New-York daily tribune., 1858-07-19

tight OF vsit question the ashlogtcn letter"lels
generally concur--the present position of thst
matter is as follows: Lord Mamesbury, yielding
10 tte mportuni,es Of Mr. Cass and to the opinions
of tie law officers of the CrowH has concluded to
freqo, at least go far as the American flag is con-
cerped, TIE practice, hitherto exercised as q man.
time right sppertainiDg to ships of war, of stopping
suspicious vessels and requiring them to prove, BY
the exhibition Of their papers their RICH. to use the
flag under which they choose to sail. Proceeding,
however, on the suppositiOn that our Government
can have no wi.h or intention TO allow the Ameri-
can sg to be converted into cover for pirates and
slave traders, Lord Malmesbury, at the same time
that be accepts Mr.. Cass's Interpretation Of mari
tue law, invites our Government to suggest some
other means whereby British naval officers may be
enabled te distinguish between bona fde American
vessels and those which have falsely assumed that
character for the purposes Of piracy and slave
trading. This invitation, 90 it is sisted, Mr. Cars
hos declined to comply with, intimatiDg, however,
that be is ready to receive any proposition Oh the
subject which tho British Government may see fit
10 make.
This reply of Mr.. Cass Is not, we trust, to be
understood az evineisg in3ispOsiton on his part
to come to any understanding or arrsgement on the
subject. That Mr.. Cas- thus called upon, should,
with the best intentions in the world, have been
little puzzled for an answer s not surprising. In
this whole business, from beginning to end, he sp-
pears to have allowed his feelings to run away with
his Judgment. The year 1912, and the events
which led TO the war Of 1912, appear to have 80
completely enerossed Mr. Cass's imagination as
totally to have excluded from his mind the some
what important consideration that it is no longer
1912, but almoss half century later-unwilling s
Mr.. Cas- may be to believe it-in the worlds his
tory. Our venerable Secretary OF State has been
80 entirely tpgrossed in fighting over the battles Of
his yeuth, in dealing with the old, dead question,
of the rgdt of search as totally to have excluded
from bis mind oil thought Of the hvirg question Of
the gross abuse for slave trading purposes Of the
aag of the United States. Now that the ghost Of
the right of search is fairly laid we trust Mr.. Cass
will be himself sgain, will leave off shuddering and
making others shudder at the memories Of the past,
and will address himself manfuly to the realities Of
the present
The groxnd which Mr.. Casa has assumed on the
question Of the right of visit, and which, by his ear
lest Representatives. the British ministry Aas been
brought to admit, has placed this matter
of the abuse of the American flag for
the purposes Of slave. trading in an entirely ne
position-a position which imposes upon our Gov.
erDmept new and very serious responsibilities, and
which gives TO the Brit;sh Government new and
embarrassing grounds of complaint and remon.
STRANGE. Under the old doctrine Of the right of
visit for the purpose Of verifying the hag it was
open to us to wash our hands of any responsibility
for any of the abusive purposes fer which that flag
might chance to be employed. 1t was open to US
to say to the British: Why allow yourselves to be
thus imposed upon IL not the remedy in your
own bandsl Exercise your naval right of visit
for the purpose Of vercatiOn and there is danger
that Spanish slAver will escape you under cover OF
the American dag. In denying the right of visit
for the purpofe of veIifcatop, We take from the
Brtish this mears Of protecting themselves, and
upless we consent to grant them BY treaty Whist We
thus deny as matter Of tight, or fnd some substi-
tute which shall afford them an equL or greater
degree of security shA stard in the position of
assuming the protection Of the slave trade By putting
it Into the power of pirstical slave traders of all
nations or of Lo nation, TO shelter themselves under
the American flag. To the maritime doc.
trine propounded by NJ. Csss, and to which
it would seem Lord MAmesbury has assented, OF
the exclusive right Of each nation {, the inspection
of vessels sailing urder thst nations hsg, corollA
~ attaches which il is impossible to escape. Tha
exclusive right implies duty. 1t must be so ia
exercised as to afford to al parties interested
reasonable security. Under the old doctrine Of Ae
right Of visit, the burden rested upon the British
to protect themselves against fraud and decep-
ton. Under Mr. Cssss new doctrine that burden
rests upon US. We have in fact taken upon our.
selves to guarantee the bona ds character of every
vessel that shews the American has. To permit
that flag, while we deny the right Of Anybody bu,
ourselves to question the vessels bearing it, 10
be habituaDy employed as a means Of nullibing the
.laye trade treaties between Spain and Gres.
Britain. Will BE- to make ourselves party 10 that
notification; nor do We well see how Mr.. Cau is 10
meet or to escape the remonstranees Of the Britsh
Cover ment upon this point, except by placing on
| the cout of Cuba squadron for the very purpose
Of exercising that supervision a. to vessels show.
irg the American flag, which we deny to the
| Briti.h. In this matter We trust our Government
VII &C. promptly and decidedly, 90 As to dissbuse
the slave traders of the impessicn prevailing