The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-11 00:00:00

States sufficient justification for maintaining, for
at least some time to come, the struggle on which
they have now entered. We tender no advice, we
hold out no hope, we simply wish to state the
reasons which most probably actuate the Danish
people in prolonging a resistance which some affect
to think must be unavailing. We have hitherto
refused to give Denmark any material assistance,
and we have no right to assume the office of men-
tors when we are not asked for our advice. Unless
we put ourselves in the position of the Danes, we
cannot possibly appreciate their sentiments ; but,
placed in their position, we venture to say that
thoughts of submission would be the last which
would occur to the national mind.
TIMES.—A very important series of despatches
on the subject of the Alabama and her consorts has
just been presented to Parliament. It contains a
collection of documents, such as protests, affidavits,
and consular reports, relative to the depredations of
these cruisers, as well as the communications which
have passed between the Foreign-office and Mr.
Adams, or his Government, upon tl- e claims pre-
ferred on behalf of American citizens. These last
do not include any arising out of the Alexandra
case, or those which have been exchanged with re-
ference to the ironclads, on both of which topics
Lord Russell and Mr. Layard claimed the privilege
of reticence on Tuesday night, on the ground that
they involve questions still pending. For a different
reason the remarkable letter of Mr. Seward, dated
July 11, which appeared in our columns on Monday,
has no place among these papers, although it has
been laid before Congress. It now appears, from
the statements made in both Houses, that this
letter, though authentic, was never delivered by
Mr. Adams to Lord Russell. No one who has
perused it will find fault with the discretion exer-
cised by the United States Minister, to whose
pacific efforts Lord Russell himself bears emphatic
testimony. A remonstrance which, though it con-
cluies with a compliment to the dignity of Great
Britain, warns us that, unless we lay an embargo
on Confederate privateers, they shall be pursued
" into the ports which thus, in violation of the
law of nations and the obligations of neutra-
lity, become harbours for the pirates," was scarcely
likely to promote the object which Mr. Adams
had at heart. It was probably judicious to treat
this missive as an isolated ebullition, written in an
interval of very natural but not very statesmanlike
vexation. At all events, it is out of harmony with
the moderate and argumentative tone which cha-
racterises the representations actually made to our
Government. The first despatch in this correspon-
dence which requires our attention is that of Lord
Russell to Mr. Adams, dated March 9, with respect
to a demand from the New York Mutual Insurance
Company. This demand may be taken as a type of
those which follow in rapid succession throughout
these pages. The claimants urge that since the
Alabama was built, fitted out, and despatched from
a British port, chiefly manned by British sailors,
taken out of British jurisdiction by a trick, pro-
tected by the use of the British flag, and admitted
to British ports in the colonies as a man-of war, she
was, " to all intents and purposes, a British vessel."
In some of these memorials, several of which are
framed on a uniform model, or " common form," as
lawyers would call it, two further arguments are
used. The one is that she was allowed to leave our
waters after due notice of her character and desti-
nation had been furnished to our Government ; the
other, that since, if she had been seized by the Tus-
caroraor any other Federal man-of-war after leaving
our territory, she would infallibly have claimed the
priviieges of British ownership, she must be a Bri-
tish "piratical craft." We have not space to discuss
points founded on the supposition of what the Ala-
bama would have done under circumstances which,
thanks to the inactivity of the Federal navy, never
occurred. We have to deal only with Lord Russell's
answers, which have always embodied an entire and
explicit disclaimer of responsibility. On July 13 he
adheres to what he had said on March 9, and on
September 14 he protests against such pretensions
on account of captures made by vessels "originally
built" here, but " fitted out" as warlike cruisers in
foreign ports, as "entirely at variance with the
principles of international law, and with the de-
I cisions of American Courts of the highest au-
thority." He adds that he hopes Mr. Adams
may not again be instructed to put forward
claims which her Majesty's Government can-
not admit to be founded on any grounds of
law or justice." It was after this that Mr.
Adams applied to Washington for instructions as
to the course which he should thenceforth pursue,
and the result is announced in the important de-
spatch of October 23. As this despatch and Lord
Russell's reply to it represent with great accuracy
the two conflicting views, and complete the plead-
ings, so to speak, on either side, it may be worth
while to give a summary of their contents. Mr.
Adams starts by pointing out that Great Britain
and the United States are at peace, and mutually
bound by treaty to restrain their respective subjects
from making war upon each other. He next dwells
on the ravages of the Alabama, roving over the seas
" without lawful authority" that can be recognised
by international law, and "in open defiance of all
judicial tribunals" that can take cognisance of piracy.
