The Hillsborough recorder. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1820-1879, 1854-12-13

iplanfed their standards ON every cen
l'nenf. and now possxss ~ claim ths
4 eentrnl sf the islands on every oeran
: a. sppropriste domain. would look with
uBfricndiy feelings upnn acquisitions
of this country which. 10 every instance.
have been honsrabl J ebisined or coaId
feel themselves justified in imputiny
our advancement 10 spirit Of sKgres-
sion for political predosuinsnce.
| The message recommends an sdhs.
renee 10 the doctrine. that free ships
make Tree gna,ls. except in cases IL ar
tieles csntraband of war; aud states
that The refusal oi one power alone has
prevented this doctrine from being uni
sersally received aud respected a. the
rule Of international law. .tts
Russia acted promptly In this mat
ter, and a convention was concluded
between that country and the United
States. providing for an observance of
the principles announced. not only ~
between themselves. but also. as be-
tween them aud all other nations which
shall enter into like stipulations. None
of the other powers have yet taken g.
nal action on the subject.
The King Of the two Sicilies and the
King Of Prussia approve of a treaty to
the same effect; bat the latter propo-
ses an additional article. providing for
the rensnciation of priyateering. Such
an article, for most obvious reasons, 10
much desired by all nations having n: 4
val establishments large in proportion
TO their foreign commerce. But if such
an article were adopted as an iuterna-
tIonal rule, the commerce Of nation
having comparatively small naval
force, would be very much at the nler-
cy of its enemy in case Of war with .
power Of decided naval superiority.
The bare statement of the condition IN
which the United States would be pla-
ced. after having surrendered her right
to resort TO prIvatcers in the event Of
war with a belligerant Of naval supre-
macy, will show at once that this gov
ernment could never for moment lis
ten to such proposition.
The navy of the first maritime pow
er Of Europe is at least ten times as
large as that Of the United States. and
the foreign commerce Of the two coun-
tries nearly equal, aud about equally
exposed to hostile depredations. In the
event Of a war between that power aud
the United States, without resort on
our part TO the mercantile marine, the
means Of the enemy to infiict injury
on our commerce would be ten times
greater than ours to retaliate. We
could not extricate our country from
! this unequal condition with such an
! enemy, unless we at once departed
from our present peaceful policy, aud
t become great naval power; nor would
this country be better situated in war
. with one Of the secondary naval pow.
: ers, for though the naval superiority
! would be less, our wide spread COM
, mercc would give any oil them like adj
: vantage over us.
I The proposition to enter into engage
: ments to torego a resort to privsteers
: in case this country should be forced
into war with great naval power, is
] not entitled to more favorable consi-
: deration than would be the proposition
: to agree not to accept the services Of
E volunteers for operations on land.
r When the honor and rights Of our
1 country require it to assume hostile
attitude, it confidently relies upon the
5 patriotism of its citizens not or,linari-
n ly devoted to the military profession,
4 to augment the army and navy. SO a
! to make them fully adequate to any
!, emergency which calls them into ac.
i ton. The proposal to surrender the
n right to employ privateers is professed.
!. ly founded upon the principle that the
e private property OF non-combatants
: even though they be enemies, should
4 be exempt from the ravages Of war
but this surrender goes but little way
IS in carrying out that principle which
y equally requires such private property
: should not be seized or molested bJ
n national ships of war.
Should the leading powers of Europ,
n concur in proposing as rule Of inter
national law, to exempt the privat,
r property upon the ocean from seixur,
II by public armed cruizers, as well q
is by privateers. the United States vii
readily meet them upon that broa,
IS ground.
Z, The operations Of the Reciprocit,
y Treaty are lavorably noticed in tn,
) message, and commission is recon
/ mended to settle the boundary line be
5 tween the territory Of Columbia an,
d the British possessions on the Pacific.
s. France was at an early day an eff
l. cient ally Of the United States in thei
struggle for Independence. From tina
L time to the present, with only occa
l. sional slight Interruptions, the mos