STATE PAPERS. 



423 



British cruizers have been in the 

 continued practice of violating the 

 American flag on the great high- 

 way of nations, and of seizing and 

 carrying off persons sailing under 

 it, not in the exercise of a belli- 

 gerent right, founded on the law of 

 nations against an enemy, but of a 

 municipal prerogative over British 

 subjects. British jurisdiction is 

 thus extended to neutral vest^els in 

 a situation where no laws can 

 operate but the law of nations and 

 the laws of tiie country to which 

 the vessels belong ; and a self- 

 redress is assumed, which, if 

 British subjects were wrongfully 

 detained and alone concerned, is 

 that substitution of force for a 

 rtsort to the responsible sovereign, 

 which falls within tlie definition of 

 war. Could the seizure of British 

 subjects, in such cases, be regarded 

 as within the exercise of a bellige- 

 rent right, the acknowledged laws 

 of war, which forbid an article of 

 captured property to be adjudged 

 without a regular investigation be- 

 fore a competent tribunal, would 

 im[)eriou8ly demand the fairest 

 trial, where the sacred rights of 

 persons were at issue. In place of 

 «uch trial, these rights are sub- 

 jected to the will of every petty 

 commander. 



'I'he practice, hence, is so far from 

 affecting British subjects alone, that 

 under the pretext of searching for 

 these, thousands of American citi- 

 zens, under the safe-guard of pub- 

 lic laws, and of their national flag, 

 have been torn from their country, 

 and from every thing dear to them, 

 — have been dragged on board 

 ships of war of a Ibreign nation, 

 and exposed, under the severities 

 of their discipline, to be exiled 

 to the most distant and deadly 



climes, to risk their lives in the 

 battles of their oppressors, and to 

 be the melancholy instruments of 

 taking away those of their own 

 brethren. 



Against this ciying enormity, 

 which Great Britain would be so 

 prompt to avenge if committed 

 against herself, the United States 

 have in vain exhausted remon- 

 strances and expostulations : and 

 that no proof might be wanting of 

 their conciliatory dispositions, and 

 no pretext left for continuance of 

 the practice, the British govern- 

 ment was formally assured of the 

 readiness of the United States to 

 enter into arrangements, such as 

 could not be rejected, if the reco- 

 very of the British subjects were 

 the real and sole object. The 

 communication passed without 

 effect. 



British cruisers have been in the 

 practice also of violating the rights 

 and peace of our coasts. They 

 hover over and harass our entering 

 and departing commerte. To the 

 most insulting pretensions they 

 have added lawless proceedings 

 in our very harbours, and have 

 wantonly spilt American blood 

 within the sanctuary of our terri- 

 torial jurisdiction. The principles 

 and rules enforced by that nation, 

 when a neutral nation, against 

 armed vessels of belligerents ho- 

 vering near her coasts, and dis- 

 turbing her commerce, are well 

 known. When called on, never- 

 theless, by the United States, to 

 punish the greater offences com- 

 mitted by her own vessels, her 

 government has bestowed on their 

 commanders additional marks of 

 honour and contidence. 



Under pretended blockades, 

 without the preseiiceof an adequate 



force, 



