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MR. TAGGAHT'S 
 
 ADDRESS TO HIS CONSTITUENTS* 
 
 O.V THE SUBJECT OF I MP R E S S M EJVTS. 
 
 To the Citizens of Massachusetts, particularly of the district 
 -ichi'ck I have Ike honor lo represent. 
 
 FELLOW CITIZENS-* 
 
 I\ a situation of the country different finer* the pre* 
 sent, T should not have given either you op myself the trouble 
 of this address. But in the present season of peril, involved 
 as we are in a war which, how far it way prove ruinous lo 
 our best interests as a nation it is impossible, at tins time, to 
 foresee, standing as I do in that public station in which y out 1 
 partiality has repeatedly placed me, 1 thought it a duty to 
 present you with a few observations on the state of the na- 
 tion. It is well known that I leave uniformly opposed the 
 present war. as well as all those previous steps which have 
 led to it. Whatever was either the nature or extent of the 
 injuries we had received from the different belligerents, t 
 viewed them as growing out of the insect war in Europe! 
 a war probably both in its extent and in (he great events and 
 important eousecjuenees of which it !.a* been productive, un- 
 paralleled in modern limes, and that these injuries Would 
 cease of course, on the return of peace. Our neutral situa- 
 tion gave us many advantages, ami. although we suffered 
 some patii;il inconveniences from the mutual encroachments 
 of (lie different belligerents, I considered it much better la 
 hear with those partial and temporary evils, than to rush into 
 a conflict of which we could calculate neither the extent, 
 the consequences to our independence' and liberties, nor the 
 duration. My present intention is not to enter on an Investi- 
 gation oT, cither the justice or policy of the present war. or 
 to indulge in conjectures about its probable issue. Some of 
 my ideas on this subject, submitted at the close of the last 
 session, are now before the public. How far these conjec- 
 tures have been verified by facts, is obvious to those who have 
 paid particular attention to the passing events of the last 
 campaign. My observations will bt confined to one single 
 point, viz. the impressment of seamen, every other matte? 
 in dispute between the two nations being, in the view of the 
 President; so far removed ->ut of the wag as lo oppose no in- 
 
:irs 
 
 fermentable obstacle to a, ******* ^JM"* ' ™ oeTres. 
 ftl.ni the messaee ami documents communicated to oougreaa 
 from tne im *k ^.^; n It ia-not mV intention 
 
 tt t the commencement o. Hie aeasion. i i '.,,.„.„ ir 
 J„ .indicate foe British practice .fimp.-ess.nK - ■ m K 
 #l,..i c-n he done, it •< »»« "Oameas ,,f ,, ' et,, who '" 
 KtosiTof Ihe praetiee asil is, at least so far as the 
 I tedsJte are affected hy it. nought to estenuate.and 
 S «h to et doun in malice, it is a vulgar error .ndua- 
 
 Kdy*ir^ 
 
 r.;..i,f nf imnresains Ameru-an citizens. She claims no 
 J$ ,'»nd hT. t«ri»b. y pr.fe,.ed . «iili^- « «*£ 
 Sebof thai character as ma, have been Jmpr^ssea, o» M- 
 ', iti B proof <>f '!•"•»• citizenship. She claims the righl of 
 &3nTaad impressing hep .a a seamen, wbrn loom « 
 t rd of n eotU merchanl ships. The controversy on b» 
 ^ ', ,'., netwre. the two V»~^»%Xfi£££ 
 grinmscrihed within mrj narrow limit*. The Umted Jbtttep 
 -,v the* don't wanl <» protect or claim r»iili»li seamen in 
 g i ,.,.'■ ,'. Great Britain »,. .be waot.no *"****• 
 u onl'v th se who are her awn .abject.. One would nata- 
 
 $ ,. SSS. <o .„ anuertl. "H^**ft£?lE"fc! 
 
 mTertheformerdynasty, the seaman *ho, evenina time of 
 I ... ahould abandon the service of hia country mrihm* 
 EZ and ensaRe in the employment of a foreign merchant, 
 
 EHi;;it:::":::;;i:;;::::;:-;~r : =s : 
 
 jngtoine ' .. fc m „.,.<.„ fiye year, r. - 
 
sufficient length of time to become citizens, and afterward,? 
 betake themselves to the sea for an employment. 
 
 li is therefore a mistaken idea that this practice is either 
 novel or peculiar to Great Britain. The regulations of France, 
 we hare seen to be peculiarly severe on (tie subject, as appears* 
 from several edicts issued from time to time, from the year 
 165U. if not from periods still more early, (town to the era 
 of the republic. The same practice has been recognised by 
 Standing regulations of Great Britain, at least as far hack as 
 the year 1640. Authorities to that effect have been recently 
 laid he fore the public, a citation of which would protract 
 these remarks beyond their intended limits. During the pre* 
 sent war in iMirope, this practice has been probably, more 
 common than in any former period. The reason, without 
 doubt, is that during this period, a greater number of Bri* 
 tish seamen have found means to shelter themselves under a 
 neutral Hag. This was the first time in which it affected the 
 United States as an independent nation. That they have been 
 nine affected by it than any other nation has arisen from 
 their speaking the same language, and from such a similarity 
 of manners and customs, more striking perhaps among sea- 
 faring people, than among those of any other description aE 
 renders it almost impossible t*> discriminate. Had either 
 France or Spain been the neutral which was carrying on a 
 lucrative commerce, the English sailor could not have taken 
 refuge on board their ships, without hi ingj liable to almost in- 
 stant detection. Hut on hoard of an American ship it is al- 
 most impossible to distinguish him from one of oar native sea- 
 men. It is natural tor a seaman to prefer peace to war, the 
 quiet pursuits of commerce on hoard of a neutral, to the dan* 
 gers incident to the service on hoard a ship of the line or a 
 frigate This preference given to the service, connected with 
 that flourishing state of (he American commerce, which ena- 
 bled the merchant to give such high wages to seamen, held 
 out such powerful inducements to British sailors, as prevailed 
 upon vast numbers to abandon their country and to seek employ* 
 inent on hoard of American ships. For several years pre- 
 vious to our adoption of the restrictive system, which gave a 
 check to commercial enterprise! the number of foreign sea- 
 men, principally British, who have been in the American em- 
 ploy, have been computed to average not less than £0,000. 
 It cannot lie denied that the withdrawing of so large a num- 
 ber of a class of people, necessary in the present situation of 
 the country to her wvy existence as an independent nation, 
 was such a serious injury to Great Britain as, if continued) 
 must greatly diminish her power, lessen her security] and even 
 put her safety at hazard j au evil which probably there is no 
 
