New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1858-12-15
pRgsrpENTTAL WORDS vs.. FACTS.

E&SEAs4AA1
In fine last annual message of President Buchanan
to the Congress Of the United States the subjoned
paragraph appeared:
Entertaining these sentiments, am gratifed to In
form, vGn that the 1ongpendng controversy between
ma too Governments in relation to the question of
visitation and search, has been amcaby adjusted
The claim on the part Of Great Britain, torcoty 70
visit american vessels on the high seas IN Time OF
j nepre could not be sustained under the law OF ma
1 TONS and it has been 0yeTruled by our own most
eminent iurists This question was recently brought
to an issue by the repeated acts Of British cruisers
in boarding and searching our merchant vessels IN
| the Gulf of Mexico aud the adjacent seas. These
acts were the injurious and annoying, as these
waters are traversed by large portion OF the COM
meree aud navigation Of the United States and their
free and unrestricted is essential to the security
of the cOasWise trade between different states OF the
Union Such yexatious interruptions could not fail
to excite the feelings of the country and to require
the interposition of the Government "Reminiscences
were addressed to the British Government against
these violations of Ourrghts of sovereignty and ma
val force at the time ordered TO the Cuban
waters, with directions to protect all vessels Of the
United States on the high from search or deteh
ton by the vesselsof-War Of any other nation" Ihese
measures received the unqualified and even enthasl'
astc appreciation OF the American people MosS i9L-
tunately, however. no collision took place. ana the
British Government promptly avOwed It's recogntloh
oil the principles of international law upon TINS SUP,
ect, as laid down by the Government Of the tinted
States in the note OF the eeretary OF STATE 70 te
British Minister at Washington, OF April III, 1905
which secures the vessels of the United States upon
the high seas from visitation or search in time OF
peace under auy circumstances whatever. Inc
claim has been abandoned in a manner rejecting
honor on the British Government and evincng Just
regard for the law of nations, and cannot fail TO
strengthen the amcabe relations between the two
countries.
The above reads very we'll In fact, SO far as
its phraseoIogy is concerned, it is unohjectionable
Coming from the President of the United States, a
stranger would infer that it was full Of agreeable
truths alike attering to national pride and honor
and that the British Government had actually yielded
the longclamed right of visitation and search, and
had concluded to obey implicitly, hereafter, the re-
duirements of the Monroe doctrine. Indeed, Mr.
Buchanan says SO in plain words, and it takes bold
man to dispute the verify Of the statements Of the
Chief Magistrate of mighty Republic. Nothing but
facts, clear and incontrOYertbe, could justify any
one in calling in question the reliability of the aega
tions Of President
While we expressly stipulate that we do not desire
to impeach the veracity Of Mr.. Buchanan, we must
be permitted to state few facts going to show that
the premises and conclusions of the foregoing para
graph quoted from his message are devoid of any
foundationn practical truth-that they are deusoa,
a snare and mockery-and that if the President
was deceived when he wrote the press of the country
should embrace the earliest possible moment to IN
deceive the people. So far as we are concerned we
shall certainly perform our part Of the duty,
Probably, at the very time Mr. Buchanan was giving
the finishing touches to his annual message-pos-
sibly, when he was writing the paragraph above re.
ferred to-and telling his constituents officially that
{" the long pending controversy" between Great
!,
question Of visitation and search Of American me-
chautmen on the high seas had been amicably ad.
justed that the claim set up had been oyerruled by
the q most eminent jurists" Of England, and that.
under no q circumstances whatever could American
vessels be visited or searched in time peace thus
fully establishing the validity of the Monroe doctrine
British warships were visiting, searching and inter
fering, in most atrocous manner with an American
steamer in the harbor of Greytown
Ofths there is little or no doubt. Our readers will
recollect the teegraphic dispatches published in Mon
days Crescent respecting the treatment the steam.
ship Washington received from the officers Of the
British warships Leopold and VaIorOus in the port of
Greytown. twill be remembered that the Washing
ton was first boarded BY the officers Of the United
States frigate Savannah and her papers, passengers
and cargo, closely examined, and pronounced regular
and unobiectionable. After this the Washington was
again boarded by the officers of the British men.of
war Leopold and Vaorous all armed, for the purpose
Of examining her papers, passengers and cargo. The
Captain referred them to the officers of the Savannah
for information to which they replied that their in
structions were to get such information direct from
the steamer and finally many Of the Washtngton'a
passengers were obliged to return to New York
This is succinctly, fair account of the transaction
as related in the Geographic dispatches from New
York The Washington arrived at Greytown on the
18th ult.-was boarded by the Savannah on the
probably by the British fleet on the same
day,
If this act of the British naval officers does not
tampe the Monroe doctrine under foot, and if it is
not striking aud practical revival of the old claim
TO visit and search American vessels at pleasure then
We are unable to understand the purport Of terms
aud actions, It was certainly very unfortunate for
Mr. Buchanan that at almost the very moment be
vas announcing to the representatives the people
he amicable and honorable settlement OF the issues
involved, that the British should be carrying on with
higher hand than ever thus giving rebuff direct to
lis assertions What he will do about to be
een. Nothing Of any importance we imagine. He
las neither the nerve nor the backbone to face mar
ial music This the British know as well as we do
Hence the insoence of the subordinate officers of that
Government,
Anniversary Events--Deo, Is.
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