"A very valuable cargo, sir," observed Mr. Sennit, a little drily. "I
wish for your sake, it had been going to any other part of the world, as
this last war has sent the French into that part of Germany, and Hamburg
is suspected of being rather too much under Boney's influence."

"And were we bound to Bordeaux, sir, what power have you to stop a
neutral, at this distance at sea?"

"If you put it on _power_, Mr. Wallingford, you depend on a crutch that
will betray you. We have power enough to eat you, should that be
necessary--I suppose you mean _right."_

"I shall not dispute with you, sir, about words."

"Well, to prove to you that I am as amicably disposed as yourself, I will
say no more on the subject. With your permission, I will now examine your
papers; and to show you that I feel myself among friends, I will first
send my own boat back to the Speedy."

I was infinitely disgusted with this man's manner. It had the vulgar sort
of witticism about even his air, that he so much affected in his speech;
the whole being deformed by a species of sly malignancy, that rendered him
as offensive as he seemed to me to be dangerous. I could not refuse to let
a belligerent look at my papers, however, and went below to get them,
while Sennit gave some private orders to his reefer, and sent him away to
the frigate.

While on this subject, the reader must excuse an old man's propensity to
gossip, if I say a word on the general question of the right of search. As
for the pretence that was set up by some of the advocates of impressment
out of neutral ships, which laid down the position, that the belligerent
being on board in the exercise of an undoubted right to inquire into the
character of the ship and cargo, he took with him the right to lay hands
on all the subjects of his own sovereign he might happen to find there, it
is not worthy of a serious reply. Because a man has a right to take the
step preliminary to the discharge of an admitted power, as an incident of
that power, it does not follow that he can make the incident a principle,
and convert it into a justification of acts, unlawful in themselves. On
this head, therefore, I shall say nothing, holding it to be beyond dispute
among those who are competent to speak on the subject at all. But the
abuse of that admitted power to board and ascertain the character of a
ship, has created so lively a feeling in us Americans, as to induce us to
forego some of the wholesome prin