nation in the world which, situated r>c she i<5. would nr,f . | r 
 some measures to prevent. H J therefore 1 he question should 
 be asked why she resorted to the practice of impressing sea- 
 men from on board our ships, (he answer is a plain one. It 
 i? because thousands of her seafaring subjects are on hoard 
 of our vessels, to her manifest injury and damage, sheltered 
 Under American protections, and, for I hat reason, claimed 
 n* American citizens ; and (here is no arrangement whereby 
 & 1 1 < - can reclaim them in any other way. I do not mention 
 this to just if) the practice of impressment, but to show what 
 that practice is, and what Ir.is given rise toil It is imprac- 
 ticable from any documents within my reach, to ascertain the 
 number of seamen who have been actually impressed from on 
 board of American ships, since the commencement of the 
 present war in Europe, and, could that difficulty be removed, 
 it still greater would arise, in determining what proportion of 
 these are bona fide Americans. Various circumstances how- 
 aver, have induced me to believe that the number, particu- 
 larly of real Americans, has been by far overrated. Asa get 
 peral rule the apparent magnitude of objects increases 
 you approach them, and diminishes in proportion as the dis- 
 tance from them is increased. The subject of impressment 
 Las a different effect upon the optics. Viewed at a distance it 
 appears to t,c an object of vast magnitude hui diminishes in 
 proportion as yon approach it. A natural and obvious enquiry 
 is to what pails or sections of the United States do these 
 multitudes of seamen belong? Where are their friends, con- 
 nections and families, from which they have been torn, and 
 for which bo much sympathy has been expressed? We cannot 
 expect to find them in Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, or any 
 where west of the Allegany. We will naturally expect to 
 find them in the seaports, in places where there is the most 
 commerce and navigation. IJut do we find those numerous 
 distressed families and connections there ? Enquire of the lit st 
 Informed men in those plaees, where you would naturallj c\ 
 pert to hear the greatest complaints, and you can hardly ob- 
 tain information of half a doaen, w here the proportion of the 
 estimated number n ould he ;it least 1000. This circumstance 
 ahme, affords strong presumptive evidence at least, if not 
 conclusive proof, that a great majority of these impressed 
 seamen are foreigners, who, when they arrive in the country 
 excite little interest, and when they are withdrawn, either by 
 impressment or otherwise, leave no vacuum. One of the 
 first things to be expected in an application for the discharge 
 of a teal American seaman, would he a statement, authenti- 
 cated i»y proper testimony, of the pal t of the country to which 
 lie belonged, particularly the place oi his birth, where lie was 
 
best known, and where bis connections, if be had nnr. resided. 
 Such a statement, properly authenticated, especially when 
 found toooineWe with the narrative ofthe party himself, who 
 claimed the release, would be one of The strongest evidences 
 of his heing an American. There arc few if any instances, 
 of applications made in this way, which have proved unsuc- 
 cessful. How far this has been attended to in sireb applica- 
 tions « ill he seen as we proceed in the examination of the do- 
 cuments. The evidence principally relied on an proof, that 
 a seaman is an American, is a protection, a document granted 
 in the first instance by a collector of one. of the ports, a nota- 
 ry publie, or a consul, or vice consul in a foreign poet. The 
 loose manner in which these protections are, in the first in- 
 stanee granted, tlie extensive forgeries of these papers, which 
 is known to he practised, and is neither restrained or punished 
 by any law, and the common practice of buying, selling, 
 and bartering them among sailors, has rendered them docu- 
 ments on which very little reliance is to be placed. A man 
 or it may he a dozen men at a time, apply lo a collectors of- 
 fice for protections, as American sailors, professing themselves 
 to be citizens of the United States. Another man equally 
 unknown comes forward and swears to the whole dozen, or 
 whatever is the number, it may he, in (he expectation ofa si- 
 milar return, while, as is probably the case at times, both 
 applicants, and witnesses, have, within a few short months, 
 it may be weeks or even days, lauded for the first time on our 
 shores. The forms of law being in this way complied wiih, 
 a protection is granted as a matter of course. Where is the 
 court of law which would award a plantiffa single dollar on 
 no better evidence than this? Several perjuries of t):i» kind 
 have been detected, and there exists but little doubt but ma- 
 ny more have been committed. It is to be lamented that 
 such is the state of morals in oin* own as well as other coun- 
 tries, that oaths, particularly ofa certain kind, are hut little 
 regarded. The smuggler who would neither swear away the 
 life nor property of another in a court of justice, wills many 
 times, bestitate but little, to defraud -the revenue, by shear- 
 ing falsely in a custom house, it is I believe an incontesli- 
 ble fact, that the o.iths prescribed by law for toe purpose of 
 obtaining protections, are frequently but little regarded a- 
 mong sailors. When perjuries of this kind are detected there 
 exists no law either of the United States or of the individual 
 slates to punish them. This has been attempted in some of 
 the states without effect. When therefore these protections 
 are relied on as the principal evidence of citizenship, and 
 when it is a matter of public notoriety that European sailors 
 are furnished with these documents, luUiaeiimiualely with 
 
oip Native seamen, and flip protection" themselves are fre- 
 er (fitly mere matters of bargain and sal*- among sailors, it 
 affords very «troni^ presumptive evidence at least, that a great 
 proportion of these impressed seamen, although furnished 
 with American protections, are hi reality foreigners : ;it least 
 it is n<»t strange that little credit should be attached t<> them 
 by the British government. And as neither a hoarding officer 
 from a ship of war, or a press q;in^ are \i k iy nice in making 
 distinctions] it is not Btrange if an American shonld be some* 
 times impressed, instead of an European. But it is Ume 'o 
 proceed to an examination of the documents. 1 am sens 
 that the subject is a dry one; it is only the importance of 
 the facts that will afford any adequate compensation for the 
 (1 of the details. Bat as they are partieularlj interest* 
 iftg at this time, on account of (lie present situation of the 
 court try, 1 hope this will he a sufficient inducement to give 
 tiiem a candid and impartial examination, although hut little 
 pleasure should he derived from the perusal. 
 
 1 have not deemed it necessary to lie very partieaiar in the 
 ev. agination of any documents en the subject, of an older 
 date than thai communicated January 19, 1805. Indeed I 
 hswe hern able to lay my hands on hut one of an older date, 
 hat is a report from the department of state, eommuni- 
 ■ March 11, iri'S, which I have given somewhat of an 
 attentive perusal. But it gives no satisfactory information 
 of she number which had been impressed ;i( that time. The 
 first Uem contained in it consists of the protests of M differ- 
 ent sea captains relative to impressments from vessels under 
 tbc'rv command*, to the number of 79 seamen, of these 35 are 
 said to he Americans : 23 unknown to what nation they l»e- 
 I d ; 9 British subjects, and the residue of different foreign 
 nations. t)nh It? were said to be furnished with protections, 
 about an equal number without protections, and a majoritj of 
 the whole not known whether the} had or had not pn 
 tions. Nine of the number were impressed bj French Jes- 
 se's. A second item contains the returns pf the collectors 
 of the several ports, hut principally from those ol Neu fork 
 aid Philadelphia* vr& 60 by the collector of Philadelphia, 
 120 by Mr. Lamb and Mr. bands, collectors in succession of 
 the port of Kew York, and 1! from other collectors. In the 
 returns of the collector af Philadelphia, onlj it are stated 
 to be American* itizens, and the remainder pail British, pi it 
 of several neutral nations, such as Swedes, Danes, French- 
 , Dutchmen and Prussians, and pari unknown. Besides 
 esc, men ■ tde of tuo vessels, one captured by the 
 
