The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1852-08-17 00:00:00

profitabk,

literary connoisseur, describes the extreme difficulty

experienced by an intelligent traveller through a

certain country of the East, in

discovering the real

origin of a war which he found raging between the
inhabitants and another powerful nation. After
many fruitless endeavours to ascertain the source

of the hostilities, (which

he found to have been

going on for a long period of years,) he at last came

,n contact with an old than, who had heard a tra-

dition that the war was originally attributable—in a

former generation—to the childish and momentary

caprice of a favourite Sultana

fitted to wake " angels weep,'

if, in a generation hence, GREAT BRITAIN and the

I be found
engaged in hostilities derived from a misunderstand-
ing between these two great countries as to the
North American Fishery Q
We cannot but feel deeply grieved that a states-
man so deservedly admired and respected on many
accounts, as DANIEL WEBSTER, should have lent
the

UNITED STATES OF

RICA. should

stion in the year 1552

of his powerful breath to fan the sparks of
ealousy and hostility, lighted by the recent fishery
quarrel, into a flame. With such an example before
them, it is little surprising that the American jour-
nals should have used their best endeavours to
excite a war-feeling against England among our
Transatlantic cousins. In the arrogance not un-
natural to the denizens of a country making pro-
gress, almost unparalleled, in 'the development of
resources, the Yankee journalists have
been counting up the advantages which they think
the Republic is certain of deriving from a war with
England; and, in several of their papers, language
expressive of boastful self-reliance and defiant in-
sult is 'unsparingly made use of. Notwithstanding
all this mighty pother, however, we feel too much
confidence in the natural shrewdness and good
sense, both of the Americans and of the English,
to apprehend any serious or protracted misunder-
standing between the two countries. That it would
be madness in either of them to engage in war with
the other, if it could be honourably avoided, must
be sufficiently clear, on reflection, even to the most
prejudiced and jealous American or Englishman;
and notwithstanding the strong opinions expressed
by the American press, we feel certain that, on a
calm consideration of the merits of the case, the
American Government and People will acknowledge
that it is one which is much more fitted for Quiet
and purely rational discussion than for making the
subject of a national war-cry.
Brother JONATHAN has, no doubt, a considera-
ble bump of combativeness in his cranium, else
would he be scarcely kith and kin to JaHN Bum.;
and we don't expect that the ELinu BURRITTS
will talk him out of it; but he is already too ad-
vanced in political age to allow a bit of braggadocio
to interfere with the real welfare of his country.
We doubt not that Mr. Secretary WEBSTER'S
somewhat inflammatory speech at 'Marshfield will
presently be treated on both sides of the Atlantic as
a piece of election balderdash, unworthy, perhaps,
of the man, though by no means useless for his pur-
pose; and that the quarrel between thetwo Govern-
ments, if indeed any do exist, will be at once set right
in the proper quarters. There cannot exist a difference
of opinion on-the real meaning of the Convention of
1818, upon a supposed ambiguity in which it is
suggested that the quarrel is founded. It is clear
that the intention of the contracting parties was,
that the Americans should be allowed to fish all
along the open coasts of the British North American
possessions, at a distance of not less than three
marine miles from the land. With respect to
111.4.1“, .41 .• 11.1101.," 11.1
cci-
tain distinctly specified cases, the Americans were
clearly prohibited from fishing in them. It was after-
wards urged, however, on behalfof the citizens of the
United States, that-the BAY OF FUNnY was so ex-
tensive as to partake of the character of the high
sea, and that it was a bard thing that the Americans
should not be allowed to carry on theinfishing ope-
rations there. Lord 'ABERDEEN, listening to an
appeal on this point, which was made rather in
misericordiam, than as a claim of right, conceded
the requested boon in 1844,„as a permission merely,
and not as a recognition of any right under the Con-
vention of 1818; and as to the recent frams, what-
ever conduct may have been tolerated, either from a
spirit of liberality, or-through inattention, by the
British authorities, it is clear that no•serious claim
of the assumed right has ever been urged on behalf
of the United States.

