New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1862-01-04

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DID TIE BgITssIs EVER fDPRsss
OUR CITIZENS FROM AmEHiCAN
vEssELSs
To ne Editor ol The " Y Tribune
SIN. Yon have asserted several times in yonr
p.pcr that England ha, taken out Of American ships HUNDREDS
n men not only Enslishmen but Americans Now, with all
ia. Difference DO believe word on utter end
Won can 1--WE nc weuhen;icsd case shall hold thai 1t
We and 1. your intention to SANDER NY country by sbes
,,or. IA hoi,tsr M your side AN ENGLishhAN.
Response By Tile Tribune.
In the Message Of President Madison, (Juno
LIT. 1927, recommending declaration oi war
against Great Britain, We read Us follows.
Eriti n cruisers have been in the coruuea practice Of
violating the American Gag the g:,si highway VI na
II srikng ctuyiss oft sill uticf u n"i in
t,s ,r,rr.r 81 eel rlcnt RIB. founded 60 the
tim. ,gaIn,, enemy but q munici I,i pisr'sA'
ae-cirr buti.h subjects sl,ne Tia, Dol sr he prof
.fes Tor the.. Thousands Of American citizens uuef ~
eg ard puhie and OF their nl'io1 reg hrft tHnH
from er ,oup,v and iron deaftothe hsst
been dse-.d on board "a rs Of 1 frsu nation cod
~ p f Gi.,sn, snd e az cues 10 ri.k tler ives iu
ths battles o. ther OPP r,.sos be the choy Ia
ag.. mi. cr,ing - ofuty which Ofca Britain would
he 80 pmnt 10 syeuse II committed asans' Lerse the
UIied se, hsye IN win e1hal.iod femonetc'' A. -
po,fuliions. And that no proof might 90 ys-unt o. "
eoncst1fy positions o. no pfeeAt len Tor onhuaAc
Of the pracicc the Brush ooyenmsut "u' formally e-ufeo
Of the eljc., Of the United state to cutter inlo sIfs
ent such could not be r'rcied u ;he recovery Of bhh
ect, real and tho sole OBJECT The conmuncs
ton passed without ELECT .
Here the fact of such impressment OF
American cltizens--not by hundreds merely,
but by tLousands"-is broadly and uneGulyo-
cally asserted by President Madison Ncs. let
us note well the replication OF the Prir'5 he
gent (afterward King of Great Britain, IN b.,
" declaration or manifesto in answer 20 the
above. adopted and promulgated Jsn. 9, 1913
III. Royal iishncs atm that 81 tie ereIci'e
o. the undoubtod lnd ai rro unospred nsni ~ -,1ichs
neutral n erchsnt vessels time o. war the tmpe.si'i o.
bi Oh seaen. when found tie siu can De- deemed sny 10
ls'on Of nedfsl hsE. Neii.rl eau 20 40 y ne' ne
ron On hosd stch 's'ssi' can =" husu
IS any Ieuts safe hostile measure or Ju''Ia'@ cause
Lc-e q M ri,i, nore cl-sy e.t.bli.bed h.n th. rsh
Witch .o,ee % haf 10 the allegiance Of As subee' more
e.recia y ia time u ~ar Their allegiance i DO ofitpu
cali m they bound 10 obey At bssaa With tAer ohth
snd csu on, terminate with ther sS.t.nce A.,
" NJ smisy Of iaf guase aid n,nArls nay maze No 81
eeise tbs .hi isble % partial nfaAn ana ofco
aa ats When pre,ised lo~ .fd .e',eis o. ,.e Gnsd
ststes the coum'ances make a'e lishi "in the
exercise Of which IA essd 70 ,uch vessels l. more dcu
10 dlip.asc.
Now, Mr.. EDglishman have you eyes
have you brains Ii you have, tell us what
a,e the " partial mistakes and occasional abuse"
here admitted Not 1.-THE impressment Of
B,ihsh sealnen;" for he has just declared
that no abuse and no mistake. lie asserts
that mpre.sing these from American merchant
vessels is no "yiolatlon of neutral flag" no
" iustfable cause Of war'-ncthing but the
exercise of his clearly established right. Still,
there were partial mistakes and occasional
fl.t hon
what could they be, but the impressmSnt OF
our nofire seamen, "a sOlemnly ALLEGED by Presl-
dent Madison Each Of these dgnitaries (or
whoever drew up their respective maniiestoes)
wrote with piles Of testmony Oh his subject
before him-each was well informed, and
neither Eve are suIe) would wllllully lie.
Drs.ldeEt Madison says /" thousands OF our
citizens had been ruthlrssly impressed on board
our merchant vessels aud forced to serve IN
the British navy; the Prince Regent does not
,,,.n ATTEMPT 10 contradict this but first
h.o.Hv os.crts bis /" undoubted right " to
..,r.b onr mere, liant vessels and 10 impress
therefrom all natives o, tue br''iAu uoinin-
ions, compelling them 10 serve u MS ""'y'
This not being tue " occasional abuse '"'
tsas , Can there be shadow Of doubt that
the Prince here intended TO admit-though in
the bndes. possible terms-that American
citizens had been aud were being impressed
from our ships and compelled to serve in his
navy We submit that the answer 10 Mr.
Madisons arraignment is what the lawyers
term confession aud avoidance" The
Prince cannot deny that his cruisers have i'm
pressed American rs well as British-born sea-
men from our ships;-he has the facts be.
fore him and dare not directly iasiiy them, so
he puts on them the best face they will bear
and passes on.
"An Englishman wants tho testimony OF
some living eyewitness of the impressment Of
n native American from our ships by great
Britain. Considering that her career of i'm
pressment was terminated by war over fifty
years ago, it may be that the witnesses are all
dead. If any sill survive, we invite them to
give their testimony.
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