. We think it fortunate for the country that
Daniel Webster is at this time Secretary of State.
| This office is one which should always be en-
trusted to the most distinguished statesman of his
lay, regardless of his peculiar party associations
lis duties connected exclusively with the for
| tign relations Of the country. Let either party
prevail, and the foreign policy of the country is not
1 changed. During Tyler's administration, WAb.
'ter and Calhoun were at the head of the Slate
department.; antpodes in domestic politics, yet no
mango was perceptible in our foreign conduct
The Secretaries of the Treasury and the Interior,
m the other hand, are intimately connectsd-vvitb
the party politics of the day, and ft-rs ipejianensa
bic they should be selected with a view 10 that
fact. We repeat that it is fortunate accident for
the nation, that Daniel Webster is now the repre
sentative of this country in its intercourse with
other nato g. His volume of diplomatic and off
eal papers furnishes ample proof ofhg powers, Side
by side with his great speeches on the Constitu.
tIon will stand his discussions with the British Min
listers He is not only known as the Eypounjar of
me Constitution, but as the Emancipator Of the
Ocean.
Three subjects have arisen in our intercourse
with Great Britain, which threaten to break m
the peaceful relations between the two Countries
the lmpressment OF seamen from American shipg
the search OF American ships on the African coast.
and the emancipation of slaves on board of Ameri.
can vessels driven into British ports
Ihe last war with Great Britain was to assert
the nvolability Of decks. Without asserting
or denying the right of British subjects to cast off
their allegiance and become American citizens our
Government has always maintained that no foreign |
vessel should search merchantmen under anV |
plea, nor remove any Of the persons found on
board. The flag Of the ship on the high seas,
makes her a part OF our territory; and British
cruisers may as well land the shore aud impress
British seaInen in ports, take them from the
decks of our ships on the sea. Great Britain. on
the other hand, claimed the right to search our
ships for her seamen, and absolutely went so far rs
to establish the presumption that the seamen on |
board American ships were British subjects, and
to throw on them the burden of proving they were
American born.
This was the principal cause which led to the
war. 1t is true that peace was concluded and left
thus question in silence. The Republic had vndi.
Gated its honor, and for the time both parties were
willing to leave it to the future to determine the
difference. Matters thus remained until the arr-
val OF Lord Ashburton at Washington charged
with full powers to settle all open questions be-
tween them. MIR. Webster, in his letter Of August
sth, lS42, thus writes to his lordship:
. The American Government, then, ia prepared to saw
INIT me practice oil imposing from American YES
'ss can o. hereafter be allowed take p-ce That pTac
ice Is ounled on principles which il does recognizes and
IS invariably attended by 20 inuiioua
ana o. such Orm Liable magnitude cannot be submitted
TO- In every regularly denomnaed American merchant YES
a. me gre" who n3vgaeh will find their protection in he
Lord Ashburton replied that the principal OBJ
lect OF his mission to settle the North Eastern
Boundary; that he had no especial instructions.
o. this subject. He hoped, however, that some
mode would be found to avoid the evil. Thus that
matter stands. The American Government has
made an official announcement of its udmatum.
And though Great Britain has never assented, this
country has now the position which acquires no
additional strength from the acquescence of any
other single power in its declaration.
We shall tomorrow examine the history of the
diplomatic correspondence on the African Coast
question.