Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-11-15
British Relations with the United States


The English Government is emitting no oppor-
tunity of reinforcing the West India squndron,and
thus intprposng powerful fleet between this
country and the North American Continent. This
proceeding will. doubt not, call forth from n
large portion of the American press that species
of mild and temperate comment in which they de-
light whenever the conduct of England is in ques
ton. and Il little political capital is to be manufac-
tured by making her the object Of invsctve and
depreciation
We shall be told. no doubt. of the fendish ha-
tired Of Enghnd to Republican America, and of
the nsolent menace behind which she wells her
nsidious and troaaherous designs. Without the
slightest wish to reflect in any way on the press
which allows itself t. be made the vehicle Of such
statements ar upon the constituencies whose
votes IRE found to be influenced by such calum
MES, wish To point out to the good sense cau-
ses which have led US, even in time of war, TO in
crease our squadron in theii seas, aud may pos
sibly lend us still further in direction, the first
steps toward which we now most unwilGngy
taking.
We entreat then the American public to believe.
notwithstanding the assertions to the contrary
with which they assduously piled, that
there is party or body of men in this country
that regards them with any otherfeeling than that
of the utmost good will, or would wish for them
amy other fate than the enjoyment of the utmost
public freedom which is consistent with the ut
or the wish nor the right to intrudo our opinion
on that form of government which has been estab
li,hed in the United States: but we have and
claim the right, to take every reasonable precau
lion against that spirit of unbrded license which
the present Government of the United States
seems inclined 10 tolerate.
At this moment North America is in profound
pence with the whole world; yet it is not the less
true that in her ports are fitting out at this mo-
inent piraical fill sbu stering expeditions destined
to carry war and bloodshed into the domnons
of an unoifending neighbor. These expeditions
do not receive the sanction o! the American Gov
eminent. are not equipped by its funds,wd notb'
conducted by its oihcers,-but their preparation
is never the less well know to the President and
his Administration, and receives no check from
| that quarter. This liberation, we are willing to
suppose, proceeds from weakness merely, and
Mould be exchanged for vigorous action. only
that the power 10 act is utterly wanting
The American people are So free that they
will not be controlled by government of their
own creating. and though laudaby eager for the
preservation of their own rights, connot bring
| them selves IL tolerate an Executive sufficiently
strong 10 compel respect for the rights OF foreign
nations. Ii is because we see no hope OF hnd-
! ing in the United States a government capable
preventing its citizens from waging private war
on their own account against the best friends
and truest allies of the great republic, that we
! are most nnwillingly compelled, even III the midst
of the great European struggle in which we are
engage, to assume defensive attitude in order
Ia trampe out the first sparks of this fire. and
prevent a confagration which. il once allowed to
spread, may cause ncalculabe misery to the ha-
man
1t is the misfortune of the American republic
that she contains within her borders many
| desperate and lawless men; it is still more her
misfortune that she does not possess an nrgani-
zation sufficiently powerful to crush these Grim
inal attempts. That which she cannot do we are
compelled, at least far the lawless enter
prises directed against ourselves go. to do for
her. We cannot wait patiently till these law
less emissaries of instruction and plumber have
set their feet within her Majesty's dominjons,
aud encountered there the resistance which is
sure to overwhelm their wild and desperate
schemes. We capnot wait until are placed
in the terrible dilemma of either sparing men to
whom clemenuy is cruelty to the human race of
which they are the enemies or of intclng just
pun shment, which may he the means of inHa-
ming against us.the passions of the American
people, and leading to disastrous and Garici,
DIAL war
We will. if it be possible, prevent the crime
that otherwise 1t would be our duty most severely
to punish, and this we do in the name and in the
hope of peace. We cannot believe that those
who are now engaged in enrolling unhappy
men for these desperate and criminal enterprises,
really contemplate the success of descent up
on Ireland Tor instance, probable, or even pos
sible. All they can hope is, that the miserable
fate sure to attend such wretched adventures
may be the means of inflamng the public mind
against England. and stirring up the passion of
the people TO point which might render var in.
evable, This contamination it is the duty of
! the American Government if it can, to prevent,
and as it cannot. of the Government at which
such attempts aimed, by all means to avert
1t we can prevent these expeditions from sailing,
intercept them in mid-Ocean, we shall have
done much toward avertng the danger that must
arise should they be carried out to their natural
development The course of action we hav.