 French, and id r hy the English, in v I all the hands 
 
 were taken nut. Of the 120 relumed by the successive col- 
 
lectors of New York, V8 are suit! to be \morienns 90 to be 
 British s injects, and the remainder either unknown, or of 
 different European nations. Some of these were detained 
 only a few <i>»ys ; 28 of tlie impressments were h- ' r< neh ves- 
 sels. Of tlie 11 returned by the other collectors. > were ^;id 
 to lie Englishmen, ."> to he detained only three days, the re- 
 mniirrfer n« remarks. Pf. B These returns of the coHeetoro 
 includes t lie principal part of the same eases contained in the 
 protests of the captains, In the years 179tJ~'J7 a large Bri- 
 tish fleet I iv i'i the West Indies, and, lorn time, impressr 
 merits were frequent in that quarter. But the interposition 
 of Mr*. Talbot, agent for the relief of American seamen, and 
 Mr. Craig, his assistant, 103 seamen were discharged, :id 
 the practice of impressment in that quarter, ma great mea- 
 sure stopped. How great a number was left, was probably 
 unknown. Of the real Americans, the number seems not fo 
 have been great. I find also two lists of applications which 
 had been transferred to agents in London, amounting together 
 to VOL For one of which application had been made for 
 their release by Mr. Pinkney, and the other by Mr. King, 
 successive ministers at London. The business was transfer- 
 red to Mr. Lenox, agent for the relief of prisoners, who 
 states that a number, he neither states their names, nor how 
 many, had been released prior to his application, and from 
 the same name occurring several times, he was uncertain 
 whether they were the names of the same or of different in- 
 dividuals. The result of Mr. Lenox's application is not 
 staled, nor how many had been before liberated on tho appli- 
 cation of Messrs. Pinkney and King. But it follows, thai 
 this number ;•<>!, deducting therefrom the number rele 
 prior to Mr. Lenox's application, and those released o 
 application, contain a list of all the eases then known to the 
 agent at London. It is impossible from this document to 
 come at any thing like nu exact result. Nor is it material 
 towards making an estimate of the number who may be de- 
 tained at this time. Because whatever that number might 
 br, so far as it was known, it was brought forward, and the 
 names included in succeeding applications. The only point 
 of view in which it w mid be important, would be toaseei 
 ti»e number whieh bad been discharged prior to th.it »>•■■ 
 
 As the document of January t9, isj.t, begins, us H were, 
 a new era on the subject, as it is the ;"ii^< which attempts any 
 thing like .i 1 i^t of i npressments; and, together with subse- 
 quent documents, comprises <A\ the information to be obtain- 
 ed. I have examined them with a considerable degree of 
 attention, and drawn such eouciusiuus a> appeared to me 
 fairly to follow. 
 
This report nas made to congress January 19. 1805, niir* 
 guant to a resolution of the house of representatives of' ilic 
 iOth of tlie preceding November. The first item consists of 
 a list of the names of 218 Beamcn ( for whose release appli- 
 cation had been made, in the first instance to the department 
 of state. So far as these instances have anj date, they ex- 
 tend from January 1»t, 1798 lo October li, li>0i ■; 79 have a 
 date assigned, 139 without date. 
 
 The second item contains a list of 1538 cases in which ap- 
 plication had been made to the board of admiraliy. for the 
 release of seamen b y George W. Irvine, Esq. United Stales 
 agent .it London. These applications were made between the 
 beginning of March 1803, anil Hie latter end of August 1804. 
 Of these applications the result is given. This is the com- 
 mencement of that number, which has, from time to time, 
 accumulated to 6257, of a number which has been bo often print- 
 ed iii staring capitals for the purpose of creating an excite- 
 nient. and to impress the public with the beliel that this num- 
 ber at least, of real Americans was at this moment forcibly 
 detained on board the British fleet I have noi examined 
 particularly whether all, or what proportion of (lie preced- 
 ing number of 218 is included in this li^t of 1588. Some of 
 them undoubtedly are. and by comparingdates.a great propor- 
 tion of them may be so included. It is however perfectly im- 
 material tothe present enquiry, whether they are or are not 
 so included, because ail the names so reported are either con- 
 tained in this or in some later list of applications, as a matter 
 of course. Posterior fo Mr. Talbot's agencj in the West Ins 
 dies, during the year 1797, although consular agents in Jamai- 
 ca, reported certain cases of impressment to the department 
 of state, yet with i lie exception <;!' live instances of i .-- 
 charge, made bj the commandii g officers of the Jamaica 
 station, as soon as be became acquainted with the circum- 
 stances, we find no mention made of any discharged, only 
 such as Mere through the instrumentality of the agent at 
 London. These applications, whether made in the first in- 
 stance to the department of stale, or by friends at home com- 
 municated to thai department, or made to consuls or vice, 
 consuls in foreign ports, by either the parties, their friends, 
 or the captains of the ships from whence taken, were, in the 
 last resort, transmitted to the agent in London, and through 
 him, application was made in behalf of his government, io 
 thatof Great Britain. The idea of swelling the number of 
 impressments, bj representing the lists contained in these do- 
 cuments as the mere returns of one agent, and reasoning in 
 this way that if the returns of a single agent amount to (!000 
 and upwuid; how great must be llic amount of the whole; 
 
Ins no foundation* in f:»ot. By adopting thi* mode of rea- 
 ioning, And muHiptyint" impressments in this way, we may 
 in -cease the amount to 20.000, or to any number of tlwn- 
 lands on which a fertile imagination may elioose to fix. The 
 truth is thai iKe agent at London was the sole agent in this 
 b ^iicss. To his oflfee (he principal part of the applications 
 w~ere transmitted in the first instance, and those originally 
 fnade at other places were transmitted there iri lite last re* 
 sort, and we have no evidence thai information has been re- 
 ceived by any department, of the impressment ofasinglc in- 
 dividual whose name is hot included in sonic of these lists. 
 
 Tlicse 1538 applications arc not to'he considered as a state- 
 ment of the precise aumher of impressments of which infof- 
 ln -tiori had been obtained. It relates to the number of a . i- 
 cations made at different times, and is mad out in this way. 
 Application is made at a particular time for the release of a 
 certain n Umber of seamen whose names are mentioned. A 
 part oT i lie number is discharged or ordered to be discharged, 
 and the release of the remainder; for certain reasons either 
 del; v I Or refused. The application is renewed and their 
 frames' again presented a second, and it maj he a third or 
 fourth time, connected with a number of new applications. 
 This course is continued until a release is either obtained or 
 the application abandoned. On ever> renewal of the app'i- 
 cation the name is reinserted, and this goes' to swell the list. 
 For example we find the name of William Brown attached 
 to \os. 258, 1037. l2o* — William Bond Nos. ;:s, I f04, 1 143*, 
 1205— John Barlow Nos. 11(50. 11S9. 1277, liTo — John Dunn 
 Nos. 1289. 1*07, 1500. 1534 — thai these numbers relate to 
 the same individual, and not toothers of the same name ap- 
 pears from this, that where different individualsof the same 
 name occur, a note of distinction, such as 1st, 2d, 3d, Ke. is 
 u-ed. There are several Vviiliam Brown* so' distinguished, 
 but these numbers are affixed to the same W illiam Brown, and 
 so of the others. In the document under consideration wo 
 have a list of 1235 names alphabetical!) arranged. Every 
 name in the list of 1538 applications is included in that of 
 1235. fn 293 instances I find the same person numbered 
 ftiore than once, in 63 more than fa ice, in n more than t. ree 
 tines and two names occur attached ti> five numbers each. 
 ]t is i ^possible to ascertain how much the numbers in some 
 of the lists are swelled in this way. without more minute at- 
 tention than I have leisure to bestow. Prohablj some uf 
 them one fourth, or it may be hearty dr quite one third. In 
 i 15 instances mention is made of the city or town to which 
 tuc person impressed was said to belong, ;.ml in 5^0 other 
 oases the state mereljii noticed, lu 520 instances tue time 
 
