The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1852-02-12


measure was disputed, il was not defended on the
ground OF being measure necessary to preserve
neutrality, butas rightu under thecause last cited
and under tho "War po,rer"--as measure OF Ju,t
retaliation on both belligerents for outrsging our
neutral rights We are anxious to sell these muskets
to European republican patriots-1riBh, Hung aran,
Italian. Austrian, German, or Russiau-and II tho
gove-nmen. OF tho United States interiors; 90 pro-
vent IT, VIC iaterd 70 .es. the questions above stated
art ssrsrtan ahe'har the .5uoreus Court o. .bs
United states will decide that Con srels uajer any
power delegated by the constitution, caa create
Ne" code OF national morality, not khosn to tao
laws OF nations under the oretepo, OF preserving the
{" national neutrality" If Congress POSSESSES 81 III
power, It may, in despite of tde oDnstt ational
declaration tnat il shall make no law brid ying
the freedom of speech, Of the press, assail tue
press ard under the same presenoe Of the necessity
of preserving the national neub atty" inc and i'm
prison you for every copy of the HERALD sent to
Europe, calculated to irritate Louis Napoleon, or
Francis Joseph, or Nicholas, or which may ex,ite
the people to resist despotism Such articles ara rs
dangerous to the absolutists arms The ridiculous
ideas some appear to entertain respecting the cha
racter ard extent of neutral obligations, not ony
tend to the usurpation by Congress of legislative
they lead to the most pernicious efscts on the me-
chsnical and commercial industry and enterprise of
the country. Other governments do notscounte
nance such nonsense. But for the course Of these
over prudential lawmakers, and the narrow and
cowardly policy they maintain, hundreds Of thou
sands OF American arms, cannon, muskets, rifles,
pistols, swords, &c., would be annually manufac.
tured for, and exported to, and sold in foreign
countries. That enterprising American inventor,
Samuel Colt, has been constrained to establish
manufactures for his revolvers in England, and in
Europe, lest his expectation Of them from this
country, for sale, might subject him to prose-
cution for a " violation Of the neutrality laws"
Again-when we purchased thess muskets, the
government well knew there was but one class OF
customers to whom we could sell them. These ono
hundred and fifty thousand muskets and bayonets
could not be sold to the several States as they are
annually supplied with arms by the War Depart
ment. They are not fit for citizen sportsmen-;hey
are instruments Of war. The government were not
Ignorant of the of the purchase and whore and
to whom we expected to sell them. 1t certainly did
not desire us to sell them to arbitrary governments
to aid in crushing those VINO were fighting for lib.
erty 1t could not have anticipated any sale for re-
volutionary purposes ia this country. Thepurchase
by us was notorious. Our purpose was we'll, known
1t was avowed that II was to export and sell them
to European patriots. 1t was commented on at the
time, in more than one newspaper of this city, and
It mistake not was mentioned IN the HERALD
And yet there those who would excuse the fede.
raj authorities for committing tho papable fraud
of preventing. us from exporting them to sell to
others, and advise the adoption Of such me asure
shall only say that these arms will not be sold or
exported clandestinely. When sold the federal
authorities shall be advised of the intended expor-
tation If the statutes as the neutrality croak-
say, it is high time that Congress abrogates or
revises them Neutrality, it has been said, IS the
weak resort of weak nations. The rules alluded to
as being maintained by some in the United States
do not spring from dictates Of jusce-they are not
to secure that honorable neutrality originating IN
principle Of duty, but they spring from craven
timidity, and end in selfdegradation of the most
humiliatiDg character, sacrificing the interests
of artisans and merchants, and, in fact of every
class Of our citizens They tend to provoke insult
to our government, and tempt to spoliation OF the
property and outrage Of the rights Of citizens by
foreign powers We have already twice seen foreign
functionaries impudently reproash our government
for alleged non-enforcement Of its own Statutes
called the neutrality laws, whom such functions
ries could not find anything in the conduct Of the
citizens complained of, voative OF the laws OF ma
tiens.
4th With respect to the proposed "Ebony line''
of steamships. Whilst the compromise measures
were before Congress- several gentlemen OF differ
ent sections of the Union in conjunction with my.
self and al my instance, had memorial laid before
Congress, suggesting the establishment of line
of steamships from the United States to Liberia,
to carry the mails and frsights and emigrants to
that country, and touching at certain European
ports on the return passage. 1t was intended to
aid in the colonization Of those Of the colored peo
pie of this country who might be disposed TO 90 to
Africa, and hence it got the name OF the EBONY
line" The government cannot, as every practical
man knows, Very well carry out such project without
conn ection with individual enterprise. We had an
unquestionable right to propose the plan We did
so, because we believed the undertaking was honor
able and useful, and might be profitable We dis
would raise against the project We presented
facts and arguments to Congress, sho wing the ad-
vantages which would result to the country from
the adoption Of it. By the Ashburton treaty Of
1912, the United States is bound to sintervene'
with naval force Of eighty guns on the coast OF
Africa for the suppression of the slave trade. This
stipulation is seriously injurious to our navy.
Officers and seamen sent to that coast rarely escape
severe disease, the effects of which last for years
The obligation to keep the force mentioned on the
coast of Africa, prevents US from sending vessels
to ether quarters where they are needed for the
protection of our commerce We can annul that
stipulation by giving years netice, as was pro-
posed, if our plan adopted. 1t would be better
and cheaper for the United States to give President
Roberts the vessels and eighty guns, if he would
man them with free colorod men from the United
States, whe would become citizens of Liberia and
even fer time to pay and subsist the crews,
rather than keep ships and officers and crews on
that coast as VIC now do. The establishment
of the steamship line we proposed, would have in
creased the available strength Of our navy, as Is
done by the Collins line, and by Laws line, and
by Aspinwall's line. The means of suppressing
the slave trade would have been increased, vast
expense would have been saved the treasury, and
seamen not endangered, and, above all, the re-
moval of the free colored people of the United
States, would have commenced under such auspices,
that it must have resulted advantageously to them
and to the country. The Naval Committee OF the
House OF Representatives approved Of the plan,
but it was not carried through Congress, and is not
low pending before it.
1t is said, in some of the attacks me, that the
steamship interest is in favor of Judge Douglasfor
the Presidency, and of Mr.. X. M. L. Hunter for
the Vice Presidency, and that, therefore, ] am in
their favor They have been called the " stea nsbp
candidates AS to political combination of the
steamship interest IN favor of any man, tho idea is
simply silly. There are few interests more antag-
onisticsl aud hostile to each other, than the dder-
ent steamship interests. doubt if any two agree
as to the next Presidency. If any of those inte-
rested should prefer Judge Douglas, it cannot
be for bis course in their favor, for General
Cass. Mr.. Buchanan, Gen. Houston. Mr.. Dick
inton, Gen. Dix, Col Benton, r. }. Walker, T.
Walker, Governor Marcy, Mr.. Webster, Mr..
CritteIden, and Mr.. Corwin, having all, believe,
advocated every steamship line heretofore estab-
bshed, have equal claims on that score. As to
myself, have not, ard never had, any interest in
any steamship line, nor have been benefited in
any wise by apy Of them, as much as you have
The "Ebony Line" project never having been
before the Senate, ! DO lot know what course
Judge Douglas or Senator Hunter would pursue
with respect to it, nor would my support Of them
NlaA