The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-06-02
: wAsHINGToN CRY, WEDNESDAY, JUNE. 2, 1868.

~ lt1iiitals fN efahq si Yisfil0s FfH sti4fftq ~
w WASHINGTON CITY, WE
don We speak now o< what history We stop not 10
Sa.. s1s srs .s.ss. y "a = = 49, ss
Bt party had commenced thia wesk a. volsnoe nor te
truth Of tbs charges thus sspabsey preferred Z And
the vessels of France a yAs United BtAtss and a. to
HansoIOwns have already he'd foretaste n what wfn
when few yceD shalt have oonsecsAted ne
present doctrine ledged principle Of iutcrna
tiona law. The will b. paraded and exaaisssd
perhsps BY young midipulan and this odCnsivs opsr
alton will bs rendered offensive by that Kind of
nsolsnce which 10 everywhere Che sure accompaniment
of unchecked responsibility This tendency TO abuse
cannot be sstt described than 1t has been by tho Ion
don Sun. and as its views upon thu qusstson are
more authoritative than ours, shall quote thsm.
II says that arbitrary habits engendsred and man
tanned in naval Officers by the modc emplsyeA pro-
for the aos and those habits mako them test
foreign vessels In arbitrary manner" 10 tAr
spsct the trea4msnt of merchant vesss this n true 70
the letter. And once estabs this right Of search, sAd
ths scenes OF violence which chequoTed the br
twenty years WIN sgain be renewed The matches v BE-
broken open, the cargo overhauicd property dapdA1s
and many articles Will be taksn, thsy hays bR talsa
vitAaH pssm1nlnu md without poaaAAsos TAs has
oatan happened, end 4 sbuso hssparabls ffom zach
proceedings; prohibited and deplored no doubt BY ali
honorable oacers Of boarding ship, but whore might
makes right easily escted, and mot easy detected and
punished The annals of American voyages abound with
similar incidents which occurred during those stormy pc
riods and the complaints not confined the
duct Of of tho bclgerent powers though one from
the number of Its cruises il for other cause much
more injurious to the American commerce than the
other. .is4es}es aAad Aavae 5oN stia6sa ir8iHaQeg
We speak of all this as historian but we speak OF
historian holding up the past warning and pre-
dieting that the future will bring with II the
sequences If the same put in operation The
journal the 'Scutsman IL perfectly correct in its APP
preciaton Of the American feeling when IL says ''We
have little doubt that the arrogant and ndeensbe right
of search claimed by Great Britan IN the last war; lies
at the bottom Of thastubborn the Americans to
tho reasonable propositions Of government. +
But again this claim linbla to serious abuse because
there are strong temptations, both naonal and indyid
ua to pervert tho proessed objects Of the search into
Others, which, though not ayowed apparent; and
because the remedy il Distant expensive and doubtful.
The commerce of Africa iis already important and Is
becoming every day The very supprcssion of
the trade in human beings will tend obviously turn in
dustry and capital into Othor branches Of employment
England exploring the interior of that great CONT
nent and with her accustomed foresight is pushing
intercourse with the native tribes, and preparing
means OF communication. Who doubt but that Eng
lish cruisers, stationed upon that distant coast with
unlimited right Of searoh and discretionary authority to
take possession Of all vessels cquentng thOss ss will
seriously interrupt the trade of other nations by sending
IN their vssse for ta under very slight pretsncs and
In fact under real pretence whAeycr. For wo must
not lose sight Of Of the most Important eemeats
all this controversy which is that the mere appearance
Of merchant ship in those regions Is suapicio
This Is the very groundwork Of the Englsh pretenson
the right as her government contends to ascertain
actual examination the character of every vessel
found in cerain LataAd - which assumed to be ssas
eo a. the quarantine regulations prosuppose many
gons to be always pestferous Under these circumstances
boarding officer stimulated by that which
fu capture always brings with It, and by determine on
which may not be uncharaby charged to him, Of
ing the trade of his country, and of diouragng
that of another will readily believe affect believe
not that there ID just ground to suspect the destination
OF vessethat her very appearance upon his cruising
ground furnishes, agreeably TO these Msitaes-but
that the redecmng circumstances about her are su
cicnt to establish that her cruise lawful one that
she Is entitled to the national character she claims and
that she must be sent to court Of Admiralty to Of
those great maelstroms, which swallowed up many
American ships during that period when there
right upon the but the right Of force The
ton and interruption Of voyages tho result of this sys
TEN, are easily understood A trade carried under
such unAvoraoo cannot contend with the
trade OF favored nation, who herself exercises the po
lice OF the and who may be harsh lenient her
prejudices interest may dictate 1t must be aban-
doned as Of the Paris journals of the 9th instant
announce that the French vessel the Sophie has
just changed her destination rather than subject herre
to the vexations which another French ship, the " Mara
bout had experienced from the English cruisers upon
the const of BRASIL AS to the indignty to which this
ships that must be left to every nation to appreciate for
itsef It Is not probable that the pretensOn will be
rendered less offensive by the mode of Its execution.
But beyond all these objections, applicable in common
erul in it, operation and which from the peculiar rela
tion Of language manners and institutions that exist
between the United States and Great Britain renders thb
measure not only obnoxious but TO the last degree
acceptable to the American governments and peops. We
would not impute unworthy motives to great and intel
gcnt people and Great Britain has done enough to
mand for herself her full share Of the admiration of the
world. But we must take human mature we find II,
and the code Of political ethics 10 loose system, where
there Is much both Of good and evil. Amidst many
gradual mcorations in the constitution Of Engand she
has adhered With wonderful tenacity to- certain preten
sons arising out Of fe,da notions and, among Others, TO
one by which she claims that born under her
government s forever British subject, and that IT hc
by condition seaman he liable to be taken wherever
found, and fOciby compelled to serve an unlimited pc
rod on board her vsssss- -ofwar This Is not consip
toh which opeats equally upon ALL subcctng Ill to
the same chance and requiring their services upon e.
tablshed conditicm and fos hxod periods. However,
far as thS municipal regulation, other nations have
no concern with its Justice policy, except subject
of general speculation But unfortunately for the dara-
lion Of harmony between the United States and Great
Britain this prctcnsion II subject Of
The British government claims the right Of imprcsang
acaen on board the merchant $csscs Of thu United
right on board the Chesapeake higaac after sction IN
profoundpeace whom the American ship compelled 70
yield 10 superior force The conduct OF the commander
was however, disavowed bat MS neal rewarded by
promotions. = s3f reHsG aiit tahf fsa9 efd ~ &saa
1t is matter of history that for many years the
British armed ships boarded the American vessels where
they found them upon the ocean, and seised their
crews, incorporating them with their own and compel
a. a. 80 u -