 B 
 
io 
 
 of imnressmrnt is mentioned although frequently with no 
 mere precision than merely to notice the ye. ; • and in ." t 
 •ases notice is taken of the nlaee or particular quarter of 
 the world in which it happened. In something rooi ll i one 
 half of the eases no mention whatever is made of t?i? | «. 
 to which the parties belonged; in a fraction more than < ne 
 third either the day, month or year of i; 'is 
 
 mentioned, and in something less than one fourth, noti • is 
 taken of the place In those eases where the place i len- 
 tioned there occur comparatively but a fewinstanc< in which 
 it could have been prevented, had even the broad principle 
 of the flag protecting all who sail under it been adopted. Of 
 the whole number 344, not more than 8 or to were impres- 
 sed at sea, or while in the immediate prosecution of their voy- 
 age. Including those impressed in the channel and in sevi ral 
 coves, roads, rivers, and harbours, the number was about 50, 
 of the remainder 93 were impressed at London, 54 at Liver- 
 pool, and of the residue part in other British European 
 ports, and part in Jamaica, Barbadoes, and the other West 
 India Islands, and in other places from one to two, three, and 
 four in a place. In 435 instances the name of the ship from 
 which the men were impressed is mentioned. In s«'me in- 
 stances two. three and four were taken out of the same ship. 
 ll would have been an important piece of information, bad it 
 been stated in this, as it is in some other documents, what pro- 
 portion of these impressments were from American and what 
 from British vessels, because in cases where American sailors 
 went voluntarily on hoard of British merchant ships, and were 
 impressed fromthem, it could not be complained of as a vi- 
 olation of the American flag. As. for the most part, no 
 other information is given on this subject, thanmerely to slate 
 the name of the ship, I am not sufficiently conversant invo* 
 cabularies of this kind to know the national character of a 
 ship nerely by its name. Some however are so plainly de- 
 signated by their names that their nati mal character cannot 
 be mistaken, particularly where they are expressly said to be- 
 long to London, Hnll. shields. &c. or designated as Collin*, 
 or to have such names as Tippe Soil. British King, Royal I fcar- 
 /,>'/,. Thlkt of Kent, Dover Cuttle, &C. I find 42 instances 
 of impressments from ships plainly characterised to be Bri- 
 tish hv their names, four from French vessels, and five from 
 a Prussian. So far as we ean-judg* from other documents 
 which I shall presently bring in review, in which the national 
 Character of the vessel is particularly mentioned, the pro- 
 portion *f impressments from British ships must be much 
 greater. An abstract of the result of these applications is 
 at» follows. 
 
11 
 
 Whole number of applications 
 
 CM these are said to be original applications 
 
 Duplicate applications 
 
 Ot these had been discharged or ordered to be discharged 
 
 Nwt on board the ship specified 
 
 On hoard of ships on a foreign station 
 
 Ship on board of which they are snid to be lost 
 
 Ship on board of which they arc said lo be Hot in commission 
 
 Deserted 
 
 Drowned or dead 
 
 Applications unanswered 
 
 'Because they bad no documents 
 
 Because they had voluntarily enlisted 
 Refused to be J Because married in Great Britain 
 discharged] j Because aHedged to be British subjects 
 
 I Because said to be prisoners of war 
 Because they do not appear to have been im« 
 ^ pressed 
 
 129 
 
 17 
 
 49 
 
 2 
 
 1531 
 
 The documents said to ho insufficient, are of various kinds, 
 sin- i as certifie; tes of naturalization, protections from con- 
 suls and vice consuls, and notarial affidavits, made either in 
 the United States or in Great Britain. To avoid repetition 
 in every abstract, I merely state documents insufficient, with- 
 out expressing any opinion of their validity, only that they 
 are considered as inadequate by the British government. 
 
 In the same report from the department ot.' state, we have 
 a communication made by Mr. Savage, consul at Jamaica, of 
 8S eases of impressment in the West Indies; 13 of whom 
 appear to have had the customary protections j 62 claim tobc 
 Americans, and a few who were unfurnished with protections 
 ;> i to exhibit other proof. I find an afeeeuat of the dis- 
 
 charge of 5 of this number* by the commanding officer on 
 the Jamaica station, which, with two others, under different 
 circumstances, are the only instances that I have met with of 
 discharges in any other way thin through the agent at Lou- 
 don, sinee Mr. Talbot's mission to the West Indies in irwr. 
 A part of these 88 are included in the grand list of i.Vs ; 
 how many I have not ascertained, nor, according to an obser- 
 vation already made, is it material. 
 
 The next communication which I find on the subject of im- 
 pressments, is a report from the department of state of Match 
 6, 1806, pursuant toa resolution of the house of representa- 
 tives of January G. preceding. In the let lor which accom- 
 panies this report, it is Btated that the aggregate amount of 
 impressments, previous to that time, since the commencement 
 of the wars in Europe, was 2273, a;;d that it was not easy to 
 
12 
 
 distinguish with P-rourary, how many of the«r were r ifizens 
 of the United .siaivs This report tri \ «• ■* the n nines o( i*.3 
 si'innt'ii. siidto have been impressed, but does not furnish the 
 Deans of Ascertaining bow man) of this number are oii- 
 ginal, and how many only duplicates of former applications. 
 All however are included in the total of" 2273. I am nnalile 
 to discover from the documents how this number is in. <le 
 out. 913 added to 1338. makes an excess of 178; added to 
 1.232, the number of original applications, it leaves a defii it 
 oi* 128. If we add 5l>3, the only numher which it would 
 seem could fairly he added, as that was the sum total of the 
 application*, the deficiency will he still greater. That tola! 
 must therefore he made out hv the bringing forward of some 
 numher not stated in the documents, of which we must he 
 contentedly ignorant. The numher 913, is divided in the 
 report into the following items : No. 1. contains a statement 
 of 503 cases, in which application had been made for a re- 
 lease between September 1, 1801. and May 18, 1805. with tho 
 result. These are not numbered as in the former document ; 
 bo information is given, how many of them arc duplicate ap- 
 plications, or included in the preceding report of January !«», 
 1803. nor do I possess the means of ascertaining with pre- 
 cision the place which they occupy in the -land number of 
 6257. No mention is made in the document, either of the 
 part of the United Stales to which they belonged, or of tho 
 place where they were impressed. In 221 instances the lime 
 of impressment is stated. The principal part of these dales 
 •re in 1802. 3. V and 5. hut some as early as 179S More 
 than half of iheiu are sufficiently early to have been included 
 in the last reporA, am! to occupy the place of duplicate ap- 
 plications in thin. No abstract is given of the report. I 
 bare-taken some pains to collect one from the details, which, 
 although possibly it may not he in every punctilio correct, I 
 believe contains no very material error. 
 
