Weekly national intelligencer., 1847-06-12
Where, indeed, for such an abhorrent excuse for

Where, indeed, for such an abhorrent excuse for
furious onslaught as this War-such an incredi-
bic allegation of purposes and principles in support
off are we to find any parallel We know but one,
indelibly impressed upon our memory and that is
in the bombardment of Copenhagen and seizure of
the Danish fleet by the British, in 1907. The his
tory Of that crime is well known but brief reci-
tai of IFS main points will show that it presents,
crowded within single action body of govern
mental guilt far less than that now avowed by this
Administration that the boodshed of this single
scene two thousand Danes and two hundred Bri-
tons) was far less; that the attack had much
clearer necessity to excuse it that Great Britain
stopped at the single object of carrying off fleet and
naval stores which might have come to fall into
Bonapartes hands, and be used against her; that
she added not to her guilt that of seizng upon the
whole (or even half) the Danish domnons, in or
der to widen her own that she set up no claim OF
reimbursement for her expenses of invasion and
slaughter. If, at the time, Britain and Denmark
were friends, the United States and Mexico were
not enemies, but had treaties of peace and friend
ship existing between them until our high Cont
mental" policy broke in and severed those relations.
We know no more faithful history of the times
which it embraces than Baness UarS of the French
Revolution. Two brief extracts from it (London
edition, 1917, quarto, vot ii, PIP. 45 and AZ will
show what was the situation of things under which
England precptated events,' and what excuses
her Ministry made to mankind. We will connect
the two passages by few words of statement as
to the facts of the bombardment itself:
"The year sO7 beheld the continent of Europe appa-
renty PROSTATE the feet Of France The discipline of Aus
a and Prussia had disappeared before the numbers and the
enthusiasm of the French armies and the predominant genius
of their leader The soveregns of those countries had
their capitals filled with hostile armies and their flying
lowering on the frontiers of their former dominons The
house OF Hapsbug had ceased to give empeos Germany
and the downfall OF constitution, transmitted from the euda
behed without astonshmen and probably without
regret The battle of Fedand had convinced the Emperor
OF Russia OF the necessity of peace and the treaty of s
concluded the sh Of July, rather proclaimed than
rmed the power of Bonapae and the weakness of his ad
Versares In these circumstances the eyes of all Europe
were fixed upon England In her they behed Power
which had uniformly resisted with vgor and with comparative
effect the encoachments OF the continental Colossus and
in struggling to support the political system of civilized
Europe she had respected the by which was regulated
In the midst of the disasters and of the continent Den
mark had remained unmoleed, protected by the firm but
temperate politics of her court by the attachment OF the in
habans to the family of the sovereign, and to their
national independence, by the rigid observance of strict
neutrality and by the moral tuptude attached unprovoked
aggression From the general policy of the French Emperor
every thing was to be appehended and the Crown Prince
OF Denmark, draining the of his dominons Of their forces
had for three kept the flower of the Danish youth
sembed the borders of Hoen protect the only quarter
IN which aggression seemed to be possible from the
Of that army which had long hovered its frontier"
The historian then proceeds to relate the ap-
pearance of the British armament on the coast OF
Denmark; the astonsltment and indignation with
which the Danes themselves suddenly sum-
moned TO deliver up their feet-an astonishment
which Mexico would have equally felt, if what is
now revealed had been urged on her, but that the
conduct of this Administration had prepared her to
expect of il every thing monsrous the peremptory
language of Mr.. Jackson-afterwards envoy hither,
and so odious, Copenhagen Jackson," that
his presence here as British ambassador "pre-
cipitated the event" of our war of 1912; the reso-
lutte rejection of his demands; the bombardment,
and its havoc in Copenhagen, which, like Vera
Cruz, was half destroyed. He then relates the i'm
preston produced through Europe by the act, and
the excuses of the English Ministry, described by
Leigh Hunt as
" the cream OF oraons
In behalf of bombarding one'siends and relations"
FROM BAINEs's HISTORY.
'n calculating the Of the gain by this unprece-
dented operation, England had obviously off, FIRST the
expense attending the expedition Copenhagen which pro-
badly amounted TO the prime Of the captured vessels
second the mpacabe animosy Of the whole Danish nation
against this country, devong them with all the of
Denmark, the service of Bonapare third the resentment
expressed and acted upon by the Emperor Russia which
cemened if did dictate his alliance with France and
lastly and above ALL the dminuton that high national cha
acte and consequent influence which Great Britain had
hitherto enjoyed among the nations Of Europe II indeed
asserted, in justification of this measure that his Majesty
had received the most positive information of the detemna-
ton of the present ruler Of France occupy with military
force the territory of Hosten for the purpose of excluding
Great Britain from her accustomed channels Of communca-
ton with the continents inducing compelling the Court
Of Denmark close the passage Of the Sound against British
and navgaton and of avaing himself Of the aid
of the Danish marine for the of Great Britain and
Ireland and further Hosein occupied, Zealand
her disposal The evidence Of the positive information
here alluded exhibited but il contended
and from high authority that ministers had occasion
produce proof Of their assertion that the facts which justified
the seizure Of the Danish feet public and notorious and
be found in the power and animosy Of France the
hnatiI and he i'm