The Washington union., 1857-05-02

chantmen fom the field Of competition and which von
include manufactures well commerce and navigate
would fill his Golfers with a perennial stream.
Ii has been suggested that that result Is as lal 4
happen whether this country shall adopt or not the ~,
posed abolishment of commercial captures at sea m
suggestion IL not without pausbility but IL IL not i'm
Even were taken by surprise and the first Intimate
of hostilites should be in the appaTiton of bockaA
fleets along our coast yet there could be no bockad
strong that il would not sometimes he brokep If Lo
ken by yesses-ofwa and by pryateers as the rn
ent laws of war allow, by yesselsof-war and ~
private vessels commissioned national as would b Az
operation Of the Paris declaration, they would PRESENT.
make havoc enough with the enemy TO draw of lar
part of his blockade to take care of his comme
But if they had nothing TO do when they got out .,
would be the case under Mr. Marcy's plan--proLilStI
in advance from annoying the enemys trade, or in ar
ieimbuTsing themselves of course there wouII
be no nducement for them 10 take the hazard of bal
ing the line Moreover it is not often that great NJ,
tions surprised by sudden apparition of war n
that it takes place till the portenous event has long c
its shadow We are not likely, therefore, 10 be cauOL,
by actual hostilities with all maritime resources %
to be locked up in port But the suggestion Were even
true it does not afford argument 1T would hardly h
an apology-for our assent to the proposed new nls
We ought at least to retain the chances the possibility
Of retaliation ON maritime enemy.
Another objection 10 the plan of Mr. Marcy and IN
which it does not compare fvoraby regards the inter
ess of our country, with the naled proposal Of Pa.
that 10 would uS WITHOUT possibility
getting to what would be the probable points of eoptn
ton in any war that could between our comir
and other maritime States. have heretofore assumed
and think that the position s certainly correct that
the United States and their chief competitors on The
seas should ever come to hostilities the dispute will
arise in some question of territorial advantage ON p
of or adjacent to continent and that even if some
other were the direct motive of the quarrel the seimr
of territory that neither belgerent could reach excrt
by would be one of the grand strategie of The
For example, in the misfortune of with Great
Britain or France what would be easier than for the enc
N.Y. after having blockaded our ports to shut up also
or take military possession of the great gaeways y
which the States Of this Union that front one ocean
communicate with those that front the other2 II
true that, after many years of negotiation sometimes
quite angry about that commanding part of the world
Istlmian America, lately given indirectly Ia
understand that the whole matter is bagaclle to Euro
pean States, and that among them is general dspo.
tion not to interfere with this continent with such
views as the chief Power of it may find Just and exp
dent do not cast doubt ON the sincerity and truth
of these professions There are, however persons 80 in
cedulous to suspect that there is connected with this
delightful aabty and good nature experiment as
whose shall be the innocent and atercd fingers to mke
the chestnuts query Marons de Chine p from the hot
ashes At all events it is possible contingency that
there may be reactionary sentiment and that points Of
such importance to all the quarters of the globe and
which have been objects of socitude for four ccnu
ries, may come again to be objects of contention
lnCfc principles tnat ought
with additions to be universally adopted those that re
late to the rights Of aearus to the exemption from the
pains Of of States that not concerned in it, The
United States have always contended for those principles
and it will be with high satisfaction that the American
people will note the passage relating to that subject
the peculiarly handsome address Of the plcnpoenayo
her Britannia Majesty at the recent festival of ST. George
held in New York No better offering of peace
and goodwill could be held out by our mother country
than that she is willing to adopt in full the rights that
have always claimed for neutrals, without requiring
condition that shall sacrifice rights and powers
bellgerent assume that the Spontaneous deca
ration of her Maesty's government which the excellent
address Lord Napier refers to is intended to be such
Offering AT all events, the statesman who shall succeed
in establishing rule hereafter to be observed that
belligeents shall not be privileged to prey the proper
ty of neutrals, viii indeed prevent in future the
.dcploable disputes that characterized former ones and
have earned the gratitude of the whole world. The
present appears from many circumstances, to be pro
pous time for thus bringing perverted law of nations
to conform with the laws Of nature
have the honor, sir, again to subscribe myself most
respectfully, your friend and feow-citizen,
.. VIM. CAREY JONES
WASHINGTON, April 2S, 1857.