St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1858-06-17
Peace or War.


Shall we have war with England +?
Humanity, common sense, and inter-
est, that combine to form the guide of
nations in the present age, furnish ar
guments against such national suicide
too strong to be disregarded. We
cannot believe that England will have
the folly to adopt and approve the ag-
gressions practiced on our commerce
by her naval officers nor, despite the
selfish suggestions of those who would
set all mankind by the ears that thrift
might follow to them from the general
broil, and who therefore urge the mon
strous absurdity that the United States
would not lose but would profit great
~ by maratime war with the first
maritime Power on earth, can we be-
lieve that the United States will be
mad enough to bring on an unneces-
sary contest, by persisting in regard
ing the late aggressions as a mortal
national offence, even though disavow-
ed and expiatcd to the utmost limits
Of reason and justice.
The claim of Great Britain, in pur
suance Of treaty stipulations with 9th
err European Governments, is, to search
all vessels suspected by her of being
engaged in the slave trade, except
vessels kno,cn to be American. Hel
claim, in theory and profession, never
has gone further. She has left to the
United States the duty Of suppressing
such trade in American vessels. But
she insists on visiting vessels suspect
ed of not being American, though bear
ing the American flag, for the purpose
Of ascertaining their true national
character. Thus, though in theory she
exempts our vessels from her assumed
right of search, practically she sub
jccts them to it, on the easy and elas-
tic ground Of suspicion Of fraud. In
every case, heretofore, where proof
has been made Of the nationality Of
our vessels searched, she has made
full indemnity. The great point OF
difficulty is, that America is unwilling
to submit to the chance of mistake by
officers of British cruisers.
Though persistence by British off.
GERS in the Gulf of Mexico in aggres.
sions similar to those that have SO ex'
cited our people, previous to further
instructions from their government OF
the subject, may bring on a tempora
ry, local conflict, we see no reason fol
supposing that, even in that case, a
national war need result.
The whole question resolves Itself
into this were these aggressions the
act of Great Britain, or only Of a few
headstrong agents, exceeding their in
structions If Of the latter, then the
matter may be easily settled if Of the
former, then we may reasonably antic.
ipate war, unless-and here is another
good chance for peace-the orders un-
der which the officers acted were
o;..~- h,' tho lnts,ly -s,,,ntai 4Gnvern.
ment Of Lord Palmerston, and shall
be utterly repudiatcd and disavowed
by the present Government of Lord
Derby.
In any event, let us hope for peace
with nations as with individuals, q
clear knowledge of the real cause of
difficulty is the chief promoter of re.
Cancellation. Let us know well what
we are going to fight about. before we
begin. peace on earth, and good.
will to men," are too precious to be
thrown away wantonly and expert
ence of the profits of undisturbed COM
merce has made England and the
United States incapable of such folly.