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Thursday May 19, 1808 Vou IX. . A LETTER ' To the Honsrahk H. Grey Otis, Br JOHN a AUAM3. (C05TIKUED.) 11fj$htxtan, March 31, 1303. thev stmd r ,n: ? hv al rrs for Ihc Embargo so they are j .-Med to the same pre-eminence ;n t numerating the cause .bi" hjsti. ! accumulating un ourtorben- i d cur independence. ' ncjr aumc the principle thite-shall have no:j amerce in time of war, but with , t tcr dominion. s, and as tributaries to ijnilion,, w l, The cicclusire confinement of ; The CASC nrvcr f cjmmcrce to m ,.wu.i iiths Rredi pri icicle of ihr modern J colo 'uA sitem ; and ! lull wt by J . rc'iction ofour rights Ht th.s m ) J jn-n-oii tnde 01 cncrucunr-u,5iu-rnl-r oar commercial freedom without a stnuRlei Britain has but x single step more to tak-; and she bri:v b-ick to the tUmp act and the tea tax. - . Yet these orders thus fat il to the lb Tties far which the heroes of cur rrv.'a ion toikd and bUd thus studtoirly concealed uniil the mo. xnmt vh:n thc burst up-n our brids-thus u.l at ihe try in s:3nt when a mhston of aibnemcnr vi pp fsc My sc.r. in these or dtr ne arc to s e n ih but a n -tilia'ui,? orli.' up n .alKt:,, in th-rsr o-dcr?, w-; .ti'Jit n t fiad s much .auv i:v so wurh is a prri.ucc, com..ti l a;; ti.. Bri" via. . . To my mini, sir, in compa:i$m wih'hoe e.d?rs, 'he three cause b "hich Mr. Pickering ex.dici'lv Km f ou'rgr-'Md for riionirc with EUn.l, mi;ht in lecil bt j nly dcaim'.nated pretencsm conipri 5i i:h them, firmer ?reSS'ons iaX intorinsi ioce. To arjjuc U;vi thj sub :t f our disputes vrnli Bnttti or u in :h embi go, and ker? th-m out of sint. in like lar ia your riier over in-! unit befjre a vr-ies ot o U ;hts, and !irn arith ncticilly proving that they are all Bovhin. U is not, however, in a mere j crniiv;n, nor yet in-the history of j the embargo, that the inaccuracies cf the stitcment I am examining ( have C'Vtn me the mbl ftenous ; concersi it is in the view taken of t!; q tfsMons iu controTersy hciwcen us anl C ?ain. The wisdum of the CTtiVir; ; a question of great but transient mi'rrude, Jnd omission Mrnfi s a .natinal right Mr. JVk rres fjhjc; was to dissuade ! tbc na io i from a war w!th lvgiand, into whi'b he sU' r-'CI the admi- n stnticn was phtni."1 us. un.;cr j Frcnf h cn:n;v.iisi n. U;it the ten- r.ii. bo'Dpc rr'i'T-i.trd as co ;diig f?r the c "ntnon . I'ber'io f ma liitf d, and cer nly s iff,u rtl agai-st the am bi!'.0'i aiui i justif f Fancc Hence idi our sen-ibilit'es arc in- r 'kid in her tavi ur, anu ati our an- ti ahi.s -gaint her antagonist nt llcr.vc loo all the subjects ll difiVr. tree between us aittl Britain nre tV deed to be on Our part mere pre frsrj, of whiih the Cj :voca'lv prrn njncel.i bv on k-r iim Proc-.-dr e from a' Senator t! the Unit' d S atcSi"specir:i!y iharg eJasa member 'f the executive with tje maintenance-of ''(He naljon's' rights, ai.nl fircign powers, ai.d at a moment extremely critical of lading negociatioti upofl all the rir thus delineated, . ih formal t-cr.iomrnt ni the American cause, tiu sutnu'i.) is bf bhcorimtional sur ffvlcr to the prete:i3ions of our an p.ist, is in m mind higMy a. ""nL-iif. It Se-:o'nir5." therefore a nwv.j. it be-O'nes. thcreUn C':trf o ve'.A Ji -very o;fier consid '"n m is' y"cid, tc point out onsidcr- the errors r.f reprtscntati jrf. Bc-f-Te vc s rixc the s'andarcf oT th vion, let at lst cxamlnp ' jhe Import of the summ-4is,. ' And firs;:, tv:ih rescT to' the im Tvmt.u ot our seamen. "I.Wc are mihat the taking of British sea-' "'Wi b aid our merchant ::h, by British sliips of ' i . . i agreeably to a n"r claimed and It , is obvious exercised for ages. that this claim and exercise of ages, could not apply tb us as an inde pendent people. If the right was claimed and exercised while cut ves sels were navigating under the Bri tish Hag, it could not authorise the same claim when their owners have become the -citizen of a sovereign state. A a