The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1858-06-07

1 Wuoous CoeA&0 AoQ oAVsou Wito Ihto6r
stronger feeling, while engagements were moderate.
The BIit,ah Outragss-Fony Of English d.
plomacy.
Wepublish to day full and correct list of
the vessels thus far heard from that have been
boarded by British cruisers lately, and several
interesong extracts from the Royal Gazette at
Bermu1A On this subject.
1t will be seen that this journal, which was
published Immediately under the eye of Sir
Houston Stewart, Admiral in command of the
British squadron on that station, doubts the
facts of the searches and denies that the British
officers have any orders to pursue such course
On the other hand, we have the statement of the
commando of the British steamer Styx, at Key
West recently. Finding his reception there to
be of the most frigid character, he complained
that the want of courtesy could not have been
greater in an enemy's port, and denied the
truth Of the statement Of the captain of the
schooner Mobile about his being fred into. He
alleged that he was in command Of the gunboat
squadron on the coast of Cuba, and that, as he
was only obeying his instructions, the question
was not personal one with him but was to be
settled by the two governments.
This question Of the right of search, which has
again been sprung upon US by the conduct of the
British naval commanders in the West Indies, is
one which evidently remains 10 be settled. The
war of lsl2-l5, which in great part originated
from the practice of boarding American vessels
in search of British deserters, and adhered to
50 pertinaciously by the British government as
right, was terminated by a treaty which IN
fortunately made no reference TO the subject
The long peace which followed rendered ii OBJ
solete; but II is now revived in q new form
and under the pretence that the slave trade
being declared piracy by all the civilized world,
the right of search revives as q necessary means
of puttingit down. That the government of
the United States will now submit to the en-
forcement Of the principle is not to be supposed
| The English have long endeavored to consider 1t
as one involving the security Of maritime nations
and founded on laws which they universally &C
knowledged but they early met with sturdy
resistance from their Dutch neighbors who two
hundred years ago declared "their captains and
other sea officers, should not "condescendr
to obey the commands Of any foreigners;
and for century and . half the immunity of
ships of war from search was universally ad-
mitted
The wars between France and England, and
the controversies which arose out of the rights
of neutrals under the Berlin and Milan DEGREES
and the British Orders In Council reopened the
question in its length and breadth; the obsolete
principle was reasserted by England, and the
attack on the Chesapeake by the Leopard, of
the Cspes OF virginia-to use the words of an
American writer-was an exercise of power
beyond all patient endurance, and electrified
the American nation TO Its remotest extremi-
ties" The war which followed was in great
part the result of this act of violence, which
long and earnest negotiations failed to obtain
atonement for and for which neither embargo
nor nonintercourse had the effect to obtain any
future guarantees. In the course Of the subse-
quent discussions during portions Of which Mr.
Canning was Secretary of State for Foreign
Aiairs, our government took an additional step
in the argument, and going beyond the case of
the Chesapeake, and armed vessels generally
insisted that our merchant men should also be
exempt from search. When the treaty Of
Client was negotiated, the question, strange to
say, was left unsettled and though afterwards
Mr.. Rush and Mr.. Stephenson both endeavored
TO arrange the difficulties thus left unarranged
and though on one occasion the terms of trea-
ty had been actually agreed upon, and the ao-
tion Of the United States Senate alone prevented
lite ratification by the English government, the
| question has drifted along without settlement
to this day. With regard TO the right ofsearch
for deserters, It lie no longer enforced. Since
the suppression of the slave trade has been
adopted as its leading policy IL has been at
tempted TO re-establsh the right by act Of Par
liament but the prompt Intervention Of our
Minister Mr.. Stevenson, from time to time pre-
vented its accomplishment and subsequently,
when the Quintuple treaty was negotiated by the
| agents Of the five great Powers, the able me
moir put forth BY Mr.. Cas- then our Minister to
France, upset that scheme, 30 far as the French
government was expected to become party in
terested. The war Of 1912, and the nego.ia-
tions of 1918, '39, 40 and al having thus
effected nothing for the settlement of this ques-
ton, and no practical difficulties having arisen
out of the loose condition OF things, the
Northeastern Boundary question became
the immediate and more alarming difficulty Of
the day, which, happily, however, was termi-
mated by negotiation. BY the treaty Of Wash
ington an attempt was made indirectly TO get
rid Of the difficulties connected with the slave
trade by the establishment Of joint naval
4