New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-03-15
THE DAILY CRESCENT.
THE BLaCK tT.aRRI0R AFFAIR
WEDNESDAY MORNING. MARCH Is, 1854.

w EDNESUA4 MOhNlNI. MAhCd ~, ioo1.5
THE BLACK tT.aRRIoR AFFAIR
The g eycitemant'--as for the time it called
itself-in this city, about this matter, has blown
over; or possibly has transferred itself to an
other theatre-tbat Of Hashington--where if
there be anything legitimate in it, the excite
ment should take the form not of hot and
hasty popular ebullition, but of q grave inquiry
into the alleged g outrage and if it be found
truly one,of the proper national steps for pro-.
curing due reparation. When this last shall
have been ascertained to be due, and yet is re-
fused, we can, if we think the case demands it.,
proceed to what should he g the last resort of
commemorative no less than of Kings-war To
talk of inyerting this course, and Of beginning
at the wrong end, by going to fighting, before
We know if there beieven fit occasion for quar-
reling, is mere folly. Individuals may indulge
their headlong and bloody humors; but Gov
ernments--as they are bound to take care of
human llfe--must not and dare not rush into
war, before ascertaining either that they have
been wronged, or that redress will be refused
them.
Now when, upon the movement already taken,
Congress shall proceed to examine into this mat
ter, II must do SO upon the information drawn,
by its present call, from our State Department
What must sach information be 7 60
l. Either it must agree with what we have
seen here; or it must contradict it; and
2 Either it must embrace the Spanish version
of the facts; or it must not. S. .5
Well if it be the first case, it is but epparte
testimony at best but one-sided evidence, and
to act upon such is really nothing but trying
party without hearing him. Of course, Con-
gress cannot do this 1t would be only ridicu-
lous. n
This view Of the inevitable course which the
thing must take, whenever and wherever fair
inquiry into it is set about, brings just to the
lesson which it is the duty of the Press here to
enforce upon our people: it must tell them TO
hear both sides, before making up its mind
warmly to any side.
We have ourselves endeavored to arrive, as
far as we could, at the true state of the facts
in the case. No Spanish statement of them has
yet reached us or anybody. The only thing
that even pretends to be such is that given, on
Sunday last, by the Picayune, from its Havana
correspondent, who is himself, evidently, a
violent enemy to the Spanish Government, OF
course, we are entirely warranted in taking it
for granted that his version of the Spanish plea
for themselves does not make cut better case
for them than they can make out for themselves.
1t is, nevertheless, if true, complete jnstif-
cation for their proceeding. For the American
statements come but to this: that the law Of
besides the existing import duties, to pay a
certain charge on all goods which they are
carrying to other ports. (rhis is not contro-
verified by the other side.) They aver that here
tofore this law has not been enforced against
the Mail steamers, either American or British
ITO this, again, the Spaniards seem to assent,
They thus admit that the exemption was mere
indulgence; and therefore do not pretend to dis,
pute the Spanish right to withdraw it, but only
urge that it is wrongful to Withdraw it without
notice. (This is but reasonable, and, again
seems to be admitted by the other party) But
they aver that no such notice was given to the
= Black Warrior. On the other hand, the
Spaniards aver that it WIS, at her last pre-
ceding arrival. Now Captain Bullock admits
was afterwards teaieed This, again, til,
Spaniaras are reported TO admit but they sa,
that they only yielded the waiver to Captain
p Is fsmonsWance, that he was entitled to have
notice, before they again put in force the sus
pended law; and that they warned him the,
would henoetorth enforce it. This notice, h
denies that they gave him. And thus, in fact
q w m ie
yeraeity between Capt B. and the Spanish off
Gals
AS to this issue, the advantage Of probabilit
is placed on the Spanish side, by the Captain
admission that they had made the same deman
of him, at his preceding trip, We,happen, also
to know that the Crescent City had probabl
had the same notice: for at her last visit Their,
she was prepared against the difficulty an
avoided it,
The case, we take it, lies within a nutshell
its entire essence being the few facts that v
have detailed. Evidently, the stress laid up
the Spanish refusal to allow the Black Warrior
manifest 10 be corrected is all unfounded. The
may be a usage, at Havana, of permitting
manifest TO be corrected: but here no mantle
at all was presented. Besides, this right of CO
rection can only be intended to cover cases
slight and casual omission To talk of exten
ing it to a thousand bales of cotton at time
preposterous. Let some Havana man send
ship into one Of our ports with n thousand box
Of sugar on board, but no manifest, and he wi
soon see if just the same s. outrage" will not
committed on him as has been committed on Il
Black Warrior. tbs not any &c correcting h
manifest that will be listened to. In all s
Laws, seizure follows upon the detection of il
pertant articles without manifest
Such is this case, as it appears to US. If a
body can show that we are wrong, either as
the essential facts or their legal consequence
We will thank him for doing it: but hope TIL
instead Of doing it, nobody will call US names
sts3.9E i#t ssag Il 55I .4oA Ez5lF 8. r. ID sIstt.N