“Right of search, indeed!” exclaimed Max hotly, “there was no right about it, it was all an outrageous wrong. The British had no more right to search our ships than we had to search theirs.”
“But deserters should be caught and punished,” said Albert.
“Perhaps that’s so,” said Max: “I don’t say it is, or it isn’t; but they often and often took native-born Americans, asserting, without a shadow of proof, that they were English. American captains said they always chose the most ship-shape sailors in the crew, and, of course, those wouldn’t always be the Englishmen, supposing there were any Englishmen among them.
“One can imagine that it was exceedingly exasperating to be forced in that way into foreign service, especially that of a nation their own country had been having a bloody war with only a little while before; under the red flag of England, too, instead of the beautiful Stars and Stripes they loved so well.
“And if one of them showed any unwillingness to serve his kidnappers, he was triced up and flogged till his back was cut to ribbons, and the blood spurted at every blow.
“Of course they detested the service they had been forced into, and that was made so dreadful to them, would desert whenever they had a chance; and if they were caught again they were speedily hung at the yardarm.”
“It was hard when a mistake was made and a real American impressed,” conceded Albert, “but, of course, the English government had a right to take her own men wherever she could find them.”
“I have no objection to Englishmen submitting to such tyranny, if they choose,” sneered Max, “but Americans are made of different stuff; they are free and glory in their freedom, and never would, and never will, put up with such treatment. And I say again, British officers had no right to board our ships without leave or license, and forcibly rob them of part of their crew. It was an abominably cruel and tyrannical thing for them to do, even before the Revolution, and most outrageously insulting beside, after the war when we were no longer colonies of Great Britain, but free and independent states.”
“I don’t recall the occurrence you refer to,” said Albert, “but surely before the war they had the same right to impress American subjects as they had to take their fellow-subjects of Great Britain.”
“Let me recall one incident to your memory, and see if even an Englishman can approve of it in these days,” said Max.