 Wnolc number 503 
 
 Discharged, or ordered to be discharged i 7 
 
 On board ol ships of foreign stations 3d 
 
 Not found on b aid ol the ships in * hich said to be detained 'it 
 Unknown ii. what ship tlicy arc Serving 3 
 
 Deserted ° 
 
 Applications unanswered 58 
 
 f Because they had no documents 1 i2 
 
 J 15 cause 1 eir documents inauffieient 3J 
 
 use British subj-cts, either without or 
 v ith spurious protections 43 
 
 I', cause sen* on !• ird foi mutinous <-<,;, ruct 5 
 I Because ieleivsecl fiom a Firm I' prison 1 
 
 I \] luse exchiUiged. as an Loutish prisoner of 
 
13 
 
 f Bcr.-mse thvy appear not to b? Americans Z 
 
 Refused to be J IJ< cause married in Great Bi it.nn I 
 
 oiscliai |jt:d, | Because they had voluntarily entered 38 
 
 [_No reason assigned 6 
 
 503 
 
 No. 2, T s a statement of 3f>3 applications made, in the fust 
 instance t» the department of st.itc, am] not before reported 
 to the house of representatives, nor included in 'lie returns 
 ol' the American agent at London. These are of course in- 
 cluded in some other lis! of applications About one hwlf of 
 tti est* are dated. Like the former* the dates are principally 
 in f 803. 4 and 5. Of these 155 were furnished with protec- 
 tions, 102 without protections, of 31 it is not staled whether 
 they had or had not protections, 35 appeared to be British 
 subjects. 5 claimed to be Americans without exhibiting any 
 
 p !'. (> had lost their protections. 5 had voluntarily enlisted, 
 
 ail IS were composed of Swedes, Portuguese, Prussians, 
 Dutch and Danes. 
 
 \o. 3. eont litis a list of 47 cases, reported by the United 
 States agent at Jamaica; concerning whom no other remark 
 i> made, than that they claimed to be citizens of the United 
 Slav's. I h;ne not examined in what list of applications 
 either the 363 or the tT are included. 
 
 The next communication in the order of time, on the sub- 
 ject of impressments, is a report made to congress, March 
 2. 1S0S. in compliance with a resolution of the Senate of 
 November 30. 1807. ^s this report was more than three 
 months in preparing, satisfactory information may be expect- 
 ed. 
 
 No. 1. is untitled a list of impressments from American 
 vessels into the British service, between that date and the 
 last report made March 5, 180(3. This contains a list of o'li7 
 names of impressed seamen, of whom information had been 
 received from documents transmitted in the tirst instance to 
 the department of stale. It follows as a matter of course, 
 that they are included cither in that which follows, or in 
 some other application to the British government. Of these 
 131 claim to be Americans without producing any proof, Z'J 
 are acknowledged to be British subjects, and '22 to be neutral 
 aliens; the remaining 315 are said to have produced proof, 
 thai they were Americans, i. e. such proof as an American 
 protection, managed in the manner in which they are usually 
 conducted, is calculated to furnish. In 215 instances tbe im- 
 pressments is dated, and in no more than 7b cases is there 
 any mention of the pi. ice. it is not meant that these <JJ7 
 iiuurossuieuts ail took place between the dales of the dif- 
 
M 
 
 (ferent reports; for of (he 215 which are dated, S3 took place 
 in 1805, a number in 1S03 and 180i, and two in 1798. The 
 meaning is. that within these dates information was eommu- 
 nioated to the department of state. 
 
 Nos. 2 to 13 inclusive, contain a series of quarterly returns 
 of applications, with the result, the first number commencing 
 April 10. 1S06. and the last ending with September SO. 1807, 
 both inclusive. The total of these returns is 75)8. Separate 
 abstracts are given of the result for each quarter. These I 
 have condensed into one general abstract of the whole. As 
 there are no explicit references to a former application, I 
 cannot ascertain what proportion is original and what a con- 
 tinuat.ion of former applications. Even the frequent recur- 
 rence of the same name, furnishes but a verj equivocal kuid 
 of evidence, because distinct individuals, not unfrequently, 
 have the same name. By recurring to the dates of these 
 impressments however, bo far as anj dale is assigned, umin of 
 them "ere sufficiently early to have been contained in a for- 
 mer list, and the"observations already made on the report of 
 January 1805, are equally applicable to (his. Willi the ex- 
 ception of 146 cases, no mention is made of the place of im- 
 pressment, and of that number comparatively very few 
 happened on the hijjh seas, or where thej could claim the 
 protection of the American iiai;; and for an;, thing that 
 ars, they either maj oi may not be Americans.—. 
 With the greatest number one im; ortant evidence of citizen}- 
 eems to he wanting, i. e. notice of the plaee to v hich they 
 belonged. In not more than 150 instances is there any men- 
 tion made of either the state, city, or town in the United 
 Si • -. of which they are said or supposed to he inhabitants. 
 And with the exception of about an equal number the im- 
 pressment is without date. In 102 instances, mention is made 
 of (lie name of the vessel, with a designation of i(s national 
 character, h6 of these were American, and it British ves- 
 sels. One man was impressed from a French and another 
 from a Swedish ship. There is one thing farther in this do- 
 cument which 1 find myself unable to explain. In the report 
 of January 1805, we find applications for the release of sea- 
 men numbered from 1 to 1538. This list begins with No. 
 2799 leaving a chasm of 1269. To fill (his chasm 1 can find 
 no more (ban 508. The number of applications contained 
 in the report of March 0. U 6. leaving a deficit of 757. If 
 we add the 863, reported to the. department of slate, and the 
 \7 reported by theagent at Jamaica, which on no principle 
 of fair reckoning ought to he added. S 4-7 will sti!; be wanting. 
 By what form ofproeess the chasm between 1538 and 2799 
 owe be tilled up with 503 j the < ••:.!„ number which can fairly 
 
15 
 
 be added, or even with 9(8. the largest ■amber which plausi- 
 ble conjecture ean supply, I am incompetent to explain. My 
 fif-i thought wa- thai there roust have been some interme- 
 diate communication to congress. I5ut I find, on examina- 
 tioo <.'»;i( there i» none This report referringto thai of 1806 
 as the last.*— *- An abstract of the resultof these applications 
 is as follows. 
 
 \V ole number of applications 
 Ot these were original applications 
 1) : ilicate applications 
 D tchairged or ordered to be discharged 
 Not on b >ard of the ships stated 
 On board of ships n foreign stations 
 Ship not in commission on board of which said ;o be 
 Soil) lost on board of which said to be 
 Deserted 
 Drowned 
 Ini lided 
 Applications unanswered 
 
 Because they had no documents 
 
 Because their documents were deemeJ insuffi 
 
 cient 
 Because they were British subjects 
 Because they had voluntarily entered 
 Because married in the United Kingdom 
 Because natives of the West Indies 
 j Because a native of Africa 
 Because exchanged as British subjects from 
 
 French and Spanish prisons 
 British subjects sent on board lor mutinous con- 
 duct 
 Because taken out of a French privateer 
 Because said to be prisoners ot" « v 
 Because taken out of a smuggling vessel 
 Because impostor', with fraudulent protections 
 B rcaUse he did not wish to quit the service 
 Because he was a deserter 
 No particular reason ussigned 
 
 Refused to be J 
 discharged, 
 
 798 
 
 : : 
 
