The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1856-06-04
ENGLAND AND THE UNITED
STATES

4
1t is at length officially announced that
Mr.. CHAMPION, the British Minister to the
United States, has really been dismissed !;
and perhaps the probability ola peaccablt
termination oftie matters in dispute between
the two countries, arc more distant at pres
cnt that at any former period. The Difficult.
ties are two fold. First, Great Britain has
colonizcd and claims proteetoraie over n
portion of Central America, which our Gov.
ornmcnt contends is void, because of sub
seqnent Treaty between the Uuited States
and England, wherein il was drcrccd that
neither power should settle any portion of,
or exercise any control whatever, over any
part OF the Territory in question. This vio-
lalion on the part of Englrnd of the Treaty,
and the colonization OF the Bay Islands, in
direct rontravention of the Clayton Bulwcr
decree, she attempts TO justify upon the
ground that the treaty did not reach the
claims established previous 10 i,s enactment.
Our Government, however, insists that the
treaty provides for the withdrawal of all
claims previously established, as well MS Il
! protection against further encroachmcntS;and
we are sustained in this conclusion by the
opinion ofall disintercsted nations. England
has repeatedly asserted that her claims are
| of triiiing importancc--that it would be
foolish to engage III war upon such slight
cause; still she does not rclinquish them;
our Government cannot consistently reccdc
from her position, and it is supposed that
our recent acceptance of the Ncarapuan
Minister will still further embarrass the diff
| Guilty.
The second cause of contention, and which
is perhaps the most threatening at present,
is the Enlistment affair Great Britain dur
ing the war with Russia, being short of men
mt home, established II recruiting station in
Canada, and agents were employed in vari-
Gus parts of the United States, drumming
up recruits for the British aimy. This was
in direct violation Of our neutrality laws
| Our Government was not slow in enforcing
her Sovereignty, and several of these agents
were arrested but there was one implcat.
ed and perhaps the ringlcadcr in the matter,
whose position was too high to be reached
| by our laws. This was Mr. CHAMPION, the
British Minister TO the United States, and
the only course left our Executive was 10
demand his recall, which has been done re-.
peatedly and as often refused, and some pal
try cxcu'e or e, asivc reply been returned.
he President has at length been forced
| to dismiss the English Dip omat, aud it i,
barely probable that this event will be fol.
lowed By the dismissal of Mr. DALLAS, our
| Minister 10 the Court Of St. James This,
| Of cOuise, will not amount 10 declaration
of war, but il will be drifting towards that
extremity, with rapidty truly alarming TO
those who from their geographical position,
must bear the principle brwnt of the conflict.
We would have no fears for the iCal result;
our people are too brave, our nation too
compact, and our resources too inexhaus,i-
bic to bc conquered by any one power
True England is better prepared for war
than our country. a large standing army
is ut her disposal, together with the most
powerful navy in the world, and at the on.
set, we would probably suffer more serious
~ than she the Atlantic States especially
would suffer disastrously; but after time
the scene won!d change; our people are
naturally brave and impulsivc-they COM
binc the fiery impctuosity of the French,
with The stoical endurance Of the English
and upon the first signal of alarm myriads of
raw recruits would flock TO the rcscue-
hundreds of our little sloops and schooners
would be converted irto vessels of war. and
icaricssly enter the arena against the boastcd
navy Of the British. The gigantic power Of
young America would be felt, and after years
Of terrible havoc, the proud Lion would
probably bow his head before the towering
form Of the American Eagle.
But the victory would be dearly purchns
ed; thousands OF valuable lives would be
sacrlhced-our treasure squandered, and our
commerce perhaps utterly annihila,ed. In
lieu of all this disaster. there would be but
one advantage-one rcdeemins considcra.
ton. 1t would have the effect Of s,ayinp
all civil commotion; the north and the South
would be arrayed side 10y side in n common
cause, vieing with each other for the fore.
most rank in the combat. Kansas would be
lost sight of-Nicaragna would be regarded
as unit, and only one grand object--to
conquer our common cnemy-would ami
mate every bosom, North, South, East and
West.