The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-03-10

American Union. The preponderdnce OF strength,
as the present census tells US, is passing rapidly
westward, and the most rising States are those of
which the character has yet 10 be developed. The
Union, In fact, is a miniature OF the world, nor is
there single element of disc0rd or progress now
al work in Europe. which may not receive its ult-
mate development on the yet half peoped continent
of North America
Anxiety In England abon Mt south Carolina.
From the London Chronicle, Feb. 20
Everybody knows that the moment British
ship touches at port in South Carolina, those OF
her crew whose complexion falls below recog-
pzed standard Of olive, are mne diateiy taken into
custody by the police, and od ged in PRISON till the
vessel clears outwards. Some extraordinary ex.
amples of this peculiar practice appear TO have
come recently under the notice of our Consul
at Charleston, and he has been instru cted by the
Foreign Office TO lay strong remonsirance on the
subject before the Governor OF the State. The
American newspapers would have US believe
that this procee dmg on the part OF the local agent
of our government has raised a great question
of International law between England and the
United States, and a still greater question OF
constitutional jurisprudence between the State
OF South Carolina and the American Fedora
ton. Ii may be remembered that representa-
tons on the same head were some time since
addressed to President Taylor's administration.
by the English plenipoientiary at Washington, A
not very lucid or satisfactory legal argument sin
ed by Mr. Clayton, was yecsivvssI in reply but it
cohssaea Gear emission that the privilege of in
.drceratng British subjects account of discolo-
ration of the scarfskin was not one of the rights
ceded to the federal government by South Caro-
lima. in the constitutional pact The applicable of
Mr.. Consul Matthew to Governor Means is the di-
rect logical consequence of Secretary Claytons
letter; but, in the sciences of diplomacy and of
constitutional interpretation two and two do not al
ways make four nor is the conclusion at all times
a necessary result of the premises. The federal
authorities, recoiLng from the anomalies which
the independent action of single Sta:e would en-
tail-and not little irriated, perhaps, by the evil
dent cOmDacpncV Of Governor Means YoDpatinO
the words, " our government, " your government"
and the two governments abandoned, IN
der President Fillmore, the position which they
took up under President Tsysr, and Sir Henry
Bulweris engaged in long and active cores
pondence," explanatory of Consul Matthew's d.
plomatic rreguarty in resorting to the subordinate
instead OF the superior.
1t can never be contended that no wrong has
been suffered. The gratuitous imprisonment of a
whole class of British subjects, tested by every cr
teIon of International law, and still more by that
large and liberal version of it which was sanctioned
by the House of Commons in the Greek debate,
amounts to a diplomatic grievance of the first
magnitude. The most cOnsiderate and long suf-
fering OF foreign ministers would never endure
that, under general permission to trade with
a Roman Catholic country, Protestant sailors
should be locked up as soon they landed,
and Romanists only allowed to go at large The
King of Naples is as anxious TO keep free English
men out of his dominions as South Carolina can
be TO exclude free negroes from her boundaries.
But he does not declare that his subjects associate
the presence ofEnglishnen with revolutionary prln.
the characte ristc marks of an English
man are red hair and red whiskers-and that he is
therefore under the painful necessity of imprisoning
ell red.headed foreigners who may visit his realms.
The "bloated Bourbon confines himself to the
expedent-at all events, an impartial One-Of
an interminable quarantine, which is calculated to
slay the most fervent of propagandsts with wear-
ness and esn,t. in the case of America, the in-
dignity offered to US by the South Carolnian prac
tice, is the more inexcusable, because the relations
of the two countries governed nv the
mon law Of nations, or by single treaty, but by
succession of treaties, and by habtudes of CONNER
cial intercourse which possess sanction almost
beyond that of International engagements. Nor
can il be urged against US that we have not ap-
pc aled TO the proper tribunal We had recourse to
The federal government, and we were informed
hat no jurisdiction over the matter resided in
Washington. We now be;ake ourselves to the
Government Of Carolina-a sovereign State, ia |
Every incident OF sovereignty,-which has not been
ran sferred to Washington and the central au-
horlties Immediately interfere with protest. urg-
ne upon us-reasonably, il may be, but most illogi-
,aly-the perplexties which must ensue il we at |
empt TO treat with an isolated member of the fede-
alton on the same footing as with Mexico Chill,
We are thus called upon 10 give our assent TO the |
ioctrine that, by complicated internal arrange
nents, country may contrive to annul Its exter-
lal responsibility,
The truth is, is quite idle to argue, a. diff
Guilty Of public or domestic law, matter which
every soul in the Union admits to be embarrassed
solely by circumstance and accident. Nobody
has shadow OF doubt that, in relinqushing the
OF her external relations TO the |
President and Congress Of the United States, |
South Carolina disqualified herself for the enact |
nent of laws which, by their operation, if not by
heir language, affect the foreign policy of the |
Union The constitution provides a very simple |
node of suIerseding local Jurisprudence where it |
ncroa chts the privileges reserved 10 the collec
i've federation. But the difficulty commences at
he next stage. The fiery citizens Of South Caro-
ina would be sure TO disregard the disallow-
n{ fhsty aefa hV he shl
horitits; and any attempt to coeTce them
would be made at the cost OF civil war, and at
imminent risk TO the cohesion Of the federal |
ysiem. 10 addition, il may be observed that there
: probably no man in America more dlsnclined TO |
,ush such question 10 exiremes than the pre- |
est Secretary OF State, hsmpered as he is by some
What extraysgant professions OF devotion TO the |
Union. In the face of such perpexites the most |
louest, perhaps the wsest, and certainly the most
consistent, policy would have been 10 let the British
&c EQUATIONS with South Carolina take their course.
The tone Of Governor Means, IN the correspon'
ierce with Consul Matthew, is markedly courteous; |
ind IL is not at all unlikely that the State Legsla
ure would have relaxed the obnoxious practice in
sur iayor-a little, no doubt, by way OF brilliantly
indicating the theory OF "S;aie Rights" but |
ertly also from enlightened sense Of the folly OF
r. eding a quarrel between the population which |
PRODUCES the cotton of the world and the population
" Inch manufactures il.
We are sincerely desirous that the "lolg AMI |
active" correspondence should produce some intel
igible result even If il do not bring redresss-not
hat we are IN the least inclined to initiate a few |
,f our transatlantic contemporaries, VINO rub their |
hands ever the dispute, declare IL Insolube, and |
conclude, with simulated gravity, that 1t mus! end
n war. But IL we cannot obtain reparation, let |
IS at all events have the question placed in the |
Proper light MIR Webster's sophistry will douo.- |
ess be eAerted in mystifyin il with greater sue
tess than was Mr.. Claytons but we trust that Sir
Henry Bulwer will drive his correspondent TO a
point beyond the audacious bubble that the sub
ect Of our complaint is nothing more tn an rule
lf local police. IL will be some kind Of amends
Tor the insult put upon our colored feow-counry-
men 10 have Il publicly and explicitly syowed, by
ne organ of a sslf-complacent democracy, that
subject OF the British oigarchy cannot set his foot
IN portion OF the territory OF the republic without
imminent danger Of popular insurrection.
Execution OF Murdsrors In Europe.
The following extraordinary statement Is made
% a letter from Yetad, in Swedtn, dated the 18th
n January This morning having been fixed for
he execution Of a iosneyrnan butcher, named
narcusson, and womaa named Botiila " ilsdottsr,