The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-05-08

The House of Representatives was well disposed
to second the wishes of the people, A proposition
made, but not adopted to sequester all British
property in the United States subject to confsca-
ton, as indemnity, If not otherwise made, to our
merchants. Madison proposed resolutions suspend
ing all intercourse with Great Britain which passed
the House by the large majority Of twenty, but
being fied in the Senate defeated by the cast
ing vote OF John Adams, the Vice President The
percantile community and the public at large would
have fully sanctioned the extreme measure OF war,
for which large party was exceedingly clamorous'
The President was finally authorized to lay an en-
barge all British vessels in The United states,
which he did, accordingly, by proclamation. March
"a, to continue for thirty days only, and sent Mr..
Jay to England on mi sion OF peace when, unless
with very considerable sacrifice on our part, was
a hopeless attempt. His arrival was hailed by the
British merchants engaged in trade with the United
States and West Indies, who had become exceed
ingly alarmed by the operations under the order
of November g. expecting nothing less than an i'm
mediate declaration OF war, and the commission OF
host OF privateers against their commerce.
France, on learning the mission Of Jay, renewed lbs
order excepting United States vessels from the
search for British goods thus again offering induce
ments to the United States to insist upon its rights
in the negotiation, and to Great Britain to recede
from her ground.
The four neutrals on the continent were, at this
time rather slow about resisting the assumptions of
the belligerents as they less affected than the
United States, and were, BESIDES generally indis
posed OF course, to favor France unfolding as she
was the cause Of republicanism in Europe. In
March, 1894, however, the Kings of Sweden and
neutrals, on the same principles as the former one
except that the Baltic was declared totally mac
cessble to belligerent armed vessels. But these
minor powers needed the strength of Russia. What
Russia demanded OF them previously to the opening
OF the present war was, we presume, the reteraton
of this same principle of the invioability of the
Baltic waters against any outward armed vessels.
The Jay treaty was signed November 49, 1874.
AL 1erlvNr had tn1
larties, unavoidable in such war; Britain agreed
to compensate merchants for illegal captures,
meaning those contrary to, not those under, the
obnoxious orders. She justified those, and so did
finally received about seven millions Of dollars
The United States agreed ALSO to pay for the Genet
captures. Reciprocity and perfect liberty of nav
CATION and commerce were stipulated, but the agree
but complete acknowledgment that our ships should
be liable to search for property of the enemies of
England, which might be taken from them, she
graciously consentng in such case, not to take our
property also found in our vessels. On the other
hand, her own doctrines would not answer for ap-
pcation against her. Oh, no! Prizes made by
British vessels were to be carried where the captorS
pleased, entirely free of search. The second nulif
cation of the free navigation proviso was by sin
gular definition of the contrabandism of war. Not
content with specifying the usual artices-arms and
implements of war, gunpowder, match, saltpetre
horses and horse furnture-the list is stretched to
embrace timber for ship-bulding tar rosin, copper
in sheets, Sails hemp, cordage, and all other arti
cles which may be used for the equipment Of vessels
except unwrought iron and fir plank. Any of these
articles found going to any enemys port are subject
to confiscation +! This is not all. Provisions and
other articles not usually considered contraband,
may come in particular cases to be considered SUCH
and may be thereupon seized, though not indeed,
c0nscated but paid for speedily in their full value,
with reasonable mercantile profit and demurrage;
which is simply to say, the trade of the United
Gfatna ahall he CARRIED Vhnravpr ENGLAND dirQpts
and nowhere else Did ever treaty before contain
such definition OF contrabandism as this The third
antifree navigation pr0viso consisted in the subec
ton of the United States to perfect respect for
were, that not fortified ports, simply but any length
of continuous coast was put under siege, upon
paper, without ship present to enforce the block
ade, vessels disregarding it being liable to subse
In regard to privateering it should not be allowed
we agreed, in any shape, against England, from our
ports, nor would we even buy the goods taken by
her enemies cruisers.
nerate these very extraordinary concessions. Reel
procity Of duties on goods in their mutual trade
was stipulated, meaning that we should pay the
same duties in England as English subjects, and
they the same duties in the United States as Ameri-
can citizens-ther tariff rates being very high, ours
almost nominal Spite, too, Of her own doctrines,
England would c0ncede to us no such privileges in
her trade for peace, as she found 1t convenient to
allow in war. She would permit us to send our pro-
duce to her helpless islands, we giving her ships
equal advantages in the carriage to and fro with our
own, on condition that we should not export the
produce brought from the West Indies to any part
OF the world. But the identical export thus inter
dicted, was what had always been the leading OBJ
ject Of our merchants. The privilege Of even this
hampered trade was to be restricted to vessels OF
not seventy TONS and to last for two years only
after the conclusion Of the war. This curious West
India stipulation, being the twelfth article Of the
treaty was expunged en- nasse by the United States
Cur trade to the British East Indies was limited to
the direct voyage, and otherwise curtailed.
BY this treaty the United States completely aban-
doned the true upon which she had started
nation. Our Declaration of Independence the Arti-
cles Of Confederation the constitution and the few
laws enacted under its authority, completely repud
ated the venerable abuses Of the European systems
We stood upon new and anomalous principles. Com
merce, instead Of being burdened here by prohibi-
tOns, restrictions taxes stamps, excuses, or held by
overgrown monopoles, was free as the air. To the
musty code called international law, framed upon
ideas, and to subserve monarchical in
terests, we were in no wise amenable The French
republic spurned it; should have done, instead
Of respectfully referring to its authority, Off
cins did, in supporting English invasion OF French
and American right. The rights and proprieties OF
cal isolation, and by the character Of our govern
ment and people. What q glorious start for a COM
mercial people! And how easily might the advan-
tage have been conserved! We had but to set forth
OuT pOSltlOn true INDEPENDENCE uihu uiBAiSyt
We needed but to tell the world that we, Offering to
all the same immunites claimed for ourselves, meant
to enjoy in its fullest sense our natural right OF free
trade. IT, in doing, we should interfere with the
interests Of others, it was the fault not Of
our position, but theirs-not of natural methods,
but Of human passions. Our object is peace; and
while other nations consider themselves and us at
peace we shall not submit to a disguised war upon
interests by one nation nor consent to be forced
ourselves into state of negative hostility against
another II one nation will make war upon another,
1t must do so upon its strength and not by seek
ing to reduce its enemy through general paralysis
In the day of our utmost weakness, such decla-
ration would have been respected. Overlooking their
dislike of repubcanism twothirds, II not all, OF the
Continental Powers would have given most willing
sanction to that principle Of nonnterference with
the affairs of Others the contempt of which in regard
to the continent, was their great occasion OF hos
tilty with the particular republicanism of France
and of the long disregard of which in European
politics, they were quite tired. Beyond England
indeed, there was not power which did not desire
to the rights Of neutrality established upon the
broadest basis. But If Europe would not yield, why
then, it was better to go to war for our principle
than TO sacrifice it. This principle was the