The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-07-22

four when he saw them preparing to a., '- "a
| schooner. la our opinion, the Governor OF r~'a
acted very Judcionsly in combining himself To- !
| SIMPLE remonstraDce. But further, Captain Reia'l
| own story shows that the fault was his own. by
his own admission, he fired the first shot. And had
| he yielded under protest, he clearly ought "a
| have done, 10 force which could have blown him
| out OF the water by single broadsie, it would
| then have become the duty of the Portuguese gov
eminent 10 interpose for the recovery of his ship
| Composing her 10 have been illegally cap,ured),
| either by representation TO the British Commo-
| dore, or by proceeding in our Court of Admiralty
Instead of that, he chose To commit the inconcev.
able FOLLY OF Offering resistance which could end
IN nothing but the utter destruction of his vessel
III ue demolition Of which, indeed, he and his
crew lent a helping hand. Whether, under such
circumstances, any claim for compensation can be
sustained against the government of Portugal, APP
peas 70 us 10 say the least, extremely questionable.
But there is much more in the case than thus.
II appears from dispositions sworn before the Vice
Sohsul at fayaif on the very same day, few
Ger who commanded the boats crew that the at
tack was provoked, and that the neutral territory
was really violated, by the privateer herself
That on Monday, the 10th inst, at about eight
o'clock In the evening he was ordered to 20 in ths
pinnace, or guard boat unsrmed, on board the brig
| Carnation, To know what armed vessel anchor
In the bay; when Captain Benthsm, Of said brig or
dered him TO inquire Of said vessel (which by Informs
ton was said to be privateer) when said boat came
| near the privsteer, they hailed to say they were
Americans, and desired the English boat to keep Off
or they would fire into hsr upon which Mr. ia wsett
| ordered his men to back astsrn, and, with a boss
hook was in the act OF doing when the ans
in the most wsnton manner, nred .to said boat kill
ed two men and wounding seven, some of them NOR
tally and this, Notwithstanding said Fawsstt fire.
quently called out not to murder them that they
struck and called tor quarter that resistance Of
any kind was made, nor could they do it, not having
any arms, nor Of course sent to attack said vesse
aso several Portuguese boats at the time of un
precedented attack were going ashore which, 1t seems,
were said to be armed boatsn
We also find that, before commencing the at
tack, Captain Lloyd, the officer in command gave
formal notice to the Governor OF Fayal, in these
terms-
"Permit me to inform you that one Of the boats Of
his Britannia MajestyS ship under my command was
without the slightest provocstisn. fired by the
American schooner General Armstrong; In conss-
wounded and the neutrality OF the port, witch had
determined to respect has been thereby violated In
possession of that vessel and you will order
your forts to protect the force employed for that pur
pose"
Now the deposition on oath of Lieutenant Fav-
sett, OF ii. Nj. ). Plantagenet, is good we SUP
pose as the unsupported asseveraton of the in suit
ed muddy OF II. NJ 5. Fantome and the account
OF the affair given by the Commodore of the British
squadron will probably be held, at least in this
country, entitled 10 as much credit as the story Of
the skipper of New York privateer.
e SO much for Mr.. Roebuck's parallel. This n
the claim which, after having been allowed to
slumber until the witnesses were probably dead.
and until the investigation of the facts had become
Impossible, was, for the hrst time, brought before
the Portuguese Government in the year 1887, and
is now being enforced-a proposal of arbitration
having been peremptonly rejected-by the coer-
civs measures for which Sir w. Parker has Just
furnished a convenient precedent. We shall be
curious to see what reply the demand for indem-
nifty, which Portugal will Of course present to tho
real wrong doer, will receive in Downing street.
IL there is any power which, by its mariume pro-
eminence, it's relations with Portugal and its inter-
est in the subjectmater in dispute, il peculiarly
entitled to demonstrate, on the present occasion.
with the cabinet of'Wasbngton, that power 10
Great Britain. Unfortunately, il has recently been
the ambition of the British government, not to SGT
example to the world of a dignfed and scrupu-
lous respect for the dictates OF justice and for the
maxims OF public law, but to emulate and Guido
other nations in transgressing aud despising them
And the very presidents which may be quoted by
the Americans now, or by any other power hero
AFTER in excuse for any irregular act OF violence in
which they may think proper TO indulge, are thoss
which have just been cited in self justc alton by
the ministers of the British crown, amidst the
thoughtless applause Of the British Parliament.
From the London Times, Julyel
IL is natural, though an in tirect, consequences
OF the mode Of proceeding recently employed by
Lord Palmerson 10 enforce certain claims against
the Greek government, that innumerable other
claims, not more doubtful in principle or exagge-
rated in amount than those Of Don Paciiico AVE
started into life, and that other states have been
encouraged TO resort TO proceedings which the late
example OF England forblds the British govern
ment TO condemn. The case Of the Am .rican
claims on Portugal which has already been made
the subject Of peremptory ultimatum b icke by
the presence of a naval squadron, is startling in
stance OF the facility with which such precedsnts
are followed; for not many years ago. a lste
American SECRETARY of State h al himself declared
TO the claimants, that argument and importantly
having been exhausted, the American government
could see nothing in the circumstances 10 Justify
or warrant Il IN havisg recourse to any other
weapons" subsequently to the intelligence of
MIR. Wyse's demands on the Greek government
having reached Washington, IL would seem that
General Taylor and his cabinet have renounced
this forbearanoe, and Lisbon IL accordingly
meDaccd after the example of the Pirnus.
IL Is a curious coincidence that the Portuguese
government should have played an indirect part in
the principal question at Athens, az the original
debtor OF Pacihco, and that 10 should now be held
liable To the American government for damages
occasionrd by the forces Of another power oyev
which It had no control But the latter case is, il
possible, more monstrous and extravagant than
that with which we have rece ntly had oca so, 10
deal On the 9th of September 1914, during the
last war with Great Britain and the United States.
an American armed PRIV tteer, the " General Arm
strong, Captain Reid commanding, entered the
neutral Portuguese harbor of Fayal, to water.
She was followed, though not actually cha sed, by
The British vessels OF war Plantagenet, ~, Rota,
30, and the Csrnation brig, and Captain Reid or
dered his vessel TO be warped in shore uud er the
guns Of the castle for stfety In the course of The
evening violation OF the neutrality of the port Of
Faysl undoubtedly occurred The American
captain swore that four armed boats from the
British vessels were approaching his ship, aud adj
rnts that he, suspecting their Intentions, warsed
them of aud then fired upon them, killiag and
wounding some Of their men. The beats were
said TO have returned the lire with effect (though
that assertion was contradicted, a. in fact they
were not armed at all), but subse luently wore or
to the ships, whence they returned at midnight
with a powerful reinforcement, and severe action
ensued, in which the General Armstrong" was
at length captured and destroyed by the British
So that by this Amr rican yer sion of the story
twas Capt Reid who first violated the neutrality
Of the port The affidavit OF the British officer
shove, however, that the boat fired upon BY the
Americans was unarmed, and was sent in merely
10 make inquiries, in spite Of which IL was bru-
tally attacked by Captain Reds orders. However
this may be, like many similar occurrences in the
heat and chances OF war, the ensuing treaty Of
peace put an end TO all discussion as between the
belhgeren powersr but IL Is not little unjust that
thtry.slx ycars afterwards such case as this
shoHld be made a ground Of complaint and hosli-
lily against the neutral. The Americans allegs
that the Portuguese Governor ought to have as
-