The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1857-07-11

the flibusteros, and tAat parsonage firmly seated
in power it is not at all probable the business
would stop there. Venezuela would be POINT
dappui for their subsequent operations, through
which they would be unembarrassed by the neu-
trality laws of the United States or of any other
government. The dlibusters have q firm belief
that destiny has commanded the annexation of
all the Hispano-American States south of us to
the United States, and that they should be rege-
nerated By Yankee means and Yankee civilizs-
ton. Hence the war cries of Ira le La5~tad-
ai,a Ell fli5uteriS,9o! cannot be sthed. The anci-
ent crusaders were not more devoted 10 their
cause than ere their modern copyiSts.
And here it may be remarked that the out
RACES upon our citizeps. the spoliatiOns of
their property, the refusal to pay the just
debts due from several of the Spanish mulatto
republics south of us. and the remissness of our
own govenment-bordering even on imbecility
to enforce justice against those States, have
been potent causes for the increase Of flbuster
len. They bave at least afforded plausible ex-
cuse, in some instances, for some of the courses
adopted by Individuals against those States
injured by wrongs perpetrated by those govern
meals, for which Lo redress could be obtained
have justified themselves to their own coDscicnces
on the ground that if their government fails in the
duty of afording them protection and redress
they have the moral right to resort to other MEANS
and seek to right and avenge themselves. In
such cases our neutrality laws are little respect
81 lboeo .,., ~ r.ov IL:
rect measures themselves, yet goaded by the injus
tce they have received the filibusters are certain
of their sympathy and commentator. Our con-
seryative statesmen should ponder on this. II is
an asceItained fact that out of more than thirty
cases Of Just and well founded claims against the
governments south Of US, on file in the State De-
partment during Pierce administration, amount
ing to maay millions of dollars, not more than
tao or three were definitely adjusted.
No more important subject can occupy the at
tention Of the administration at Washington than
measures to secure Justice from foreign govern
ments to American citizens hitherto 80 shame
fully neglected. The British government in this
respect sets us proud example.
THE CASE OF THE PANCHrTA-We published
yesterday the story of this vessel from the time
of her seizure to the singular denouement Of her
drama by the arrest of the British officers who
brought her in here as prize. The points are
few and plain. 1t seems that the captain of the
British vessel of war Sappho was urgently solicit
ed by an american agent" on the African coast
TO seize the Ponchita, on the ground that she was
q SLAYER, and that the American squadron wasnot
on the coast at the time. That the captain Of the
Sappho, after some hesitation, did accordingly
seize her. and manned her with prize crew who
brought her to New York. And that on arrival
here, the owner, claiming to have been injured
by the seizure. hsd the British officers who com
mauded her arrested and held to bail in the sun
of $50
These are the leading facts and upon them We
desire to inquire who was the American agent, at
Congo, who evinced 10 praiscworthy solicitide
for the suppression of the slave trade and the
seizure Of the Panchita? We were not aware the
Acoun.ry had the advantage OF being represented
officially at Congo. Was the agent" an agent
Of the government, or an agent OF the Board of
Foreign Missions. We should like further to
know Whereabouts one might find the American
squadron detailed on special duty for the sup
preston OF the slave trade. by the Ashburton
treaty We are bound TO keep squadron OF eighty
guns on the coast; where is IT.
With regard to the right of the captain of
British vessel TO board and make prize OF an
American vessel. we 10 not find that the Ash
burton treaty-the only authority on the point
justifes any such measure. That treaty says
The parties mutually sapulAe tina, each shall prepare
equip and IN service the coas, Of Africa SUI
dcent ana adequate squadron. naval force Of vessels
OF suitable mbera aud descriptions, VI carry In all not
less Than cal guns to enforce separately and rcspec
lively, The avs rights and obligations OF each OF the two
countries for the Suppression Of slave trade the said
squadrons N be ndependcn each other but the 20
governments 81 neveribsess 10 give such iers
TO the officers commanding their respective forces shall
enable the most cfcctcally " act concert and coope
ration, upon nutua Consolation exgencies may arise,
Tor lie attainment q tue true object OF this article copies
OF NIL such order. 10 be communicated by each govern
ment to the ether respectively.
Whether there has been any mutual consul
tation" between the American and British squad
rons, ending in an agreement that vessels of
war Of either nation shall b. justified in search
ing and scizing savcrs belonging TO both we are
not aware: il is point on which Information il
desirable. For, without some such excuse for the
act, W. appre.,end that the captors of the Pan
chita will find themselves in an awkward posi-
ton. This country will not tolerate renewal Of
the British right Of search, in any shape.
Ii IL not our province to inquire into the afli-
davii Of The owner Weeks, or the guilt or nno-
cencc Of the alleged SLAYER. There arc some very
suspicious features in the case certainly. The at
tempt of the Portuguese Mesquita to obtain pos
session OF The Panchita after she was seized does
not look as though she was on lawful trading
voyage. The evidence Of her anteccdents col
lected at Ascension tells against her. And the
mysterious disappearance Of her papers on her
arrival here, connected with the mrreptltious
visit of an Individual who IL supposed TO have
been her owner, is not calculated TO strengthen
the impression that she had nothing to conceal