 35 
 
 272 
 
 56 
 
 48 
 
 2 
 
 1 
 
 8 
 
 2 
 
 121 
 
 33 
 
 117 
 
 44 
 
 40 
 
 7 
 
 2 
 
 I 
 
 3 
 1 
 8 
 I 
 12 
 1 
 I 
 1 
 
 798 
 
 The next report made to congress is merely an abstract of 
 ihe result of applications for (lie release of 903 seamen. 
 This was communicated from the department of state April 
 5, 1810, pursuant toa resolution of the House of Represen- 
 tatives of the 5th of March. 1 doot know that any thins* 
 more than the abstract was communicated. It is as follows. 
 Whole number of applh - - j 
 
 O which were original applications 873 
 
 Duplicate applications 
 
 Bistbarged or ordered to be discharged 287 
 
i6 
 
 Not on board tlie ships as stated SS 
 
 Oil board <>t ships on foreign stations 48 
 
 Stated to be in a ship not in commission 
 
 Rffeircd to the transport boaid 
 
 Deserted 3 
 
 Invalided 2 
 
 D owned 
 
 Applications unanswered 10 
 
 Bee. use they had no dncumpn's I 
 
 I) (iiments said to be instiffii 12 
 
 Said to be natives of England 01 I el nd 9 
 
 Because they had voluntarily enlisted 34 
 
 Because married in England or I-ehnd 7 
 
 Not answering the ucsccptions in ilitir pro- 
 tections 44 
 Iivpostors with fraudulent prrtec'.ions 11 
 Exchanged as prisoners 1 I war 2 
 No ground to h. ii> \e them Americans S 
 
 Re j . u I Slid to be destrttis 4 
 
 <-fused to he J _ . , t 
 
 • • . < Because iotall\ ivi orant rl ;i t Luted States 5 
 
 discharged, ; n , . • . . 
 
 Becausi t; ken on boaid privateers 5 
 
 V otectiohs taken fiom tl t m 4 
 
 Because t. ken when defrauding the revenue 2 
 
 Because they had erased protections 2 
 
 Smt on board by masters of vessels for mutii v 3 
 
 Irishmen sent into the service f*r misdemeanors 2 
 
 Because natives of the West Indies 3 
 
 Do. of Afi ica 1 
 
 Do. of Canada 1 
 
 Do. of Hanover 1 
 
 9oJ 
 
 The last communication made to Congress m the subject of im- 
 piesunent was the report of Jattuaiy 16, 1812, pursuant to a reso- 
 lution of the House of Representatives of November 29 prccedii ir« 
 This contains, 1st. alibi of the names of seamen ol whom inf< rma« 
 tion had been communicated in the first instance, to ihe depart- 
 ment of state, since the date of the Lst report (1 March 2d 1810, 
 this list contains 200 names, l r 8 of whom hud produced the cus- 
 toms rv proofs of citizenship No date of impressment mi ntiom d. 
 
 2. A detailed report of 1 58 applications in cases of impress* 
 ment with the result, in 6 quarterly returns from Mr. Lyman con- 
 sul ^t London, beginning April l«t, I8< 9, and ending September 30, 
 1810. These, like the former lists, consisted partly of new cases, 
 and wa>- in part the continuation offorroei applications', which had 
 in the first instance, been unsuccessful. The relative proportion 
 of these different kinds ot applications cannat be distinctly ascer- 
 tained But as more than 4-5ths of the dates of those which have 
 any date assigned ate prior to the year 1810, some as early as 1797 
 
\1 
 
 and 1798, it may be fairly Inferred that ao inconsiderable number 
 of these applications may have been preferred before '.8 9 In 3.9 
 casts mention is made of the places to which the parties belonged. 
 In about the s mic number, and with only one or two variations the 
 s..rnc individuals] the date of t he impressment is noticed, and in 340 
 cases, these also of the same individuals, with only a few omissions, 
 we are informed of the place, region, or quarter of the world in 
 wnich it happened. Of these 340, only 23 are said to have been 
 imp esscd at sea, and about 60 more off or near, particular coasts, 
 capes, headlands, roads, coves, rivers and barb' urs. and in the 
 ehannel. Ol the remainder the greater part are s.ud to be impi i - s- 
 ed at London, Liverpool, and other ports in Great B> itain, and in Ja- 
 maica and the other West India islands, places where the Ameri- 
 can flag could not protect them. In 270 instances, not only the 
 name but the national eh trader of rhe ship is given, out ol w bicli 
 the v were impressed. It surely never can be pretended that the 
 Am rieao flag should protect even our native seamen, when foui.d 
 on board foreign, particularly British ships. By adverting to the 
 national character of these ships, we find impressments fiom Ame- 
 rican ships 158. Biitishdo. 98, French do. 10, Danish 2, Swedish 
 2 — The portion of those impressed from British, being to t! ose im- 
 pressed from American nearlv 2 to 3 or 2 5»hs, I find reference! 
 made to former applications placed against 137 names, that number 
 being mentioned more than once, 24 names mentioned more than 
 twice, II more than three times, and three as much. ^s 5 tim^s. For 
 example Daniel M. Reynold placed against. No 4655 -and referring 
 bacl; to Nos. *7:5. '28 6. 3362 ai d 3756. William Smith 9th pli c* 
 erl against No. 47 r .6 and refers to Nos 17 26. 2857. 3263. 3755. 
 These two individuals seem to have bern on board "I the same •*< ip 
 widch was on a foreign station. By means of these repetitions the 
 aopa'-ent number exceeds the real one by 176 This list begins with 
 N >. 45U0 and ends with 6 57 The 200 applications made in the 
 fi st instance to the department of state, added to this total makes 
 the s aring number 6257. The number 903 confined in the ab- 
 stract of .March 1810, of which there are no details, fills up the 
 chasm between the close < f ihe detailed report of April 1808, and 
 this of 1812. Six separate absti acts are given of the same number 
 of quarterly returns which I have condensed into on* general ab- 
 stract of the whole — As follows. 
 
 Whole number 1558 
 
 Duplicate applications 2 
 
 D scharged und ordeicd to be discharged 401 
 
 N »i on board th« ships stated 58 
 
 O i b >ard of snips on foreign stations 14$ 
 
 Snips not ascertained on board of which they are serving 51 
 
 S lid to he on board of ships not in commission 5 
 
 Deserted 3q 
 
 Invalided 4» 
 
 Drowned, died or killed 7 
 
 Applications unanswered 6 
 
i8 
 
 Refuted to be 
 
 discharged, 
 
 ( Because they bad no documents 107 
 
 Because British subjects 229 
 
 Because their documents were insnffici cnt 183 
 
 Because they had voluntarily enlisted 49 
 
 Because they were not Americans 9 
 
 Because they were deserters 12 
 
 Because taken on board of enemy's privateers 45 
 i Because they had fraudulent protections 30 
 
 Did not answer the descriptions in their protec- 
 tions 75 
 Because married in the United Kingdom 21 
 Because ignorant of the United States 5 
 Exchanged as British subjects from enemy pri- 
 soners g 
 Because said to be impostors 6 
 Having formerly belonged to the navy 1 
 Haying used the sea before beinjr bound i 
 Because released from prison at Gottenburgby 
 the British consul, to whom they applied for 
 protections 3 
 Protection irregular, dated May 29, in the Uni- 
 ted States and endorsed in London, June 6th 
 following 1 
 Because natives of the West Indies U 
 Do. of Sweden 2 
 Do. of Africa 4 
 Do of Prussia 1 
 Do. of Italy I 
 No reason assigned \9 
 