Dieu comes the gravamen of the charge. She was
" built with the intent to make war against the
United States by British subjects, in a British port,
and prepared there to be armed and equipped with
a specific armament adapted to her construction for
the very purpose" of preying on American com-
merce. That armament and equipment were
"simultaneously prepared by British subjects, in a
British port, with the intent to complete her pre-
paration for her career," and the transfer of the ar-
mament to the hull was clandestinely arranged and
carried out " with the connivance of her British
holders." From these circumstances, taken together,
Mr. Adams infers " one single criminal intent run-
ning equally through all the portions of this pre-
paration," and, inasmuch as our Government,
though "bound by treaty obligations and the law
of nations to prevent the execution of it," did not
act with "promptness and energy enough" to frus-
trate the enterprise, he continues to insist that we
ought to indemnify American shipowners for the
losses which they have sustained. On the other
hand, he assures Lord Russell that "the United
States desire to maintain amity as well as peace,"
that they fully appreciate our difficulties, and that
they are willing to defer the settlement of their
claims for the present, or even to submit them to
arbitration. Lord Russell's response, dated Oct.
26, is more succinct and less controversial. He avails
himself of the admission that the present moment
is not the most favourable for the calm and candid
examination of the facts and principles in dispute.
At the same time he seizes the opportunity to show
the material distinction between such proceedings
as Washington's Government prohibited, when the
French attempted to make American ports their
basis of operations against this country, and those
which are the subject of these complaints. " The
British Government must decline to be responsible
for the acts of parties who fit out a seeming mer-
chant ship, send her to a port or to waters far from
the jurisdiction of a British Court, and there com-
mission, equip, and man her as a vessel of war."
Mr. Adams meets this in his rejoinder, dated Oct.
31, by denying that the Alabama and other vessels
of the same class " ever bore the semblance of mer-
chant ships, oven to her Majesty's officers who re-
ported upon them." This is virtually the close of
the correspondence, for we can hardly treat the
allegation that the Alabama adopted at pleasure the
British or any other flag that might suit her pur-
pose as a substantive grievance. We have no inten-
tion of reopening the controvery which is thus sus-
pended, especially as we have so recently examined
the theory on which Mr. Adams' reasoning is based.
There are one or two considerations, however, which
will bear repetition, and cannot be excluded from
any review of this question. The first of these is that
the case of the Alabama, Florida, and Oreto is alto•
gether new, and cannot be directly brought under
any definite rule of international law. The fact is,
that it is only since steam power has revolutionised
naval warfare that the construction of one or two
such vessels in neutral building yards has been
capable of inflicting such annoyance on an enemy
and it is the peculiar fact that the harbours of the
Southern Confederacy are blockaded that makes the
power of procuring a navy elsewhere so invaluable
to them. If we refer to
enatrlltht
,vtienenhrt test-writers,
enulrsbi
wti
feeoiratrs
,y.
therefore,,li
i instance,
etuetathfine
are
contem-
plated
eaf fe
si uel t i rt.
ger
t thatbl
milesa t et. dhoebvya i
captureon themlviolations
tuio:
frnaa rsl
aeo
cfdbnni
tmonpofunul
tdrtur: i
thereat
sheieepera,aetdwl
übteltehe duties
laws
aeawsr:esyte.
ni
nudtnitnn
must
l municipal
ndui
psttaol neutralitybaseetkat
inot
fora
enforced,
as are
ue ffile acprire
whetheriodnetrfif
definition
oirt
the
all
ohuner
as well as proof that a neutral Go-
vernment
by
y i it as
subjects.answerable
Rightsf o for all
are
always
soyf s suchcur
duties.
relative to duties, or even remedies to rights, and it
by
no means follows that because we ought, out of
self-respect or for reasons of domestic policy, to pro-
hibit or punish certain acts, a foreign Government
has a right to call us to account where we fail to do
so, because its own interests may he affected, There
is such a thing as damnum absque infuriti , and this
may be an example of it. Nor can we help endors-
ing Lord Russell's pertinent remark that no efficient
measures seem to have been taken by the United
States Government to capture the Alabama. In the
despatch which we have already quoted Mr. Seward
informed us that a naval force was being prepared
for this object with the utmost vigour, but we
have heard nothing more of it as yet. The default
of the plaintiff himself is often a good defence on an
action for negligence, and we are far from certain
that it might not be pleaded hero. Still the fact
remains that in the opinion of the highest legal
authorities our laws have been shamelessly infringed,

-----------.....-----t.----------
it.