relic of colonial servi tude, whatever may be the claim o! Grei!t B -ifai it surely .can be no fir c m nd;ng that it is en- tOOU MJ!vrt!UI.tl. If it be m.'ant t' ai the r'ght Ins bci-n chimed md exercised for ages J over th in-rchMU vessels ol o'her nd it is a mtsnkr. occurred with sufTi cieht tn quency to-constitu c even ;i p'acttrc. much less a right. It I hd bet n either, it would hive, beei noticed by some of he writers on the laws of nations. The truh is the question arose out ofAmcrirar. I d pcn lence fnm the .evcranc of nc nation into twu It was nt--vcr mad" a question between any other uaiio-is. There is therefore no riht of prescript! n. Bus it sr-ms, i has also been claimed tnd exrrcised during the wh ne of tiic three administrations of our national government. And is it meant To be asserted that this claim and exercise . constitute a right? Hit is, I appeal to the nniform, unceasing and urgent re-nugst-unces of the three admini1 t. ttjons I appe.d not oidy to th .v - n feelinixs, but col justice of 'n- Atioican People N iV,l apptnl o the soti'id seose and honourable r oijmeot of the Rr tish nation itself which, however it may have submit- tid t home to this practice, nev'.i woul i tolerate its sanction by law gainst the assertion. If it is no', how can it be affirmed that it is on oik part a mere pretence ? Du the first merchant in the U. States, in answer to Mr. Pickyri ig' inquiries hasinTormed him that since tne affair of the Chesapeake, ihere has been no cause pf complains that he could not find a smgk- ir stance where they had tak-n one man oat of a merchant vessel. Who it is, that eoj ys the dign'ry of first merchant of the United States we arc not informed. But if he had applied to many merchants in Bos ton as respectable as any in the U States, they could have told him of a valuable vessel and cargo, totally lost upon the coast of England, late in August last, and solely in conse quence of having hd two of her men, native Americans taken from her by impressment, two months after the affair of the Chesapcak". On the 15th of October, the kin j of England issued his proamnion ft rt ft his n tjI officers to mi- ttney uamp.iiei ts to recoci e j h-H slibjicts fro n neutral vt- the natio.i, o. at leusi h- co-nm-.r- j st,s This proclamation is iep're i.c'a! s'a'es, to .tbr se ti .dr ,f Cri- , Scntcj a3 merely r qti ilng the re tist. prttio:v iincl vai vt : all tne jtlll rr nis subjects, the seamen e- .f V. lliii Iviiy'iinfl iv 'I r r 1 ... . ' i. ... i lf., i , i- trnm itirpii,ii r.oiinirics II - J ' pecuny anl then " it is an a k:i wl.tlged .Tinciple tha; every nation has a rig'v t the service of its sutijecis in tinv of war." Is this, sir, a conec' statement ei her of the pnKlamation, or of the 'question it involves in which onrrihtis concerned ? The king of England' right to ihe ser vice of his subjects in time of wai is no;hing to us. The question i, is u - 1 whether he has a rinht to seize them forcibly on board of our vessels while under contract of service to our citizens, within our jurisdiction upon the high sea ? And whether he has a right expressly to Com mand his naval officers so to seize tlit m Is this " an acknowledged principle.? Certainly not., Why then is thii proclamation describe a founded upon uncontested prin ciple I And why is the command, so ju't!y off:n-.ive to us, and so mis chievous as it might then have bet n made in erfecuibij, altogether omit ted ? But it H not the taking of British subjects from our Vessels, it is the' taking under color of that pretence, ciir own,nativ"e Ainencan citizens, which constitutes the j most galling aggiaratiqu of this merciless prac tice. Yet even this, we ate told is out a pi ercncer--'for three reasons. i. -uexqse ine.numuer ox citizens 2. Because! -Jt arises only from the impossibility of distinguishing EnclUhmen from Americans. 3. Because, such impressed Ame- tcan citizens are fieitverea up, on :1uly au'henticat- d proof. 