Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1853-10-10

nTouuCeu naIL.OI
told that their own Government, in disregard of
the most obvious public interests, as we'll as otthe
cherished historical traditions, had entered into
compact with two foreign puweIS 10 guarantee the
perpetuity of the system under whlcn a, Su6a now
sulfesY Does not Lord Howden, the English
Minister at Madrid, make "a very similar ayowni +
IN his letter of the 30th of May last addressed to
the Spanish Minister oil Foreign Atdl's, When lie
says:-'I cannot conclude without expressing
deep regtet that The cOnNe OF Spun is such as TO
nroluce a general alienation irtIe opinion of the
English nGblic out of which will most infnbfy [
resulta state OF feeling iDhich no gODenntent can
control or oppoSe!!''
The idea that a Convention like that proposed
was measure naturally cilled for, lit conse-
quence oftheSe iuwlesS expeditions, seensto rest
upon an entire nisconcenton OF Tie present.. |
state of the law in the United States, and our
treaty. relations with Spain: Our tftaes with /
Ihnt Goyerrfnent md the laws OF The United States
forbid oil snch enterprises he tripartite Con-
Yenton would hive added nothngto their1unlaw-
fulness. II you had been desirous OF multiplying |
| objections we might well have complained, that
the acts OF a very small number of lash young men
citizens and foreigners, should be put forward by
two ofthe leading poweIS of Europe, as the main
reason whywe should be expected Ito enter into
strange compact with those powers, binding our
selves never to make lawful and honorable &C
luuistiOnof Cuba. There is no logical connection
between the ideas. and there is something bord-
ering oil the offensive in their association.
Consider, too, the recent antecedents Cf the
| mowers, that invite us 10 ulSdOiG OuLoGNCS
end of time from the acquisition in any way oil
this natural appendageto our Continent. France,
within the present century, to say nothing oil the
ACQUISITION of Louisiana, has wreSted molety OF
Europe from ITS native Sovereigns; has possessed
herself by force of arms, and at the time greatly
to the discomfort of England, OF SIX HUNDRED miles
of the Northern coast of Africa, with an lndehnlle
extension into the interior; and has appropriated
to herself nne of the most important lnSuIaI groups
of the Pacific. England, not TO mention her 9TH
| er numerous recent acquisitions IN every part OF
the globe, has, since your despatch oil the oth
| February was written, annexed hall oil the Bur
man empireto her overgrOwn Indian possessions
on gTounds-if the statements Ill MI SoDuen 5
pamphlets ARE to be relied upon-compared with
which the reasons assigned by Russia for invading
| Turkey are respectable.
The United States DO not require 10 be advised
of the utility of those rules for the observance oil
linternationl relations, which for centuries have
been known to Europe, by the name OF the law
of nations" They are known and obeyed by us
/ under tie same venerable name. Certain crcum-
stances in out history have caused them to be
studied more generally and more au&iously here
than in Europe. From the breaking out oil the
WIS of the French revolution TO the year 1872,
the United States knew the law of nations only as
tue victims Of its systematic violation by the great
maritime powers OF Europe. For these violations
on the part oil England prior 10 1874, lndemnlhca-
ton was made under the seventh Article of Jays
treaty. For similar injuries on the part oil France
we were compelled TO cept an illusory sel.on
elapsed before q new warfare upon our neutral
rights was commenced by the two powers One
hundred millions at least of American property
were swept from the seas under the British orders
in Council, and the French Berlin and Milan de-
Icrees. These orders and DEGREES were 1T the time
recprocally declared to be in cOnraventlon oil the
law of nations by the two Powers themselves, each
speaking of the measures of the other party. In
1881, sfterthe generation OF the original sufferers
had sunk under their ruined fortunes To the grave,
France acknowledged her DEGREES to have been oil
that character, by late aud partial measure OF
lindemniicAtion. For enormous losses under
the British orders in council, we not only never re-
lceved lndemnlhcatlon, but the SacrlhceS anu SUI
tferngs of war were added to those sPoliations on
lcur commerce and invasion of our neutral rights
which led to!its declaration. Those orders were
at the time regarded by the LanSdowneS, the Bar
ings, the BIOughams, and the otheS enlightened
statesmen of tine school to which you belong, as a
violation of right and justice, well as Of sound
policy; and within 4 very few years the present
Lord Chief Justice, placed by yourself at the
head of the tribunals OF England, has declared that
tdhe orders i'll council were previously unjust to
neutrals and it is generally GlLotoed that they
,cere contrary 10 the lGD Of ndtions and our Ot1Ft
mu nicipaL AIU"
That call, my Lord, to borrow your expression,
ga melancholy avowhP' for the chief of the lurls
prudence of a great empire. Acts of its sovereign
Iauthority counlenanced by its Parliament, rglolY
executed by IFS fleets every sea, enforced Ill the
/ Courts of Admiralty by magistrate whose learn!
ing and eloqueuce are among the modern glories
of England, persisted in ill the lawful commerce
of neutral and kindred hation was annilllated,
and pronounced blythe highest legal authority oil
the present duy contrary mol merely TO the law oil
nations but your own municipal law
Under these circumstances, the Government
and people of the United States, who have never
committed or sanctioned violation of the law OF
nations against any other power, may well think It
out of place that they SHOULD be instructed by an
English Minister in ''the utility OF those rules,
which for cedtu1ies have been known TO Europe
by the name Of the law of Nations"
There are several other points IN your despatch,
some of great public moment, which, II were
still in office, should discuss on this occasion.
have, however, deemed il proper, at present. TO
conied myself to such remarks as seemed necessary
to Yindicate my letter of the list of December
from your structures leaving the new aspects OF the
case which your despatch presents, especially inits
opening and closing paragraphs, to those whose
official duty it is 10 consider them.
You Will not, 1 hope, misapprehend the spirit in
which this letter is written. As an American Gill
zen, do not coyet the acquisition of Cuba, either
peaceably OF by force of arms. When l cast my
thoughts beck upon our brief history as nation,
l certainly am not led 10 think tfat the United
States have reached the final limits of their growth,
or what comes to very much 1.-THE same thing, that
representative government, religious equality, the
trial by jury, the freedom oil the press, and the
other great attributes OF our Anglo American civil
llzatlon are never TO gain further extension on
this continent. lregard the inquiry under what
political organization this extension is to take
place, as vain attempt to penetrate the inscrut-
able mysteries of the future. twill, if we are
wise, be under the guidance of our example;
hope it will be in virtue of the peaceful arts, by
which well governed Stat, scxtend themselves over
unsettled or partially settled continents. My voice
was heard at the first opportunity, in developing
the almost buuEdIeSs Of the territory al
ready in our possession, rather than seeking to
large it by aggressive wars. Still cannot think
it reasonable-hardly respectrul-on the part of
/ England and France, while they daily extend
themselves on every shore and every sea, and push
Iingther dominions by new conqueSts TO the utter
most ends of the earth, TO call upon the United
States 10 bind themselves by perpetual compact,
never, under any circumstances, 10 aunt into the
1 Union an island which lies at their doors, and
commands the entrance into the interior of their
continent. -i5g--,t 1gs
remain, my Lord. with the highest respect,