Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1854-03-31
il.ns. Desired BY tn. w..,.r. Powers with til. r.l..a

Alliance Desired By the Western Powers with the raitsd
!. States
Qrom tho London Times, March 10Y
The period OF forty years which has epsed since the
Termination Of the last European has witnessed chan
Cos Of unexampled magnitude In branch OF cs'a-
ton. humane enlightened and liberal spirit has
searched and reformed the institutions Of society. Re
strictous, which formerly regarded . indispensable
for personal interests national secu.
rity have been not only swept away superauous but
condemned positively noxous for prosperity and
power have advanced with accelerated rapdy We have
learned to rely with confidence principles of greater
moderation and freedom. To quote but few examples
Our penal code has been relieved from the ssnguinary
thought essential to tho safety OF prop
erty, manufactures and agriculture have been re-
leased from those protective and restrictive laws which
long believed be tho palladium of
and the present session Of Parliament viii probably open
coasng trade to the free competition Of foreign
vessels II becomes duty consider and to as
certain whether the period which has served to
move many preudices and misconceptions In most q
the relations Of social life may also have enabled US
to deal in more liberal and humane spirit with the laws
aud ages Of ITSELF The subject to which lit
tie attention has been directed long there i'm
mediate for It. Tho world content to believe
that the evils Of a Of would easily recur
again. and there may be regret that the
course of the long peace more provision has not been
made for them; but, on tho other hand, the crcum-
stances OF the present time peculiarly fsvors-
BILE to the dspassionate consideration Of such mod
ifcations in the law Of nations as the state Of
the world requires The three principal maritime and
commercial Powers-GreAt Britain France and the Uni
ted States-arc excellent terms Two OF them
closely allied for the prosecution Of this war and the
American people scarcely lcss interested than
selves in of The difficulty
hitherto felt all previous efforts improve the usages
OF war; regards commercial interests lay in the i,ct
that every between two great maritime States all
that was proposed by Of the belgerans resisted
by the other and the attempt impose by force de-
parturc from the received doctrines Of international law
only fresh Of the strife AT this time the
contrary have in our power, acting In conjunction
with the United States and France lay with
thorty any rules OF law, to which Powers whether
as bSigerents neutras may sgree and have
doubt that the rclsxaons which may safely be made in
the former maritime code will be cordially assened
by the secondary maritime States The later years OF
the last war, and especially from 1907 TO lsS wit
messed exaggeration OF all the measures of rgor
before employed against commercial interests in mari
time warfare. Napoleon carried his prohibitions the
extinction of all commercial independence oy the conti
mental system and the suspension OF neutral trade by
the Berlin and Milan DEGREES The British Government
realiated By its orders in council and in that tremen
dous struggle all legitimate maritime trade nearly
end Nobody. OF course, dreams Of reyertpS TO the
extreme measures which had been gradually introduced
under the the temptations of tht in
the present state of the world such interruption OF
the ordinary relations Of Europe, would be inolerabe
But il well deserves the consideration of the governments
which have more particularly Referred whether
they agree liberal construction Of the
rights of neurals, to diminish much possible
the Injurious effects OF maritime warfare private pro-
perty There is rule in the Law Of nations which may
not be made the suhe Of negotiation and agreement
aud in entering upon hostities after long interval
OF peace the governments engaged in this contest have
mainly regulate their policy by three principles; to
the with the greatest possible effect against
the enemy, reduce within the narrowest limits the
evils inflicted by the upon their own subjects and to
avoid such tend to extend the evils and
p.is of the war by embroing them with other Powers
Whenever measure which might be adopted as means
OF embarrassing eIhaustng the enemy accompanied
with large amount Of injury 10 ourselves and il great
hadshps other countries engaged in the war; such
measure must at least be considered of ques
ionabe character The neutral trade be proven
ted, except by actual blockade without a violent inter
ference with the rights of other nations But the advan
Of that trade not exclusively confined Of
the begeren and If lessons the pressure the State
assaed it also furnishes supplies to the assaan 1t may
therefore, be doubted whether the extreme
which undoubtedly sanctioned by the law of nations
for the seizure of enemys goods in the hands Of
trails always expedent and advantageous to those who
practice them.
so again with privateerng The injury done to the enc
is far inferior TO the mschieyeous effects OF this
of private warfare, which has hitherto been legal
lied by maritime Powers To accept letters Of marque
from foreign State, against the vessels oil friendly
country ought evidently TO DO condemned by the laws Of
all civilized nations is already by the Law OF the Uni
ted States aud by all sound jurisprudence. We
give unqualified assent to the principle laid down by
The elder urss that the destruction Of and
navigation the sole end OF maritime wArre in order
weaken the naval power Of the enemy. Great private
and hardshps may doubt thus be caused
but political objects rarely be obtained. England
not weakened by the continental system Sapo-
leon overthrosn by the destruction Of the
merce Of France We shall probably infct
Russia great pvaons by the ruin Of her principal trade
and will be duty close by blockade the ports
the Russian empire not only in the Baltic and the Black
Sea- but at Archange where an important traffic is carried
But the seizure Of private property has comparative
y little effect the fate Of empires and the time will
probably when that practice will be repugnant
the honorable usages, of by as already is by
land. The tendency of age is to humanize these
ges and lessen these evils far consistent with
the object for which itself is carried on, which is
to infict injuries individuals but reduce govern
ments TO submission. We have reason believe that
the whole subject under the consideration of her Ma
etys government and Of the other maritime Powers who
will render lasting service TO mankind if they take this
opportunity to concede by mutual agreement the
possible security to innocent parties in time of