1. Small .and great in point of numbers are relative terms. To sufc oose that the native Americans form a small proportion of the whole num ber impressedis a mistake the re verse is the fact. Exmiine the ofii ia! returns from th Dvpartmeht of State. They give the names of be-- wt.en four and five thousand men impressed since rhe commencement- if the present w ir. Ol which num ber, not one fif'.h part were British subjects. The numb r of natural zed A nt ncans .cou'u not amoun; o o;ie te-i'h 1 hiaz rd little in say ig. thr morf than three 'fourth veVe naiivc Americans. IF it b- - Jet that some ofthee men, ih -nigh; ppeariig(n th : face of the retur Vneric-tn citizens, were really Uri ush subjects, a; id had fraudulently; rocured their protecti- ns ; 1 reply! :hat this number must be far exceed-, d'by the cases of citizens impress d, which never reacli the depart n nt of state. The American coi - -ul in Loirion estimates the nuin y.r of impressments during the war it nearly three times the amount oi he. names returned. Ifthenatuie f the offence be considered in its rue colours, to a people having a jviit Vense of personal liberty and sc anty, it is in every single instanc . f a malignity not inferior to th?1 f murder. The very same actj when committed by the re ruitim: :ffi :er of one nation vith n the ter ritories of another, is by the univer sal law and usage of mtions pun'h :d with death. Suppose the crime iv-id in everv instance, as by itscpnr .eciuenceS it his been' in many, de iherite murder. Would it answer r silence 'hevice of nr complaint, o be told that the number was small 2 Thr: impossibility of distin guishing English from the American seamen is not the onlv, nor even the nost frequent occasion of iinpfess nent. Look again into. the returns from the department -of state you vv illsee that the officers take our m?n, without pretending to enquire where they were born ; sometimes from ihe vvantonness of power. When they manifest the most tender regard for ihe neutral rights of Americaj they ament that they want the men Phey regret th-- necessity but thety must have their compliment. When we complain cf ihtst. euor vtilirs, we are answered that the acts of ujh offi. eis were not authoried ; thiii he eomm:inders oLmcn of war are an unruly set of men, for wnoe v:o Ience, their own government caiuiit dways be answerable ; that inquiry dull be made. A court martial is .sometimes mentioned Andt he issue of Whitby's court martial hustaughi us what relief is to be expected from that There' are even examples I .i-n .old, vhen such offi:eis have been jut upon the yellow lit. But this s a rare except on The ordinary issue, when the act is disavowed, is ihs pt omotion of the actor, 3. The impressed native American citizens, however, upon duly authrn- ticat'd proof arc delivered up. In dwe ! unreasonable then were complain'. ! 'How effectual a remedy tor the wrong I An American ve el. bound to an European port, has t vo, three or four native Americans impressed by a British man of war bound to thL Last or West-Indies. W'hen the American captain arrives at his port of destination, he makes its p otest, and sends it tbthene'.ir est American minister or consul. Vhen he returns home, he. trans mits the duplicate of his protest to the Secretary f State, hi process of lime,' the names of the impressed men, and of the ship into which f hey have been Impressed are received by ; he agent in London. H j makevhis demand thar the men may be deliver ed up. The Lords of the Admiralty, after a reasonable thnc for enquiry and advertisement, return for answer, that the ship is on a foreign station,' nd their Lord s hips can t h e it jbre rake no further i'tefs. in the matter. , r. that the shifx has been taktnjand that the men . have been fecei verl in xchsnge for. French prisoners; lOr, nriresstnR blBcersoftehhavingtakeb ;hein from the men;) .On that the men were Probably British subjects. ur, ' that