Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-06-24
Our Relations with Great Britain.

|
to boast.
Our Relations with Great Britain.
| Our readers are already aware, that the
British Minister has given our government as
surances that the recent outrages upon Amer
lean merchantmen were not authorized by the
| British crown. The last steamer brought pretty
full expression of the popular sentiment OF
England upon the subject as contained in the
newspapers. We give below, extracts from
the English press. which will doubtless prove
interesting to the large body of our readers
rFron the Times, June 5h.
| Is IL necessary to add to what we have said
| before on the obvious certainty that this An
| ti-Slaverv crusade must come to an end? 1t
might 'go on for this year, or the next year,
! or fer 10 or 20 years, but any one who thinks
| for a moment on the character of the Power
| with which we have principally to deal must
see not only that the end will come at some
| time or other, but that the longer that end is
STAYED off the worse it will be. 1t is the fast
growing son, or younger brother, rather bit
terlv we may please think at present very
sancy, selfwillcd and more free in physical
developments than bound by moralites. Let
us not quarrel over-much with this disagree
able stage of existence. for it belongs to the
youth of men and of nations. But this same
Power must one day have fifty times our ter
ritory and ten times our people. Besides re-
ceiving year by year from the Old World the
population of an English county, it is more
thrifty of its born citizens than we are. 1t
has no armies in India, no fifty colonies to be
garrisoned. no immense navy in commission.
scarcely even the pretence Of an Anti-Slave
Trade squadron. The time must come when.
invincible as we may be on our own soil, our
own shores our own seas, and anywhere on
equal terms, we should have to contend with
the United States on very unequal terms on
their soil, their shores. their seas, and gener-
ally in the New World. To this must he adj
ded the great popularity of their political
constitution. 1t is by no means settled out
there what the Union may undertake and
promise, and as in this particular affair the
Ant-Slave-Trade Treaty is against the con-
science of many of the States, and the inter-
est of nearly ALL it is vain to expect that
thing of paper and ink will either compel the
Union to sacrifice or the several States TO com
pliance. We see not whence the virtue of fl
delity and constancy is to come; or where we
are to look for the patriots who shall stem
any tide of popular exasperation at alleged
British outrages." That those outrages are
very got-up affairs. that our cruisers have
more than waste paper, and that every Yankee
skipper has an interest in making mountain
ont of n mOlehill. we grant TO those who ar
que from these considerations against being
bullcd out of Il noble cause. But If it was
necessary there should be a treaty-if, in or
der to our successful operations of our cruis-
ers it was necessary there should be any I'M
Outstanding with the States-then, we say, it
is quite obvious that this necessary condition
fails altogether. The ground sinks beneath
on: feet Ii is not that shippers are pouring
in complaints and demanding damages, or that
ship owners and the public generally are get
ting up q breeze, but that there is no power
in the federal government of the Union to
stand by its own treaties and do justice to it's
allies At the least the alliance is between
British enthusiasm and American dccency.
We may all now see what that decency has
mot one capture against fifty of ours'-
and what il is likely to do against the com
bined passions of Southern planters, Northern
merchants, the ship-owners of the whole sea-
board, and the anti-Britishers OF the whole
Union.
OF course we shall be told these are the
counsels of u coward, and that we are setting
the terrible example of yielding to the argu-
ment of might. We might almost concede
this We might even confess that, il the
truth must be spoken, we are yielding TO
still worse argument than that of might.
We are Welding to the argument ofthe Uuitcd
States Government being incapable of stand
ing its ground against the passions of
populace or the interest OF n class. in other
words to the argument OF superior weakness
and immorality. But there are cases in
which courage is mere hardihood; and there
are also cases in which we incur not only all
the risks of our side, but also those at the
antagonists. There are nations enough and
occasions enough in which we may show the
courage of our race If anybody doubts, we
may point to India at this moment where
we are fighting against great difficulties
and odds as those encountered by Cortez or
Pizarro. But even courage itself if it be not
unneryed at least listens 10 the voice OF
nature and of reason when ittinds itself face To
face with its own flesh and blood. its own XII
and kin. Who are these people, so unruly,
provocative, and so glad 20 pick quarrel
with u.s. Who are they upon whom mere
animal courage would goad us 10 an inter
necine warl They are those who hav,
already been worsted in old home quarTels
with us. They are a starved out peasantry
ousted tenants, d'spossessesed cotters, the
younger sons of younger sons, left-handed
workmen, unlucky spectators. disappointed
politicians, men OF every class, who bay
seen aud suffered the worst os the old country.
the worst Of all being that they inherit ouI
restless, moody, Ii-contented nature IL l.
an old grudge these noisy fellows are work
ing out against US on American vantag,
ground. This. then, is rather social than
political quarrel, and as i'll an occasion foi
heroic courage rs quarrel with Ireland OF
the populace of our English cities.
But what is now "a be done, and what l.
the danger that presses. IL Is simply th,
danger OF that official us mOnassh which
'-goes onv with whatever il has begun.
Great as Is the power Of office mot 10 do"
thing. its power to Ego on doing il Is still
greater. At this very moment, IL would
seem. from the answer given the other night
In the Commons u mischif Is operating
ripening. coming To head, aud producing
rightly or not. serious grievance across the
Atlantic, without word of communication
with the British Government. and without
any knowledge Of the matt r. except through
the Am trican papers. Will our government
wait I'LL the grievance has festered to the
regtilatio soreness. viii il do nothing till.
in the course of month or two, there arrive
simultaneously dry report OF opera
iions from the squadron and an angry de-,
mand for damages from the American
Government. Something might BE- d.,ne now
with grace and dignity.-Six months hence
We may find the two GoVeFnms nths
ireetrsevably engaged in a corr. spoudeaee
which, amer producing the angri,si feelings