The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1858-07-03
WASHINGTON CITY, SATURDAY, JULY 3, 1858.

alIay aarm which existed both in that country and
NJ Fitzgerald replied that the information received
by the scyerhnent was extremely ineagre and indeed
that LIS principal sorCb cf Intelligence the American
press The bulk OF the statements obtained thence Ters
deced gross exaggcraons, and in support Of this view
he coented upon reports in the New York and Boston
pap length His opy desire In referrng 70 these state
ments todo justice TO the conduct OF British oteers aid
also explain how it that he lndulged the hope that
upon Fther inquiry circumstances that Appeared mena
cling wnd be amicaby and satisfactorily arranged He felt
entire ndencc that when the whole Of the circumstances
Of hG brought under the notice Of the Ameri
can &6yemmcnt II would be found that they would be
dispo4 TO treat the question IN conciliaory manner,
and 1T our relations with those the other side Of tho
Atlantie would be maintained unmlaircd. He would
Inform the honorable gentleman what the vcws
Of hor IMajesty's government Us to the claim of
the American government that the right of search or
Of visitation should be renounccd This right had no
doubt Egen constant source Of irritation between the
two nations, sd whatever might have been the practice
Of preceding governments Of this country u had never
been sdmitted by the Americans # had bacoide TIC
duty them Of her Majsstys in consequence
of the unfortunate circunsttntss which had recently
transpired, to inquire what rights 1hether, If
had such rights, should be prepared to stand by
them and whether, If we had them not, ought not
at candidly to discam them They had according
y taken the advice of the law officers of the Grown,
choss ed opinion that Jy International lar had no
right Of smrcly rsts " b,aion solnTa IN time Of peace
That beng so he need not say My had dousA! oud b IN
aromas Of s conclusion But while they perfectly acknow
edged that England had right to visit American ves
sells engaged i'm peaceful commerce. it would on the other
hah BIZ wrong to cay that this country should abandon
the policy which mad hohoaby distinguished her
that she should to employ her fleets in putting
down the slave trade On this point the position taken
by the British government exactly that which in one
OF tho able State papers had been laid down by Gen.
Cass in his letter to Lord Napier In that document
there this passage
IA merchant vessel proh tile high seas Is protected by
her national character He who orcibly enters bet docs
upon his responsibility Undoubtedly, If YES
sci national character to which she is not cnt
tled and is sailing under false coo she cannot be pro-
tocted by this assumption of nationality to which she
has no claim As tho identity Of person must be de-
terminsd by the officer bearing process for his arrest
and determined at the risk OF sch officer, 70 must the
national identity of vessel be determined at the fA
hazard to him who, doubling the flag she displays,
searches her to ascertain her true character There
doubt may be circumstances which would so far to
modify the complaints nation would have right to
make for such violation of its sovereignty. If the
boarng officer had just grounds for suspicion, and do
ported himself with pt6prlety In The performance Of his
task doing injury and pcaccably retiring when salts
fed of his error nation would make such an act the
subject of serious reclamation
This he believed, strictly the position which we
entitled to take by international law The Amer
can government had themselves acknowledged it the
face of Gen Cass State paper to be that which mo
ton would make the subject Of serious reclamation
and this her Macstys government would instruct
or Cruisers in future to pursue. The honorable gentleman
had also asked whether any addition had been made to
fleet in tho Cuban waters. During the time that her
ajestys government had been in oticc no such aadi
tion had taken place. And he might say further that 1t
had necessarily under their consideration whether
the continuance of squadron In those waters
auistc for e object which had In view and whether
there were not also attached to its continuance there OBJ
jecons of another and serious character. 1t was
obvious that the question of maintaining squadron on
the coast of Africa very different from the question of
Ct,1a III
coast Of Cuba Tie Mytcay Of ieican Each
d could ak 10 meet nubss cesses Of 1nerican origin
pscay egaged in trade And it was obvious that as in
carrying out the instructions given to them much must
necessarily be left TO the discretion of officers there
must always be far greater risk Of misunderstanding If
not collision in the Of vessels in such sea.
Whereas the coast of Africa where the commerce
much scattered it was much easier to ascertain
the character of suspicious ship than when she was
amonga number of other vessels pursuing lawful COM
merce ,cds therefore, under Tie consideration Of her
Maieys government, ultr not desirable al once
10 oahdrdw squadron from e Cuban rdters The original
plan by which that blockade instituted he was free
to confess adopted at the suggestion of the Ame
can government but neither that government the
government of this country at that time the grave
objections to which had since become liable The hon
orabe member had further asked him whether any add
tona instructions had lately been sent to this squadron
Now there the instructions to which the honorable
member for Birmingham had alluded, md which We're
issued to cruisers on the coast OF Aca Mt the time
His right honorable friend ut the head of the .Adm-
ralty had found it necessary, since he came into
Office, to give stringent instructions,
Joining still greater caution and discretion our
commanders in the Cuban waters Whether any
instructions had been previously issued which had given
rise to this increased activity the part of cruisers
he was not in position to state All he could say
the part of the present was that their earliest
efforts directed to incucang the greatest and
prudence those engaged in this delicate and difficult
task He need only add that he he expressed
the sentiments of every man. not only in the House. but
in the country when he stated that fatal thing
for the civilization and happiness OF the world could not
than serious misunderstanding between ourselves
and the United States. Meeting this case they
prepared to do in frank and conciiatory spirit relying
on the Just sentiments of the American government and
also Of the American people when they knew the truth
he believed he was not speaking too sanguney when he
said he had confident hope that this difference would at
an early date be satisfactorily and anicaby settled.
Mr. Roebuck observed that things had happened in
America which, if properly understood, would have led
to different conclusions Mr.. Fitzgerald had, in most
concisory TERMS stated the views Of her Majesys gov
eminent which showed that he understood the delicate
position in which he placed. He (Nr. Rocbuck
bound to notice the difference of proceeding on tho other
side of the water that language had been used in the
American Congress in this matter which not worthy
of gentlemen at the head of great nation We were
desrous of maintaining good relations with the Amer
cans and to defend rights without insulting them
We only anxious TO put down great blot upon hui
mnnitythe slave trade and to effect that certain in
structions had been given, and young might have
gone a little beyond their instructions He believed
however the officers Ind merely done their duty Sure
he that the people of England desrous Of pre-
serving friendly relations with the United States and IL
we wished To put down the slave trade il not with
the view Of hurting anybody but Of benehtng mankind
Lord RussclI said there could doubt that IL