Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1841-12-30
The Right Of Search.
THE UNITED STATES, GREAT BRL
TAIN. AND THEIR AGENTS.
From tie PAiladeiph;a Inou;,,r.

we nave before us in the National Intelligent
Ger OF Monday, the correspondence between Mr..
Stevenson, lord Palmerston and Lord Aberdeen.
relating to the detention Of American vessels ON
the African coast by British armed cruisers. II
occupies nearly eight of the broad columns of the
the first letter being dated AUGUST
3, le4l, the last October 2lst, 1871.
The hrst letter is from Lord Palmerston to Mr..
stevenson, In which the complaint of the latter
Is thus recapitulated -
"Ihat on the 2ist October, 1899. Lieutenant
oeagram boarded the Douglass" while she was
pursuing her voyage on the coast Of Africa, ex.
amined the ships papers and the passengers
passports broke open the matches, hauled down
the American flag, and seized the vessel as a
SLAYER; that he kept possession of her durinu
eight days namely, from the 2ist October, 1889,
to the goth Of same mouth; that the officers and
men of the douglass" became i'll from their Sx.
Pos9re to the sun, and that in consequence, three
OF them died, and the captain is still in had
heaith. And MIR. Stevenson expresses the conf
dent expectation Of the President of the United
States that her Majesty's Government will make
prompt reparation for the conduct of Lieutenan,
Seagram in this case, and will take efficient
means to prevent the recurrence of such abu.
ses."
Loro saImerston then gives an outline of the
case' as reported by Lieut.. Seagram, and arrives
the conclusion that the detention of the Doug
lass stock place under full belief that Lieut.. S.
was pursuing course which would be approved
by the Government of the United States; and in
his conduct towards the crew of the vessel. he
appears scrupuiously to have avoided any act
which would justly give cause of offence to
friendly Power. Lord p. has therefore 10 ex-
press the confident hope of Her Majesty's Gov
eminent, that, upon consideration of the whole
case, the Government of the United States will
be OF opinion that, although the act of Lieutenant
Seagram, in OBTAINING United States slave-tra-
ding vessel was, in the abstract, Irregular, yet
the Impression under which he did it, and the
motives which prompted him to do it, exempt
him from any just blame"
The second letter is from Lord p. to Mr.. s. !,
reply to complaint, with regard to two other
American vessels. Anexplanatian of these ga
ses is given, and Lord P concludes thus:
but unless the United States Government
shall consent to make, with the other Powers or
Christendom, some agreement of the nature of
tnat which their naval officer on the coast of Az
fica spontaneously entered into with the British
navai commander on that station, these abuses
WIN NOT only continue to exist, but will increase
In magnitude every day; and the end will be
mat the slave trade will be carried on exclusively
uhuef tne shelter OF the flag, and by the special
protection OF the Executive Government of that
nation, whose Legislature was among the first to
pronounce the crime Infamous, and to ailix to il
the severest penalties"
we nave then other letters, aluding to further
complaints by the American Minister, and in
one' from MIR. 5. to Lord Aberdeen, under date
OF September 10, ls4l. Mr.. S. says that the Gov
eminent of the United States is not insens;bls ~
the force of the considerations which belono 70
the subject Of the African slave trade. but il new
ertheless cannot consent to promote the views of
'he british Government on this subject, "by sac
rhcing the rights of its citizens, or the homo, Of
its fag.''
Lord Aberdeen replies at length. In this re-
ply, he renounces sail pretension on the mart If
the British Government to visit and search ,.r
i'ah vessels in time of peace;' and says that the
vessels referred to, ''are visited not as American
Out either as British vessels engaged in an un-
ia"'ui traffic and carrying the flag of the United
states Tor a criminal purpose, or as BELONGING to
states which have by treaty conceded to Great
britain the right Of search" He admits further
'hat $50 much respect and honor are due TO the
american nag, that no vessel bearing it ought to
DC visited by British cruiser, except under the
Hios' grave suspicious, and well founded doubts
Vi 'he genuneness Of its character. He saws al
So that The ''most precise and positive instuc
lions have been issued to the British officers on
this subject" Great Britain, he adds umaks No
Pfe'enslons, claims no right, which she is not
ready to concede to the United States"
Mr.. Stevenson's reply, which closes the cor
respondence, occupies about two columns. He
states the question between the two Governments
thus:
The Government of Great Britain, with that of
other nations, regarding the African slave trade
as grea' evil, united in measures for its aboli-
noh.-for that purpose, laws were passed and
saties concluded, giving to the vessels of each
Oh the contracting parties the mutual right of
search, under certain limitations. independent
OF tnese treaties and under the principles of pub
Tic law, this right Of search could not be excrcis
ed. The United States were invited to become
party to these treaties; but, for reasons which
they deemed satisfactory, and growing out of the
peculiar character of their institutions and sys-
sems OF government, they declined doing so-
!hey deemed 1t inexpedient, under any modifca-
tion or In any form, to yield the right of having
their vessels searched inteiered with In time of
peace, upon the high seas. With the history of
the negotiations which took place on this subject.
between the two Governments Lord Aberdeen ;s
doubtless informed. In the mean time. some of
the Powers who were parties to these treaties
and others who refused TO become so. continued
toProsecute their slave traffic and to enable them
In N CO In nnH.ox