The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1849-06-22

act Of 1884; and the cause came on to BIZ
tried before the Circuit Court Of the United
States, for the district of Maryland, il
April, 1880. The offence charged in the
counts to which the evidence applied was
substantially to this effect: that Johr
d. Quincy was knowingly concerned
in fitting out, in the port of Baltimore
certain vessel called the Bolivar, other
wise Las Damas Argentinas, with the in
tent that she should be employed in the
service of the United Provinces of Rio dc
la Plata, to commit hostilities against the
subjects of his Imperial Majesty Of Brazil
with whom the United States were a
peace, against the form OF the act of Con
gress in such case made and provided. Il
was in proof that the Bolivar was originally
Maryland pilot boat, Of sixty or seventy
tons; and that, at the defendants request
she was fitted with sails and masts larger
than those required for merchant vessel
and was altered in manner to suit hel
carrying passengers, and with a port for {
gun She sailed from Baltimore for ST
Thomas, with provisions on board, thirty
two water casks, one gun-carrage anc
slide, box of muskets, and thirteen kegs
of gunpowder. AT St. Thomas she was
fitted as privateer, and sailed for St.
Eustatia, having changed her name tc
Las Damas .Argentinas. From St. Eus
tatia she proceeded under the command
of the defendant and the Buenos Ayrear
flag, and captured several Portuguese.
Brazilian, and Spanish vessels.
We cite this case merely to show the
circumstances under which Quincy was
indicted. The main point of the defence
turned upon question which does not arise
in the case of the United States. 1t was
contended that this was commercial ano
not privateering enterprise in its incep
ton; and that the question of intent wa:
question exclusively for the jury. The
intent admitted, and there was an end O
the defence. Now, in the case of the
United States, there was no attempt t.
conceal the fact that she was to be fittet
out, equipped, and armed as war steam
er, for one of two belligerent parties, with
both of whom the United States was a
peace. The intent here is hardly ques
ton for jury, in any aspect of the case
it is an inference of law from the admitted
is legal inference from the deliberate use
of deadly weapon. at was not only" az
Baron RoENNE says, in his note of Apr
10 to the Secretary of State, "generally be-
lieved and known that the steamer united
States was destined for the naval service
of the German Empire, but the fact wa,
officially announced to the Government o
the United States, and the latter did no
hesitate to grant the desired facilities il
fitting the steamer out as war steamer.
We have now examined this case by
the light of a well-established Executive
and'Legislative policy, and of well consid
cred judicial decisions. We have proved
that, in issuing the orders of the 23d o
February, Mr.. MASON not only violated
well-defned neutral obligations and duties
but was guilty of infringing positive stat
ute of the United States.
1t appears, then, that the Government
changed hands none too soon. A few
weeks later, and we might have been in
volved in consequences too serious to b
contemplated without shudder If Gen
eral CAss had been elected to the Presi
dency, with his unbridled lust of war, w
are persuaded that nothing could hav,
saved us from the horrors of sanguinar,
collision with the European powers. A
il was, the late Administration left us wha
might well have proved a most fatal legacy
By the wisdom and the frmness of Presi
dent TAYLOR, we have escaped from al
imminent calamity.
The value of the Union's heroics agains
General TAYLOR may be ascertained b,
weighing what that journal now says o
the President with the diatribes its senio
editor was wont to illuminate, through tn
columns of the Richmond Enquirer, agains
General Jackson. Terms equally vile an,
reproachful with those now used agains
General TAYLOR, were literally wovel
| into The xpoof of the Eoo,,,ro,1o danunc, a