Part 3 of 7 - Ibiblio

96 ATLANTIC THEATER
I Peters. Publ ic Statu'" at Larg~ , /I 700 701
2 Thi! Jaw /azit!d 10 cholte ol! t ra de u!I,h Spam News a/the Imp('ndmg embargo spread rapIdly
and spurrf'd merchonts, owners, and masters to hasten th el' shIps' departures Sewraf hundred
shIps cleared WIth cargos of com and flour a"d were on th e hIgh seas by th e time the embargo
became offICial See Perlw u. Prologut' to War, p J86
C OMMODO RE J OH N R ODGERS TO LIEUTENANT WtLLlAM M. CRANE
(Copy)
U.S. Frigate President
New York 13th April 1812
Sir
As soon as the Nautilus is ready for service, I have to direct that you
proceed to Boston for the purpose of enforcing the enclosed Embargo
Law. You are to consider Boston Bay as the general limits of your Station-say
from Cape-Cod to Cape-Ann: you may nevertheless occasionally
stretch as far north as Passamaquoddy, in the event of your
beleiving that by doing so you will be better enabled to enforce the
Law.
Agreeably to the orders of the Honble the Secretary of the Navy,
you are to consider as proper objects of seizure, all Vessels acting or
found under such circumstances as may justify a strong suspicion of
their inlenLion to act in violation of any of the provisions of this Law:
also to consider that your authority extends to the seizure of all
Vessels acting contrary to said Law within the jurisdiction of the
United States or elsewhere, not within the Tere LOrial jurisdiction of
another Stale, which of course under no pretence whatever is to be
violated.
All Vessels seized under this Law, are to be sent into the nearest &
most convenient Pon, for adjudication, & all the papers accompanying
them are to be placed in the hands of the District Attorney to be
proceeded upon according to law _
In addition to your enforcing the Embargo Law to the utmost of
your power, it is expected that you will in like manner afford proteclion
to our neutral rights as an independant nation, & to our Com·
merce, agreeably to the following extract of an order to me from the
Honble the Secretary of the Navy, bearing date 5th of june 1810.
"1st If within a marine league of the Coast of the United States,
any British or French armed Vessel should molest any of our merchant
Vessels, you will use all the means in your power to defend &
JANUARY- AUGUST 1812 97
protect such merchant Vessel : & within the harbours: & within the
waters of the United States, above low water mark, you will extend
the defence & protection LO merchant vessels to whatever nation
belonging and in all cases where defence & protection are hereby
authorised you will take possession of the offending private armed
vessel , if found or overtaken within the jurisdictional limits of the
United States, & give notice thereof to the District Attorney, that
such proceedings may be had as the case may require"
"2nd If any private armed vessel be found within our waters or
hovering on our Coast, within the marine league, & there be ground to
suspect, the same of a piratical character, or that she has been illegally
fitted out, or augmented in her force , within the United States, or has
proceeded therefrom in pursuance of any military expedition or enter·
prize contrary to Law, you will seize the same, & give like notice for the
like purpose, to the District Attorney of the United States."
"3d If within our harbours & waters you should discover any of OUT
citizens affording (contrary to Law) any Aid to any foreign armed
vessel, either in repairing her, or in furnishing her. her officers or
Crew, with supplies of any kind, or if your should discover any Pilot
assisting in navigating such armed vessel, unless for the purpose of
carrying her beyond the limits and jurisdiction of the United States,
you will require two or more of your Crew , to observe particularly,
such citizen or pilot & the name of the Witnesses, to the Attorney of
the district in which the offence shall be committed, in order that such
proceedings may be had against such offenders as the Law directs."
"4th You are nOl to conStrue these orders as requiring you to use
force, beyond your ports or harbours, altho within a marine league of
our Coast , in any case where there is not a prospect of success."
You are to keep me informed of all your movements and transactions
relative to the Public Service- also to transmit to me a report of all
seizures which you may make under the Embargo Law, copies of which
you are desired to forward to the Navy Department. At the expiration
of the present Embargo Law, you are to return to this port to receive
my further instructions.
You will be pleased to address your letters to this place & to send
duplicates of them to New Port Respectfully [&c.]
Lieut. Comdt Wm M_ Crane
Comdg U.S. Brig Nautilus
(Signed) jno Rodgers