its internal

But whatever may have been the existing belief
with regard to the rights of the Americanc in the
middle of the'Bay ofFundy, it must not be forgot-
ten that the position of the American smack about
whose seizure so much fuss has been made, was
within three miles—in fact, within musket,shot—
of the British shore ; and there is no shatlow of
a pretext for saying that the Bay should be treated
differently, in favour of the Americans, from the
open coasts. The charge made against the British
Government for not giving notice of their intention
to send fresh foree3 into the Northern Seas, as far as
regards the seizure of the vessel just mentioned, is
evidently absurd; and we are not aware of any
Aliplomatic rule, acknowledged by the comity of
nations, providing that one Power should give
notice to another that it purposes to do its duty by
enforcing treaties, and protecting the undoubted
rights of its subjects. But, in truth, notice was
actually given to the American Government, in the
month of June, to the effect that, in order to pre-
serve such rights of the subjects of Great Britain
as had not been " conceded" away, an adequate
naval force would be stationed in those seas—the
then existing one being totally insufficient for the

purpose.
Her MAJESTY'S Government have only been
repairing the damage done by the negligence or
facile indifference of previous ministers, and proving
their determination to rescue from impending mis-
chief an important department of our colonial enter-
prize ! and though the occasion has been "im-
proved" by a skilful American orator, and a rabid
press, for the passing purposes of an election,
there is no chance that the Government of the
United States will quibble itself into a disastrous
war with Great Britain, on grounds so thoroughly
untenable.

BANKRUPTCY COURT, YESTERDAY.—RefOhn Timothy.
—This bankrupt passed his last examination, and the:3oth
of September was fixed as the date fir granting the certi-
ficate.— Re Julius Harris.—This bankrupt also 'went
through his last examination, the day fixed for granting
the certificate being the 14th September.—Re
Monies.—A dividend meeting was held in the case of
this bankrupt, one of the late firm of Monies and Richard-
son. The proceedings were in relation to the private
estate of Wm. Neil Monies.—Re Avery and Street—A
meeting was held in the case& these bankrupts, who were
hoatbuilders at Birkenhead, for the choice of assignees.
The whole of the proceedings had little public interest.
PHILHARMONIC CONCERT, LAST NIGHT.—The expec-
tation of Mendelssohn's Elijah, announced for last night,
was ostensibly blighted by the publication of a letter from
Herr Formes, stating his incapability to fulfil his engage-
ment, owing to a full rehearsal of Jullien's monstre Opera.
Elijah, therefore, at a notice of a few hours. was kindly
undertaken by Mr. Armstrong. This gentleman's talent
is well known, and we regret that time alone prevents our
expatiation upon the admirable manner in which he met
and overcame all the difficulties of so embarrassing a posi-
tion. He was in excellent voice, and, had we ever
doubted it, we could refer to his performance as an un-
equivocal demonstration of science, taste, and expression,
of superior stamp. The other vocalists were the Misses
Alleyne and Eyles, and Mr. Swift. The former has
been heard before, and perhaps our remembrance of
Jenny Lind and Viardot Garcia operated unfavourably.
Miss Eyles is a mezzo soprano of much promise, and was
most deservedly encored in a song in the first part. Mr.
Swift possesses fine natural requisites; but his occasional
forcing renders his intonation imperfect, and more conso-
nancy with punctuation and sentiment in the recitatives
would materially heighten the effects. The chorus was ad mi-
rabic, and the instrumental department was much indebted
to the excellence of the wind instruments ; but the violins,
always a weak point at this institution, appear anything
but improved. :With a lively recollection of the splendid
effect produced, in the same room, by the five Hungarian
violinists, we must own our disappointment at the infe-
rior result from nearly four times the number. The en.
cores were numerous. The room was far from crowded,
owing to a great number of persons availing themselves of
the Committee's offer to return the money to those who
were dissatisfied with the unavoidable change et arrange-
ments.