Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1840-1842, 1842-03-03


invoked aud reius d; j. that unirsrdy ioteIies-
ehee IS deprecated, and those cool Offices and friend
| ~ assistsnees expected which Government usual
" ehords TO citizens Of friendly Power when In
stances occur OF disasee and distress. All that the
| United Saes require, il these cases, they woult
eNrect IN the ports cf England, well IN thos'
| OF Le' colonies Surely, the influence OF local Law
cannot affect the relations OF nations in any suel
matter as this.
Suppose an American vessel, with slaves law
fully on board, were TO be captured 10y a Btitisl
cruiser as belonging to some bellgerent, while III
omtcd States were a. peace; suppose such pTiz
eauicd into England, and the neutrality OF the YES
sci fully made out IN the proceedings in Admiralty
anu restoration consequently decreed-in such
must not the slaves be restored exactly in the
uuon IN which they were when The capture wa
made Would any one contend that the fact o
tneir having been carried into England by force sci
them free
No alteration Of her own local laws can be either
increased or diminished, or any way affect the duty
OF the Eng iSh Government and its colonial authori-
ties IN such cases, such duty exists according TO
the Law, the comfy, and the usases of the nations.
The persons board the "Creole" could only have
been regarded as Americans passing fcom one part
of the United States 10 another, within the reach Of
British authority only for the moment, and this
ly by force aud violence-ro seek to give either TO
persons or property thus Brought within reach al
English character, or to impaTi 10 either English
privileges, or to subject either 10 English burdens
VI haNNiboS Gunner, IN the opinion OF tue SONern-
nent OF the United States, he justified. Suppose
that by the law OF England all blacks were slaves,
anu incapable of any other condition; II persons OF
that COLOR free in the United States, should in at
tempting TO pass from one pot TO another in their
own country, be thrown by tress OF weather with
IN British jurisdiction. and there be detained Tor an
hour or day, would It DO reasonable that British
authority should lie made 10 upon their condition.
and to make them slavtsl
Or suppose thet an article Of merchandise, opium
: me A - II
United States 10 be a nuisance, poison, thing in
which no property could lawfully exist or DC assert
ed: and suppose that English shin with such
cargo on board, bound from one English port to an
other, shonld be driven by stress Of weather. or by
mutny OF the creNr, into the potts of the United
States, would it be held jus, and reasonable that
such cargo should receive character from Amer
can law, and be thrown overheard and DESTROYED
ny the American author,ios' IL Is in vain that any
attempt IS made 10 answer these suggestions by ap-
pealins TO general principles OF humanity. This is
point IN regard Ia which nations must DO permit
ted 10 act upon different views, ifthey entertain diff
iereni views, under their actually existing condition
end yet hold commercial intercourse with one an
other or no, hold any such intercourse al. II may
be added, that all attempts by the Government OF
one nation TO force the Influence Gifts laws on that
OF another. Tor any obec; whlicv.r, generally de-
ieat their own purposes, by producing di,saiislac
uon, resentment anu evaporation Better i, it, fir
better IN ali respects, that csch nation should be
eii without interference or ANNOYANCE direc, or in
direct, 10 its undoubted right of exercising its own
judgment IN regard 20 all things belonging to its do
mosuc interest and domestic duties.
There are two general considerations of the
highest practical Importance, TO which YOU WILL in
the proper manner invite the attention oil Her Ma
leSiy's Government.
The first IS, that, MS civilization has made mo-
sress IN the world, the intercourse Of nations has
become more and more independent of differen,
lorms OF government and ditf.rcn, systems of Inv
ard religion. IL is not now, as it was IN ancient
times, that every foreigner Is considered rs there
tore an enemy; and that, rs soon as he comes into
the country, he may I've lawfully treated as a slave:
nor IS the modern intercourse OF States carried on
mainly, or a, all, Tor the purpose OF imposing, by
one naten on another, new forms OF civil govern
ment, new rules OF property, or new modes of do
mesiic regulation. The great communities of the
world are regarded ns wholly independent, each en-
titled TO maintain IFS own system OF law and Go.
veFnmen', while oil IN their mutual int rcourse nre
understood 10 submit 10 the established rules and
principles governing such intercourse And the
perilcling OF this system OF communication amons !
nations req hires the strc;est application OF The doc.
'rine OF non Intervention Of any with the domestic
concerns Of others.
The other is that the United States and England.
now by far the two greatest commercial nations in
The world, touch each other both by sea and land
NJ almost innumera6le points, and with systems OF
general jurisprudence essentially alike, yet differing
IN The iorms Of their Government and IN their laws
respecting personal serviludc; and, that so widely
does this last mentioned difference extend lis inhu
ence, that without the exercise to the fullest exten,
oil Inc doctrine of non-lnte!tereuce and mutual 40.
stnence from any thing affecting each others do.
nestle regulations, the peace OF the two countries,
ana therefore the peace OF the world, always viii
be an danger.
The Bahamas British possessions) push them
selves near TO the shores OF the United States and
thus he almost directly in he track Of that great
part oil their coastwise traffic, which doubling the
lane oil Florida. Of Al,
with the ports and harbors On tie Gulf Of Mexieo
and the great commercir. emporium on the Mlss!s-
sppi. The seas in which these British possessions
are situated, are seas Of shallow water ful OF reefs
aud bars subject 10 violent action OF the winds and
10 the agitatons caused by the Gulf Stream They
must always, therefore, he Of dangerous navigation,
and accidents must be expected frequently TO occur
such rs will cause American vessels TO be wrecked
1n British Islands, or compel them 10 seek shelter in
British ports. IL is quite essential that the name,
Il which such vessels, their crews aud cargoes, IN
whatever such caTgoes consist are to be treated in
hese cases OF misfortune and distress, should be
,leary and fully known.
You are acquainted with the correspondence
which took place few years ago, between the
American a0d English Governments respecting the !
,nsos o. the Enterprise, the COMET and the Enco
MUM. call your attention 10 the Journal OF the
Senate OF the United States, containing resolutions
UNANIMOUSLY adopted ~ that lody resp cling thoss
cases. These resolutions, believe, have already
otcn brought 10 the notice OF Her Maiesty's Co.
yernmeni, but II may be wei that both tie reso,u-
lions themselves and the debates upon them be again
idvered TO. You will find the resolutions, Of course
lmong the documents regularly Transmitted 10 the
legation, and the debates in the newspapers with
which j! has been supplied i5om this Department.
You will avail yourself Of an early opportunity
II communicating 20 Lord Aberdeen, in the manner
Nh Oh you may deem most oxpedIeni, the substance
1i this despatch; ana you will receive further 10
'irGctons respecting the case Of the Creole unless
i shal. become the subject Of DISCUSSION at Wash.
ngton.
In a.. your communications with Her Majesty |
Government, you will seek 10 impress It with fu |
conviction oi the dangerous imporian-et 10 the peace
Of the two countries Of occurrences Of this kind and
the del'a,e nature OF the questions 10 which they
give rise.