St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1858-06-10
The Right of Search.

awe claim that it is simply absurd
to maintain that an American vessel
brought to and boarded by a British
officer under orders from his govern
ment, is not for the moment under ju-
risdiction by force of that officer. 1t
is superior force, indeed, that compels
our merchantmen to submit, and to
surrender for the time being, no mat
ter how short, or how civil the words
of the assailant, to the hostile juris-
diction of the invader. 1t is more than
idle to pretend that the offensive and
controlling act is not to be found in the
visitation" itself that of search,
after jurisdiction has been acquired,
being in point of fact Of trifling conse-
quence. Visitation divcsts the officer
of ship of his rightful jurisdiction
over the flag and the papers of his
government, which constitute his au-
thority. Search may be an additional
indignity and annoyance, but the Of
fence involved therein amounts to
nothing compared with the original
act Of hostility by which the boarding
officer gained jurisdiction of the deck
and put the captain in subsection to
his orders"
The Union concludes its able argu-
ment by claiming that the only party,
who has the legitimate right of testing
the character of ships sailing under
American colors, is the Executive of
the United States, the Comander-in-
Chief of the Army ard Navy. When
We become too weak to protect our
national authority, or too corrupt to
enforce our own laws, it will be time
to invoke the aid of foreign nations in
our behalf
We would like to ask, what else is
an armed vessel that attacks peaceful
traders in a time of profound peace
than pirate? "Obcying orders y
No doubt they are, but when the di
plomats get to work these orders will
be denied and the whole thing will
end, if left to diplomacy alone, in oul
swallowing our Indignation and in the
starched functionaries of the two gov.
ernments assuring each other of their
distinguished consideration" This
is no way to settle these insults. Apol
ogics are not sufficient. Rcparatior
should be demanded and PREPARATION
should be insisted upon. These at
tacks are made under the old fright
of search" which this government
never has admitted and never can ad
nit. The pretence is that the search
is made for the suppression Of the
slave trade. This plea is a lie. But
if it were not lie, it is plea of the
most transparent and impudent hypoc
risy.
Great Britain, in her efforts t.
suppress the slave trade" is supply
are under scrvitudc US CALLING al
that Of chattel slavery ever was in it,
worst forms. She does not, indeed
take slaves from the Coast of Africa
but she steals them after they arc
taken and then binds them to an ap
premiership compared with which
southern slavery would be a heavenly
blessing. Away with such philanthro.
pic projections. They arc all sham.
Great Britain is to-day the most mex.
orable and inhuman slave holder and
slave trader the sun shines upon, and
her policy is to perpetuatc the slave
trade.
We are pleased to see that Mr. Ma
son, of Virginia, from the Committee
on Fercign Relations, to whom was
referred the resolution cnquiring
whether additional Legislation is nee
essary to place certain power in the
hands of the executive, submitted a
report of which the substance is, that
the official statements show a Success
sion of acts of aggression by the Brit
| ish cruisers in the Gulf of Mexico, SO
marked and extraordinary as has
awakened the Indignation of the coun-
try ; vessels under our flag, pursuing
lawful commerce, have been fired into,
stopped and examined as to cargo,
destination, crew, etc. No less than
fifteen American ships in the harbor
of Sagua lc Grande, and six on the
high seas, are officially reported as
having had TO submit to the aggres-
sions of British cruisers, and each adj
ditional arrival brings fresh accounts
of aggressions on our flag. 1t has
hitherto happened in isolated cases.
Where similar aggressions have &C.
Cured through misconception, the
United States has been content to &C.
cept disclaimer Of the intent; but
the continued and pcrsevering charac'
ter Of these outrages is such as to
arouse the indignation Of the country
and to require to arrest at once, and te
end at once and forever the continu
ance Of such indignities. The slave
, trade is alleged as the excuse. tn,
, committee will not discuss that. 1t
sufficient that the United States
, though often invoked to do so, refuset
to recognize the right of police. The.
rest on the principle that the marin'
under their flag cannot be visited o
questioned without their consent, an,
the committee deem this a fit occasion
to declare it as principle of tn
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