andi that a friendly Power has suffered hi be
'Though we believe that no culpable ladies can
r , 4
brought. home to our Government, and den.Y tt
there is even a prinvl facie case for matterarbitratiou,`"
are far from being disposed to treat the to,
lightly. So long ago as the 26th of last Alarcb, 3)
we learn from a very instructive despatch (10',a,
from. Lord Russell to Lord Lyons, the farnier. the
" the.dei,
mitted, in an interview with Mr. Adorns,
cases of the Alabama and the Oreto 'Ore a seanWe
and in some degree a reproach to our laws' „ sin
have no wish to retract that admission. ,',. 9,,a
cerely lament this gross abuse of our neutrailWeil
which the Alabama enjoys, we
while. we cannot blame ourselves for the I,,El3,l3,tijeci'
give the `.',,.eciv
deuce of our good faith by aticipating ahnltLii nce
sions of the Foreign Enlistment Act with a Yib" a
which some denounce as inquisitorial.,

STATE OF TRADE.

5 we
MANCHESTER, Feb. 9.—la shipping la° bly
Con i 5
had a better demand yesterday, with co
more business than of late. To-day the feelishsch
not quite so good, except for water-twist, for /.0,16.
a fair demand has been experienced for the Heal.
terranean. For other descriptions of ocport:Yaners
the demand has been slow, owing to many '31)`111-10
asking higher prices. For home trade yarns we 003.
and stron er ma -1.
had more activity a grket. itS
lb
pared with last Tuesday, prices are id. to id' I)si
higher for numbers up to 40's, while for 6O'll
uTpwards prices have advanced id. to Id. p!:verf
There has been but a limited business, peoplead
in home trade yarns to-day, peoPle,
eee
mostly supplied their wants, on Friufi;
°
yesterday. The cloth-market has sis prl
quieter to-day than yesterday. Yesterdsi vc:3.oeo
quite an active demand, and a very fair 1),51.-nitt 10
was done in quarters where sellers were Wi',,jl;iid
take old prices. The same more cheerful je-diro
which prevailed yesterday continued to-daY' 5:30'
have had on all sides inquiries for goods; b 5;, the
ness has been a good deal restricted, ovviag;`ldiri
advance now asked by manufacturers, WI:1° ie,eciedge
posed to demand higher prices, from thel°l°' 040
that, in addition to stocks being small, the Pr ,to
tion of cloth has been a good deal lessened W3O
the last few weeks. The chief demand hfisbe:so
40-inch shirtings and figured goods for Cu
the advance is practically 3d. per piece highetc,
many sellers are asking even a larger adlttAlia-etiefl(l'
LEEDS, 9th.—There was a tolerablYo,',h.l3sll/
ante of buyers, as well as sellers, in the o° 05
thisd morning, and a fair amount of hosis,led,
one in spring goods, including I:Deltas,
and fancy cloakings. The purchases were 131:6 a 0:
the home trade houses, the aspect of afftlir":,ivit'
Continent of Europe still checking operatic)." colt'
the Germanic Powers, and the bulk octet,s
dian trade for spring fabrics now being A,iso
is a steady but not very brisk business ',lo
c.
.plain black cloths of good make and fiais,b+, of 13:
is no falling off in the general acti`l'l'Votric;'
woollen manufacturers of the surroundivg „ILO°
and those in this borough are all well ellirot
there being little or no short time-runnic- fiend tbe
chinery. Wools still keep up in price'
same may be said as to other raw materials' 'OP
to almost every description of woollen 10111
made in the West Riding. „ .1301i51
NOTTINGHAM, 9th.—To-day being a ",-I,febit),„;
thereh was a very small attendance at this"-60clvt
all. The demand for lace yarns was fia,t;',aitedl,
amount of business done was exceedingli
little or no alteration in prices. There liWas joicert
passing in hosiery yarns, and recent curolc-cete"
fully quoted. In silks no change of iraP°rt;ll:l 91'
place. The demand for brown nets coilt-ue
guid, and prices remain stationary.
ROCHDALE, 8 t h.—To-day's has been Li nitie
animated market than we have had for ri,l33oerellasf
past. Although goods are easier to sell'
are only made by the merchants as irolocili; big ci/h
sities require. Prices of all goods Vel)-1 0111,'
higher than for years past—and this
depresses the demand for Yorkshire gods' -Tritoe.
of which, except scourers, are saleable. oti°'c
tions in wool are trifling, owing to then c off'l4
temper of the manufacturers and the obsece
inducement in the way of price.