tnty -.n-ave entertu ana ia ken the bounty (to 3vhch the bflBcers know 'how. to reducer thertiOrj that they have been' married, or "set tled in;Eng!and. tn all these caseaj vithout"fdilher ceremony, their dis charge is refused. Sometimes their Loirjihips, in a Vein of Jiumor,inform the agent that the man had been tlis charged zs unsctyicable.. Sometimes ;n a Verner tone, they say he was an iftiposttr. Or, perhaps.bv'' way of consolation sto his rtlatiVes and friends, they report that he hasTallen in battle, against nations in amity with his cruritry. Sometimes tbey;; cooly, rt turn , that lliere is no siicfi TKan ort bc&rd ihc ship ; and y hat ha. become oi him, the agonies of a; wife and children in, his native, laott may be left to ; conjecture.;. When all these and .many. other siich apo-; lories fur refusal fail, the native ,A uerican seaman is discharged ;; and when by the churitublei aid of his go vernment he has fourid his way home; he comes to be informed Jthat all is as i should be, that the number,of nis"fe;low.su(ferecs is small ; that it .vus impossible to distinguish him (rom an Englishman, and that he vas delivered upon duiy Quthintica tcd preof ! Enough, of this disgusting subject. I cannot stop to calculau how iparly of these wretched victims are ha-iv:s oi Massachusetts, and how many nai lives of Virginia I cannot stop To solve that knotty question of na tional jurisprudence whether some of i lie m might not possib'y be slaves, . d therefore not citizens of The Uiiite,d; States. I cannot stay to account for the wonkier why, poor, 4ihd iguoraiit, and friendless as mosi ifThem, are, the voi.-e of their com plaints isso seldorii h-ard in the great nt-givating states. I admit that we have endured this cruel indignity ihiough all the administrations of the gen ral government. I acknow ledge that Britain claims. -the rihtof e(zing her subjects in oiir merchant vessels, thateven if we could acknow ledge it, the line of disci imation would be difficult to draw. We are not in a condition to maintain this right, by war, imd as the British go vernment have been more than once on the j point of giving it up of then own accord, Ij would still hope for the dav when retaining justice shall ituluce; them-to aband m it without compulsion. H. r siibjects wedonot want, I The degree of protection which; we are : bound io expend to them, cannot equxd the claim ofour own c iiizvns; 1 w uld subscribe to any compromise of :hi;- contest con sistent with tlie rightsof sovereignty, ihe du'ies" of .humanity ,ahd princi ples of reciprocity :' bUt to the rights of forcing 'everij her own subjects ou of our merchant vessels on, the high seas, I can never assent. . . 'y. : The second point upon which Mr. Pickering defends the pretensions of G. Britain, is her denial to neutral nations of the prosecuting with her enemies and their colonies, any com merce ftom which they are excluded in tirtie of peace. His statement of this case adopts ihc Brilish doctrine as sound. The right as on the ques tion of impressment so on this, it surrenders at discretion ; arid it is equally defective in point of facti . In the first place, the claim of G Britain, is not to tca right of impo sing op this neu(ral: commerce, some limits' and resiraints"bt of intei-j dieting it altogether, at her pleasure, of indci dieting it without a moment's notice to neutrals, after soleranxldei sions cf her courts of admiralty, and f 'rma j acknowledgments of her min isters Jthat it is a( lawf d tradeand. oi sudh a sudden,'- unnotified intei diViorj,' of pouncing upon aiXneuttal commerce havfgatihg iipcfn the faitf; of her. decisions" and acknowledge mentsy arid of gorging with c6nfisca4 tion theVgredinessbf her cfuizers Tbis is th6 -figbt claimed 6y Britiirit thw U the power she has eiercTse'a oft.herrighu-;5E ';T It U but Uttle mbrestj since ihisTiuestibn injngianu anuAmenca witn fj tion f ; natioliariaVnV Britisavi, f Wat in