 1558 
 I have pissed in review as briefly as possible, all the documents 
 on tbe subject of impressments which have come to my hand. It 
 is impossible to ascertain the precise number from these compli- 
 cated and voluminous reports. But, so far as I have been able te 
 collect facts, from the best data to which I had access, the number 
 has been much overrated. Let us take the number 6257 for an ex- 
 ample. This however is increased by the addition of 200 not pro- 
 perly belonging to it, not being included in any ©f Mr. Lyman's 
 returns, but consisting of applications made in the first instance to 
 the department of 6tate, and which may bave been in whoU or in 
 part released on a posterior application. But to make the most of 
 that number, I will in the first instance admit the whole. From 
 this deduct in the first place, for duplicate, triplicate, and quadru- 
 plicate applications, i. e. instances in which the name of the same 
 person is numbered from twice to four and five times, 548. It is 
 probable that the real number is much greater ; but to that amount 
 it is ascertained by indisputable evidence from the documents. Add 
 to this 757, being an obvious excess in the enumeration, between 
 the reparts of January 1805, and of March 1808. This will leav* 
 4?51. I have found 370 instances of imprcaimontt from ships whoit 
 
i9 
 
 national character is ascertained ; of these I have found l42 , nearly 
 3 5ths of the whole to have been from British vessels. It we M 
 
 1 i 5 othlt number, being the amount of Jg-— ^*^Mj 
 Swedish and Danish vessels, it w. 1 make ^ fractten ££ ££ 
 
 2 stha It is a fair inference, that where BO mention M made oi cm 
 >$?* ^Vessel, na where i~l -™- ^ 
 
 tUn vessels i, in that W^jjt^ftg e" mate the inv 
 to impressment. But instead of MB* 1 wtu 
 pmUti from British vessels at l 'f » ^"^-.L" and ordered 
 Sf 3302. Of this number M« have ^Jjjjff^ Indies, 
 
 in consequence of Mr. 1 }»»«••? acknow i e dged to be British 
 On perusing the documents, I find 5 1 8 acltnev ' *» declare d 
 
 .abject.. 568 who had no do cument^ 66 •££«£ ahhoUgh 
 to be ^sufficient, 281 « ho had erne ^^ 
 
 they might afterwards - Jrm d»d> arge, the rf 
 
 would nut consider a refusa to .ekaseinem 
 
 195 with protections evident v ^g^2£J in Great Bri- 
 neutral aliens or natives . o f tl« West In cs n ^ 
 
 tain 42, prisoners of war 21, making a ^^ ^ ^ 
 
 cess over the number 1778 ol 713. am d have been 
 
 amount 831 the proportion of the.e c a > . « . po-^^ ^ 
 impressed from British vessels, n leaves i document. 
 
 It may perhaps be said with truth,that pa . t .of tho» e«rt> se .^ 
 
 Uedeemel insufficient, were real Amenc- , and *** JJ^ ^ 
 ought to have been admitted. 1 hw IS P » -> > , dJi 
 
 i. considered that 200 have - rf - > £ d 
 
 not properly belong lo it, a «V^ t ^w^^" » uch «<* ttmCD * 
 ■It may be all discharged, and that it was detected, while 
 
 as wer'e evidently "^•^^J^^a'^aU^-l 
 
 it was in many instances so ^11 executed ; « han lt 
 
 has been estimated. 1 In* win go •» suonoscd to be among 
 
 Zy number of real Americans who J • «£- fc ., , conu , 
 those whose documents weie dcemea ^^ B|—- 
 
 deration farther deserving ^«>^^e*™t instance, ami lb* 
 ner in which P««£« £ ff£# docamems already noticed, 
 traffic in, as well as »^nes «*« ^ Heam , are red 
 
 it is at least very singular, nat in «■ ^ tQ sUlc 
 
 Americans, neither J^vej «J «• f J J ^ 3Q u t as » 
 their places of residence, o '^^ coucl ^\*e than a well attest- 
 omit it. No evidence conlu be more "JJ"^ j menlion that 
 cd document of this kind, in wo V\ iion n aUC mpt- 
 
 nu .n„,r, because in list, to ft. I a«jo u.t th mto m.^ 
 rd to be given, and I suppose is gi e m l2G4 caseJtt 
 
20 
 
 that the party beloneed to the United S'.ates. a piece of evidence 
 pci-ily equivalent to none at all ; for if an attempt is n ade to piove 
 a m:n the citizen ol a stale, it must he by pointing out the particu- 
 lar place oi town in the state of which he is a nativ.; or an inhabi- 
 t r.t Whatever other reasons tliere may be for omitting a puce 
 of Information so important to its pbject, I think the most powerful 
 o:ie to be that the parties never had any residence in the United 
 S ates Upon a view of the whole subject, I think it at least proba- 
 ble t liat nearly and perhaps quite as many seamen have been cis- 
 charged, as tliere have been impressed of real Americans cut of 
 American ships, although they may not be pr* cisely the s^me indi- 
 viduals No doubt a pan of those impressed Irona British ships 
 ar«' real Americans, and I do not find many instances oi such being 
 discharged But if Americana have voluntarily placed themselves 
 under the British flat, I see not that their detention ought to be the 
 ground of a national quarrel. The idea that any very great num- 
 ber ot Meatmen are confined on board of British ships, docs not ap- 
 pear to be substantiated by such facts as would be expected was it 
 real. Although tve hear of the many thousands of our impressed 
 seamen who are Buffering in these floating dungeons or ht lis, as 
 they have been called, which have been multiplied to 20, and I be- 
 1 eve even to 40 th< usand ; yet come to point out known individuals, 
 it i* questionable whether 100 could bu designated b> tl <ii nan i s 
 and places of abode. Where do these seamen belong? Do they 
 belong to Boston, Salem, Marblehead, Portland, Newport, Provi- 
 dence, or to any other pat ts of New England, s\ part of the country 
 v hich has pel h* ps furnished more native si amen than all tl e Ustltt d 
 States besides ? No. Do they belong to New York New Jersey, 
 Philadelphia, Baitimoie, Norfolk, Churlc ston, or to an) other place 
 ei her in the soutliei n or mtddh states J Nb. It is vei v qucstiona- 
 ble a be ther tnoi e than half a dozen ihdit iduals could be printed out 
 in either of those places. Where then in the name of common 
 sense do they belong, il they are citizei > of the United States?-** 
 We will certainly search in vain for tl.em in Kentucky, Ol io, Ten- 
 nessee, or any oi lh< western states or ten in ries. So many details 
 maybe considered as dry, and the perusal uninteresting. Under 
 difl'cicnt circumstances this would be the case. Few are disposed 
 t" examine calculations, where a recourse to figures is necessary. 
 But iii our pr< si in situation, involved in a war, which must be dis- 
 astrous, and may, in the end. prove ruinous to our best interests, 
 on this single point, it is ol importance to investigate facts, and as 
 fa i as practicable, ascertain th< magnitude of the evil. Having pro* 
 tr..( n d this add i < *s to a mw li greater length than was intenfitd, my 
 concluding i eptarks will be but few. It m»y> however be oi in p&r- 
 tance to observe, that when we were precipitated into a wai foi the 
 commt»ncemeut oi which tlis iras f.«s one-ol the principal 
 
 grounds, and is now the soli cause foi which it is continued, tht i \ il 
 was not increasing hut rather diminishirg. Between January l ( J, 
 1 B' IS. and Match 6tn I 8' 6 — 36 3 applu iitit t s w ei e c< mmunicated to 
 epai i stale, exclusive ol 47 to the a gent at Jamaica. 
 