pisuise B lain I he rdoc t rin ew wis? Je lutd9 tri lle ; ) jnbristf attqn '' tyx : country wrea! . rausritjers"nr6ibimdiy ience uaiioiiaKiAU'iirrtiiuiiie The :&risToc't i pisci .y '. ascrilbd "'m;-a,geitjfeariA hoseavf' , lents w e re .unlve vfr&l I y. ckno;w le'dgedy :r ' injd who':byhisf official sitltiojisi adt j ; V been r6:ulred4thbmughry toj inVesti t ween n e utral a nd be : 1 ifeeit; itfjfa its vyhichhas Aoccurrctl vihvthe 1iistdi?y of modern v;ir, Mrj Opre an 1 rV Pi nr IrnAr : nnt i rto i Ttf l7 T'j o two ttr " o KrVnWl to. f. In. ei r? -:y trainoF ;cobj and-ohclusivt; iuVJi merit addrese;o la tt e r iin: rrie rn Qralbj h)b?; q u ene'e iv6n J xcUrot Bal0 ti morfe su bpoftei 'Tesn"4M membnals drawiiilyers bclnj tingiiUhed eminence byeixHantslc' oftHe highest character. Scby states? meroflbngpenence ; iniirriatibri f al counsels, canlifrbrh ; Salem vfroni (fi. & frdm Philad;iphia tptfeV'ith'il; mons'rarics tojthe ;safte!effect frohij NevburyportfNevort Cfari eston .rvTh i s accuntui atH mas; format iih aticl; of nuiAai fchii-rnlrit! &t 'fro.mialmo'-evt;ryj op cut Horje:-; fm oneetr or the .union.1 to the otner: coDtirm-?v ed :,.by-ter;nanS.e:ah unf-J -s vTeraiJe'Vri)fe.m'or'.i-7 of ' lVir j;Monrp0f ' to the British ministeiv and by eiabio " J rate.researchand 'irisiat&bte feaiori-j mtfihmridWA jbt the -I$Vfri4h?.':S-loctrinelg'so'man: a..-$ubje'ct ofg; fulliJaBdiRbr;tletiSTo6. inthe' Senate of the Uniteci S iitesvAcomr mittee of seyen members ofyt Jvo-? j dy, after three weeks jof arUuih? vestigatforj . rejDored' three Iresolti : f umis, me ui m Kit vinuu ju incac ".q&oivm,. That the' apureTOttK . demnation, uoderhe orders of the Hn fish) A' govern m en t , & ad jtidjcat ic rt s of t f,eir courjaf . ; ; f admiralty: of meriqi nvesstl inci their 1 cargoes; on the pretext of their being em- "v'r loyed in & trade; witty the enemies- of Britairij pre h bited in txirie of peacey'arf lY; unijrovoKea aggressron upon rne property: .ji inc cmzens oi .inese w.. states, a. vio lation o their neural ' rights;? an: troachmentttpbn titir nattdndtndt;tbidehcerlg. J Vi . vu uic luip reoruary icLto ihe question upon tiie ;;adr$tip;4 his resolution; ivas tabn":ihH6e ate. , .i ne yeas anu nays were, re-t quired J but not a -solitary wasT &l jr aiu ui (ansvyer. ;; ,M; was auyptu pyi, he lihahimous voie If alfeh fjehav"; tos present, Th f w.'ir twentV riht id immber, A: rrtong Thrni f-: sancls recorded the nam fee of MriA Pickering.-' ' ' r: i, ( i'Ci '.y Hfc" ''t Let Us remember tliatT bis was 1 question most peculiarlyfahdjmme- I diatelv p..f-- bommerciatf. ''aha-'-iiot fJ1 a Cart,;l9Ud;;-..energ'ei mous, froni all thmetc(rans oTthS United ;Statefl J upon ongTess! f$$: the national; ihte ny(,ofthe'memoriaU; energy, of the legislature, nd perJS d the lives and ;-brbWrtieii-b'Mhrfftf memovi&Iis' tis's in isupnbrt of ant meli uein nas .Tailtfl, ,;.ar.-owa .Mrifccf . e r fng.:jteUtis.. iiiatf, GieatTtaij ha claimecl;Smaintai fF;-VKVe inar4xncf uaimTStJU)!--;'; sures whicjrCpngiss emighlet I necessaryaoraoTcat ;t)lfghrfe - J I Neg6ciation;waipartfc mended n'om fiootandeis I those w hd stmonsidefi it as ' av sin rioui cause of cbtiVpIaintS ' i-i AButuhererwas pneJ point of View f ' in whic?f the' Erj tlshctnn eb'n" thi; question as ; tbinvj "o8co3iire .-' tncrdentaflin t he1 CStfe'fes j be ? K f ? - .-f;pt i' he,spjherei ot nosnle operaIbnTr TheeeTTrt pf re at-Britai&hdl' MM TO fi it ' ! fi.".? 'II v jr.- K i ' r . ji -i. i3eviuse inenumucr o ciuzens ij xensnge iox. r rencn prisoners. ;or,j much zet i ofwar, wihutakiti,.umii7, -V . 'J;iut te jnen had ndprotectioru fine y . v--r"r ...,- .- . - I?? ' - - l.? -i, :- v-: --:r- ' - i . 1 , . -. ' - r . ... - .... . . . j-. . j --. ..... . y- --i- i - .i i . 1 ? . --fA. . . . . til Sv-fl i
The Weekly Raleigh Register (Raleigh, N.C.)
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May 19, 1808, edition 1
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