 Between limi caie, and ilic bccotid of u.c same month 18U8, u l .'7 
 
21 
 
 applications. From tint date to \pril 5, 1810, no information. From 
 thai date to January 19, 1812, '200 applications. That G.eat Biitain 
 has refused to release \mericans, known to be such ; unless it be 
 in the case of voluntary enlistments, marriage in Great Britain, or 
 some other circumstance which is peculiar in their situation, doel 
 not appear in evidence. That she is in the habit of transferring 
 impressed Americans from ship to ship, if) order that applications 
 for their release may be rendered abortive, and all enquiiies .bout 
 them fruitless, is shown not to be founded on fact, by the g<eat 
 numbers winch she has released from time to time. I have not 
 brought into this reckoning those released previous to 1 8 j4, altno' 
 the balance detained is brbuglit forward in the reckoning. That 
 she lias invariably refused to negotiate on the subject of impress- 
 ment, is also assertion without proof. The correspondence be- 
 tween Lord Grenville and Mr. King, showed it to be a subject of 
 great difficulty and delicacy, but it neither showed an entire disin- 
 clination to negotiate, nor gave ground absolutely to despair of 
 success. From that time to 1806 I know not that there was any 
 sincere attempt to negotiate on the subject. This attempt t*ave no 
 ground to despair of success Had the treaty of 1806 been ratified, 
 there is little doubt but the informal arrangement connected with 
 that instrument would have practically secured to both govern* 
 menu every thing to be wished on the subject. That treaty was 
 contemptuously sent back by the then chief magistrate, without 
 deigning^ to make the experiment, or even to submit it to the Se- 
 nate, and one source of all tiie difficulties which have since arisen 
 between the two nations, on that and other subjects, may be traced 
 to that rash act. Since that period there has been no attempt at 
 negotiation on that subject, unless it was coupling it, in a moment 
 ot irritation, with the affair of the Chesapeake, which was soon 
 abandoned. This not only failed of success, but was a means of 
 protracting the settlement of the other difficulty to a much later 
 period thari it otherwise would have been. It has since been 
 merged in other difficulties, and neither in the t< nders made to the 
 different belligerent* during the embargo and non-interceurst, nor 
 in the arrangement made with Mr. Erskine in 1809, was the want 
 of an express stipulation on the subject of impressment, consider- 
 ed as an insurmountable obstacle t« an accommodation. It must 
 therefore seem stiange that, w hen the evil it sell is lessened, and every 
 other ground of complaint substantially removed, it should stdl be 
 considered of such magnitude as to be a sufficient cause lor conti- 
 nuing the war. If it be said that the principle it*elf is a sufficient 
 cause of war and we ought not to give up the contest before that is 
 relinquished Without attempting .<t all to discuss the question about 
 the principle I answei that I hare no idea of going to war for an 
 abstract principle whether it be right cr wrorlg. A man mav pro« 
 f>KSS the principle that he has a right to niv farm, but so long as he 
 attempts no practical step, either legal or violent, to establish iiis 
 claim 1 will not go to law with him. There have been many hug 
 and bloody wsrsbetween Great Britain and France, many ol them 
 on grounds sufficiently ridiculous, but I know not that any one war 
 
22 
 
 w«* for this cause alone, that one of the Kings dJ Great Britain as^ 
 turned, and his successors fur several centuries continued to adopt 
 the ridiculous title of King of France. Great Britain may claim 
 the right of impressing her own subjects from on board of Ame- 
 rican vessels, or she may claim if you please, the right ot lm- 
 p. easing Americans, which by the way she has never done ; but it is 
 only in the practical exercise of that right that it can be a real 
 grievance or a cause of war. I have hitherto said nothing about 
 the probability of obtaining the object in pursuit bf war. I believe 
 there is none. We may take Canada and Nova-Scotia, «nd the I- lo- 
 ridaa into the bargain, i. e. if we can obtain then., and affairs on the 
 ocean remain m the same state as at present, unless it be by an al- 
 teration for the worse. If ever the object is obtained or the dim- 
 culty settled it must be bv amicable negotiation. Even alter a war 
 of .even years, or a longer period it must come to that at last, and 
 whenever a disposition to meet the subject in that way is mutual, 
 experience has shewn that, although difficult and dtlicate, it is not 
 impracticable. Great Britain has an undoubted claim upon her 
 own seamen, and we have no right either to detain or secrete them 
 under fictitious protections. They are necessary to her national 
 existence and independence. We have a right to have ours guard- 
 ed against vexatious impressments. It we wish to secure ours, It 
 must be by a readiness to surrender hers, C uocetsiont must be 
 Mutual if ever peace and good understanding is to be re-establish, 
 eel. It is idle to expect coercion to effect it. If war as well a. 
 other great national or individual undertaking, .calculations ueght 
 to be made about the probable expense and risk, compared With 
 the ol ject to be obtained. The point in view here ,s the securing 
 of a right which, in the full e*M et it has been claimed, will ope ate 
 indiscriminately in favor ol British and American sa.hvs and it 
 uncertain whether it would not prove more injures ^awfe"* 
 to our native seamen. As it rejects the expense ot thl war WJ 
 have n go.d sample in what ha. already taken place. Should it be 
 oominufS another campaign without an, additional «l^»j£ 
 has already been authorised, it will, besides »hfUljtt«g1 * ° rdln ^ 
 sources of revenue, make an addition ol g 3, ,000,000 to our na- 
 tional debt, viz. 27 millions in loans and 10 ^f^^l^ the 
 addition to the expense, the prodigal waste «t human 1 lie, and the 
 increase of human misery necessarily attendant ^/•^^V" 
 he brought into the estimate. Hitherto our ™V^°^™* 
 treasure, has not been rewarded by many laurels. These coniutor 
 ations have induced me to btlieee, that the tacr utfoudy 
 
 too great For the object to be obtained, and that •J^"*"*^" 
 
 iioneftbewhr, no « when ' principal cause for which it* as 
 
 commenced is removed, in spit. I of defeat, disgrace, *^*"** 
 mowing opposition of public s, ntiment against, far « object 
 wholly inadequate t<» the sacii6cc to be made, ana 
 ever obtained, must be procured in an* he wa >, . m wu, R, • e 
 viial intere.lt of the eountr, - hazard without 1 ■ oepec twf any 
 .dequate return. On H ■ -unit I hevw ™^&£*^ 
 
 ssful. 
 
23 
 
 have done my duty. I have taken some pain* to render the above 
 statements correct. But, being for a long time unaccustomed to 
 figures, it is possible some mistakes may have crept in. I hope 
 there are none of moment. Deductions and reasoning* must stand 
 or fall by their own merit. Any material error I sltall with plea- 
 sure retract when pointed out. A condemnation of the whole in 
 bulk without examination, will be suffered to pass unnoticed. — With 
 expression of my best wishes for the prosperity and happiness of 
 our common country, and with grateful sentiments for the repeated 
 marks of approbation given to my feeble, though sincere endeavors 
 to discbarge the duties of my station, 
 
 I subscribe, 
 
 Your friend and fellow citizen, 
 
 SAML. TAGGART. 
 
 Waghington> February 17, 1813; 
 
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